OMY! Sports News

Strength Training During the Off-Season

2024-12-03 11:41 Useful
Many runners have likely heard about the importance of strength training, but it’s often neglected. The off-season is a perfect time to introduce something new (or revisit something forgotten) into the training routine.
With reduced running intensity during the autumn and winter months, many runners find they have more time to focus on building strength and addressing weak areas. Over time, strength training can become an essential part of your training process—all it takes is forming the habit.

Running Alone Is Not Enough for Progress

💪 Injury Prevention. Strength training strengthens ligaments, increases bone density, and builds the muscles of the musculoskeletal system. Stronger muscles and ligaments are less prone to fatigue and more resilient to the impact of running, significantly reducing the risk of injuries.
💪 Boosting Metabolism. With age, metabolism slows, and we gradually lose muscle mass. Building muscle and reducing fat helps accelerate metabolic processes, which begin to slow as early as 30–35 years old.
💪 Improved Running Economy and Technique. Strength training ensures balanced development of the entire body. By strengthening the core and glutes, you maintain better posture during running. Strong leg muscles improve stride frequency, hip drive, foot placement, shin movement, and reduce vertical oscillation. Performing strength exercises 2–3 times a week for 20–40 minutes can significantly improve your running biomechanics.

Do You Need Equipment?

🎯 Most of the time, bodyweight exercises are sufficient. The omysports.ai app offers video workouts that require no equipment—just follow along!
🎯 For variety, you can add extra weights at home or in the gym, such as resistance bands, kettlebells, dumbbells, etc.

How Do the Pros Do It?

Elite Kenyan runners, known for their incredible records, primarily rely on bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, and minimal weights.
Running already puts the body under significant stress. Additional stress from strength training with maximum or near-maximum weights can lead to injuries, overtraining, and unwanted muscle mass gain. Excess muscle increases energy demands during running and adds impact stress to the joints.

Muscle Activation Exercises

It’s essential to activate key muscle groups before workouts using specific exercises. We’ll cover activation drills in our next article.

Where to find workouts?

In the OMY! Sports app, you’ll find video tutorials for strength exercises targeting the lower body, upper body, and core. Download the app, prepare for the upcoming season, and set your sights on new records!
Check these workouts for Strength and Core on our YouTube.
Sportfully yours,
OMY! Sports Team