Strength Training...

Hey Im looing for a bit of reassurance here really..

Im paranoid if im am doing enough strength training to supplement my running.

Currently I do one long gym session a week which includes, medicine ball and core work, squating, bencing pressing and back strengthening exercising.

Also nearly everyday I do pressups, plank, side planks, side leg raises just to keep things ticking over.

Is this enough? I run 4-5 times a week. Thanks in advance.

I keep meaining to do core training to supplement my running ... but never seem to get round to it. I do see the benefit in it, and feel I should do more especially as I'm returning from a (non-running related) knee injury. 

The answer to "is this enough?" is "do you have any recurring aches/pains when running?".  If you don't then its fulfilling its primary purpose of keeping your muscles in good enough tone to support your running efforts.

Thanks for your response stutyr!

In answer to your last question- no i dont have any aches and pains whilst running so I suppose it is doing the job. Thats reassured me a bit thanks.

Also when I squat- I tend to squat large amounts of weight (for a runner) ie at the moment i squat 70kg on a barbell. Im just thinking whether this is entirely essential and whether I can 'get away with squatting less' .....?

Avit - Are you concerned that you're not doing enough strength training, or are you trying to get away with doing less?

It may be beneficial to do more reps with a lower weight - e.g. instead of doing 10 reps of 70kg, you could do 15 reps of 60kg - but it depends on your size, build, goals etc. 

you want to be creating different stresses from when you run so heavy & few is the way to go. squats, deadlifts.

@singleton im concerned im not doing enough! but thanks for your advice

avit wrote (see)

@singleton im concerned im not doing enough! but thanks for your advice

That's what I thought initially, but then you were asking about 

"whether this is entirely essential and whether I can 'get away with squatting less"

Which confused me.

Yeh i was just thinking maybe squating 70kg is a bit ott for running....?

@avit. I couldn't disgaree more. In my opinion most 'runners' are disgracfully weak.

I squat 120kg and have my eyes on 140kg by xmas. I'm 75kg body weight and my 5km and 10km times, while not 'club level', are pretty decent, esp considering I only run for a bit of phys.

Runners at all levels, but especially those at a low level, need to learn that strength and size are not co-dependant. You can be fit (=run lots of miles) AND be strong enough to move some proper weight. You do not need to be a 100kg bodyweight monster to be strong.

Also, getting stronger = instant speed.

EDIT: Before I get yelled at.. this does not apply to elite level runners or anyone on here who is 7 stone wet through and runs a sub 3 marathon!!