1. Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat builds strength through the quads, glutes, hips, and feet without needing much equipment. It also reveals side-to-side differences quickly, which matters because running rarely hides imbalances for long.

Running is essentially a single-leg sport. You are landing on one leg, stabilizing on one leg, and pushing off one leg over and over again.

Bulgarian split squats teach you to create force from one leg while controlling your pelvis, knee, and ankle. That control can support better mechanics when you are climbing, running on tired legs, or trying to keep your stride steady late in a long run.

How to do it

To perform a Bulgarian split squat, place your back foot on a bench, box, or elevated surface behind you. Step your front foot far enough forward that you can lower with control. Keep most of your weight in the front leg, lower until your front thigh is around parallel, then drive through the front foot to stand.

Common mistake

Do not turn it into a bounce. Lower slowly, keep the front knee tracking over the toes, and avoid collapsing inward at the knee or hip.

Try this

Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side.

2. Romanian Deadlift

Runners tend to be very quad-dominant, whether they realize it or not. But durable running also requires a strong backside.

The Romanian deadlift targets the posterior chain: hamstrings, glutes, and the muscles that help you hinge at the hips. These muscles play a major role in hip extension, which is part of how you create power and stability with each stride.

Unlike a traditional deadlift, which starts from the floor and uses more knee bend, the Romanian deadlift starts from standing and keeps the focus on hinging at the hips while maintaining tension through the hamstrings and glutes.

For runners, the RDL is valuable because it builds strength without requiring a lot of jumping, pounding, or complicated coordination. It is simple, effective, and easy to progress over time.

A stronger posterior chain can help you feel more powerful on hills, more stable when fatigue sets in, and less dependent on your quads doing all the work.

How to do it

To do a Romanian Deadlift, start by holding a barbell, dumbbells, or kettlebells in front of your body. Start standing tall with a slight bend in your knees. Push your hips back like you are trying to close a door with your butt. Keep your spine neutral, let the weights travel close to your legs, and lower until you feel a stretch through your hamstrings. Then drive your hips forward to stand.

Common mistake

Do not squat your RDL. Your knees should bend slightly, but the movement should come mostly from the hips moving back and forward. Do not perform an RDL with the goal of stretching as far as you can go. Your signal for when to drive forward and stand is as soon as you feel a light-to-moderate stretch in your hamstrings.

Try this

Do 3 sets of 8 reps with moderately heavy weight or 3 sets of 12-15 reps at light weight.

3. Step-Down

The step-down may not look impressive, but runners need it more than they think.

This exercise trains your ability to control your body as you lower on one leg. That matters because running is not just about pushing off the ground. It is also about absorbing force every time your foot lands.

Step-downs are especially useful for runners who deal with knee pain, hip instability, downhill fatigue, or form breakdown late in runs. They train the quads, glutes, hips, ankles, and feet to work together while you decelerate.

If you trail run, race ultras, or spend time on rolling terrain, this one is especially important. Downhills are basically repeated step-downs with more impact, more fatigue, and less perfect footing.

How to do it

To perform a step-down, stand on a low box or step with both feet on top. Shift your weight onto one leg so that leg becomes the working leg. Keeping your working foot planted on the box, slowly lower the opposite heel down in front of the box, like you are reaching toward the floor for a controlled heel tap. Lightly tap the heel, then press through the working leg to return to the top.

Start with a low height and move slowly. The goal is to control the lowering phase, not to drop quickly or push off the floor with the tapping foot.

Common mistake

Do not let your hip drop or your knee cave inward. Think slow, quiet, and controlled.

Try this

Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side. You can start at bodyweight only and progress by adding weight via dumbbells or kettlebells.

4. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

The single-leg RDL combines strength, balance, hip stability, hamstring control, and foot strength in one movement.

While a traditional Romanian deadlift lets you train the hip hinge with more load and both feet on the ground, the single-leg version challenges each leg independently. That changes the demand. Instead of only focusing on posterior-chain strength, you also have to stabilize through the foot, ankle, knee, hip, and trunk while moving on one leg.

That is why both variations can be useful for runners. The regular RDL is great for building overall hamstring and glute strength. The single-leg RDL is great for teaching your body how to control that strength one side at a time.

When you run, your body has to stabilize on one leg while the other leg moves through space. The single-leg RDL trains a similar demand in a slower, more controlled setting. You have to create tension through the foot, keep your hips square, hinge from the working leg, and maintain control through your trunk.

This exercise is not about how low you can reach. It is about how well you can control the movement.

How to do it

To do a single-leg Romanian deadlift, stand on one leg with a soft bend in the knee. Hinge at the hips as your opposite leg reaches behind you. Keep your hips as square as possible and your spine long. Lower until you feel tension through the hamstring of the standing leg, then drive through the foot to return to standing.

Common mistake

Do not let the back hip open toward the ceiling. Imagine your hip bones are headlights pointing toward the floor.

