I’ve Said It Once, I’ll Say It a Million Times: Strength and Running Go Together Like PB&J!
“If you think lifting weights is dangerous, try being weak. Being weak is dangerous.”
Today’s blog post is a collaborative effort, bringing together two of my favorite subjects and one of my favorite humans: running, strength training, and fellow fitness trainer/good friend of mine, Evan Arbour.
Before we dive in, in October of last year, I wrote a blog post about the lack of strength training included in most runners’ training plans (read it here). Many runners assume that they have to forfeit strength training for mileage (or vice versa, honestly), when in reality, strength training is absolutely crucial for building longevity, endurance, injury prevention, and if getting faster is what you’re looking for, helps to increase speed and VO2 max.
In order to avoid sounding repetitive, I enlisted the help of my good friend Evan Arbour, a strength trainer, fellow Barry’s instructor, and Seattle-based athlete to help get the point across. Evan and I have been working together to bring a runners’ strength program to his existing (and absolutely amazing) online coaching platform, Big Boy Club, and in preparation of the official launch of the Big Boy Club x KJWC Run Club training plan, I chatted with Evan about why strength training is so incredibly important for runners to add to their routine.
Let’s start with the basics. Runners—meet Evan. Based in Seattle (but born and raised on the East Coast, in Maine), he is not only an amazing human being, he’s a fellow Chief Instructor at Barry’s and founder of Big Boy Club. Evan has been teaching and training for over a decade. In his own words, “I started lifting for the first time in college and remember walking into the on-campus gym with no idea what to do. It was so overwhelming that I just did bicep curls over and over again. I did so many that my arms were too sore to extend fully the next day! My friend in the PT program helped massage them the next day! I tell that story because I never forget how it feels to start a lifting journey; I always return to the first workout.”
SOOOO relatable. I’ll never forget my first journey to the gym on campus at the University of Maryland. I felt so intimidated and confused; and sadly, not much has changed in the world of fitness. Many people feel scared, confused, and lost—especially with so much negative or false information readily available on the internet. Refer to my blog post from last week—another reason why it is so important to know who you’re following!
KJWC: What is Big Boy Club and why did you decide to launch?
Evan Arbour: Big Boy Club is an online strength training membership specifically geared toward gay and queer individuals. I built the app because I know the gym can be an intimidating place for people in our community and everyone deserves to feel strong and reap the benefits of strength training. The entire platform is based on three principles:
Movement: a fully programmed workout plan released every month. This includes video demos of each exercise, one-on-one messaging, and educational resources.
Community: Connecting with others and knowing there are people cheering you on is a fundamental part of Big Boy Club. We share questions, ideas, accomplishments all inside the app! And in-person events to connect outside of the screen too.
Education: If you know why you're doing something, you walk into the gym with confidence. There is an entire library of resources on nutrition, progression management, behavior change, macro tracking and more. The goal of Big Boy Club is to give members the tools and support to achieve their goals in spaces they previously thought weren't for them.
KJWC: What are some of the biggest obstacles you see with clients who are hesistant to begin (or re-start) strength training?
EA: The fear of being labeled an "outsider" or "newbie" at the gym is one of the biggest barriers for people considering strength training. When you first start at the gym, it's easy to feel like everyone there is an expert who knows exactly what's going on. It can feel like people are watching and rolling their eyes. This is not the case. Most, if not all, people at the gym are so focused on their own workout that they don't have time to watch or judge. Do your thing: pick up your weights, put them back, and they will do theirs.
The other concept is 'decision fatigue:' You're brand new to lifting and walk into a space without knowing where the equipment is, what it does, how to use it, or which exercises to do. Start with the bar? The cable? Warm up? Bike? Treadmill? It's an overwhelming number of decisions to make. More often than not, this becomes overwhelming, and most people default to using the treadmill or elliptical to "be out of the way." No one gets stronger by doing endless hours on the elliptical... we need weights!! Big Boy Club solves that problem. Every step from the warm up, to how many reps, to how long to rest between sets, to alternate exercises is taking care of.
KJWC: Why do you think strength training is so important for runners?
EA: Strength training is essential for runners for three main reasons: power development and athletic performance, injury prevention, and long term success in the sport. To become a stronger runner you need an intentional run plan, but strength training is the only way to build muscle and produce more power. More power production means each stride is more energy efficient, allowing you to run faster and more easily. Strength training also exposes any weak links in the kinetic chain which can completely derail any training plan for any race: every runner should be working on single leg strength and glute/hamstring activation to help keep the hips and knees feeling strong for years and years.
KJWC: One of the biggest misunderstandings about strength work is that it will make you bulky— debunk this please!
EA: Most people who fear getting bulky from strength training have seen images of high-level competitive bodybuilders. They are not the average person, and they certainly aren't training for any races! To achieve that massive size and definition, bodybuilders dedicate hours, weeks, and months to dialed-in programs covering their nutrition, sleep, water intake, caffeine, sodium, and stress. And spend more hours in the gym with specialized coaches to maximize muscle activation and growth. When someone says to me: "Oh I don't want to strength train because I don't want to get bulky." I politely say "I understand why you might think that, but don't give yourself that much credit." That process takes years of highly dedicated effort; it's their full time job! The average person lifting 2-3 times a week will reap the benefits of getting stronger, more defined and performing better in everyday life. "Getting bulky" is not worth worrying about.
KJWC: Is it possible for runners to find balance both running and lifting? Why do you think so many people think it's one or the other?
EA: I know a lot runners who struggle with this and I think the solution is adjusting lifting volume based on where they are in the training plan. When races are approaching, pull back on total sets in the gym and intensity (3-4 reps left in the tank instead of going all out on every lift). If an athlete is between races, that's a great time to dedicate more time and energy to a strength block. Running and lifting are a necessary combination to help runners perform better, move more efficiently, and avoid pain. What most athletes miss is that it doesn't require 100% effort for both; the flexibility needed for strength to support running goals is the key.
KJWC: Describe some of the methodology in your programming for the runners' portion of the app. What are some of the best exercises you incorporated into the program and why are they beneficial for runners?
EA: When creating the Run Strong program, I was very intentional with lower body days. Running on sore legs is never enjoyable and can hinder performance. I ensured the lower body days include enough exercises to activate muscle for growth but the workout isn't so long that an athlete can't also fit in a run afterward. Runners will benefit most from single-leg exercises like Single Leg Step Downs and Single Leg Seated Leg Press. Every stride in running is a single-leg movement; the more we train single-leg strength, the more power every step with I have and the more efficient their running will become.
KJWC: Was there anything in your own personal experience that pushed you to really hone in on strength training?
EA: I found so much community in movement. I created incredible connections with some of my closest people through lifting. The physical benefits are great but the social aspects like going to the gym with someone you know, holding someone accountable for that workout, getting coffee afterward, or the feeling of pride for showing up and doing hard things are also significant. I was drawn to strength training because it is one of the last things in this world of hyper-fixation on productivity and "more faster, now" that requires long and dedicated effort.
There really aren't many shortcuts. I like to work hard and the feeling of building something through consistent effort—something no one else has done for you—ripples into all other parts of life. If you can show up and do what you said you'd do at the gym, why not at work? Why not with your friends? Why not with family?
And if that doesn’t make you love Evan as much as I do, and convince you to add strength training to your running program, I don’t know what will! And guess what—we made it easy for you! The Big Boy Club x KJWC Run Club RunStrong program launches soon, and more info for the program can be found here:
https://www.bigboyclub.co/programs
So don’t fear the dumbbells, the barbells, or the bodyweight