Try this

Do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side. You can start at bodyweight only and progress by adding weight via a dumbbell or kettlebell. You want to hold the weight in the opposite hand of your working leg. (e.g. right foot on the ground, hold a DB or KB with left hand)

5. Straight-Knee and Bent-Knee Calf Raise

Calf training is one of the most underrated pieces of strength training for runners.

Your calves, achilles, ankles, and feet take on a massive amount of work when you run. They help absorb impact, create stiffness, return energy, and support your stride from the ground up.

A lot of runners only think about calves when something starts hurting. But calf strength should not be treated like rehab only. It should be part of the plan.

Using both straight-knee and bent-knee calf raises helps train two key calf muscles. Straight-knee calf raises emphasize the gastrocnemius, while bent-knee calf raises bias the soleus, which is especially important for distance runners.

How to do it

For straight-knee calf raises, stand tall with your knees extended and rise up onto the balls of your feet. Pause at the top, then lower with control.

For bent-knee calf raises, keep a slight bend in your knees and perform the same movement. You can do these standing, seated, single-leg, double-leg, bodyweight, or loaded.

Common mistake

Do not rush through the reps. Use a full range of motion and control the lowering portion.

Try this

Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps for each variation.

6. Lateral Lunge

Most running happens forward, but that does not mean runners should only train forward and backward.

The lateral lunge builds strength in the frontal plane, which means side-to-side movement. This matters for hip strength, groin strength, knee control, and overall durability.

Trail runners especially need this. Uneven terrain, turns, rocks, roots, and quick adjustments all ask your body to stabilize outside of a perfectly straight line. Even road runners benefit from training lateral strength because it helps build more complete hips and legs.

How to do it

To do a lateral lunge, start in a wide stance, toes pointed slightly outward if mobility is a limiter. Shift your hips back and bend into the leg you’re moving in the direction of, while keeping the opposite leg straight. Push through the floor to return to standing.

Common mistake

Do not let your knee collapse inward or your heel pop off the floor. Sit your hips back and keep the working foot grounded.

Try this

Do 3 sets of 8 reps per side. Progress by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in the front rack position (e.g., holding the weight at your chest with elbows pointing down)

How to Put These Into a Twice-Per-Week Plan

You do not need to do all six exercises every time you lift. A good twice-per-week strength plan should give you enough stimulus to build strength without wrecking your running.

You want to leave the gym feeling like you worked, not like you ruined tomorrow’s workout.

Day 1: Strength and Power

Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side

Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps

Straight-Knee Calf Raise: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps

Bent-Knee Calf Raise: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps

Day 2: Control and Durability

Step-Down: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per side

Lateral Lunge: 3 sets of 8 reps per side

Optional Core: Side Plank: 2 to 3 sets of 30 to 45 seconds per side

How Heavy Should Runners Lift?

The answer depends on your experience, mileage, injury history, and training cycle. But in general, runners should not be afraid to lift challenging weights.

That does not mean every set should be maximal. Most of the time, you should finish a set feeling like you had one to three good reps left in the tank. The final few reps should require focus, but your form should not fall apart.

If you are new to lifting, start with bodyweight or light dumbbells and prioritize control. If you are more experienced, gradually increase load over time.

The goal is not to be sore after every session. The goal is to build capacity.

When Should Runners Lift?

If you run and lift on the same day, try to place your harder lift after your harder run, not right before it. This helps keep your easy days easy and your hard days hard.

For example, you might lift after a workout day, hill day, or moderate run, then keep the following day easier. If you are doing a long run on the weekend, avoid placing your hardest lower-body lift the day before.

Your strength training should support your running, not constantly compete with it.

Final Thoughts

The best strength plan for runners is not the most complicated one. It is the one you can do consistently, recover from, and progress over time.

If you only lift twice a week, make those sessions count.

Prioritize single-leg strength. Train your posterior chain. Build calf and ankle resilience. Practice control. Move in more than one direction.

A more durable runner is not just stronger in the gym. A more durable runner can hold better form longer, absorb impact better, handle fatigue with more control, and keep stacking miles with confidence.

That is the kind of strength that matters.

What shoes are best to wear for strength training?

For strength training, I look for shoes that help me feel stable, connected to the ground, and supported through different types of movement.

A stable base: A good strength training shoe should help you feel grounded when lifting, especially during movements like split squats, RDLs, and calf raises.

Enough flexibility for dynamic movement: Runners need a shoe that can move with them through lunges, step-downs, lateral work, and single-leg exercises without feeling stiff or restrictive.

Traction and durability: Strength training requires you to push through the floor, control your position, and move confidently, so grip and durability matter.

The shoe that checks all of these boxes is the Outwork Flex. I wear it on all of my lower-body lifts because it gives me the grounded, durable feel I want for lifting, but with enough flexibility for the more dynamic, runner-specific movements in this workout.

Author Bio

Regan Sikes is a hybrid athlete, combining her love for long-distance running with the form of training that started it all: hypertrophy-style strength training. For the past five years, she has blended high-mileage training with intentional lifting while staying largely injury-free, aside from the occasional ache or tweak here and there. She shares experience-driven insights on performance, durability, and building a strong body that can go the distance.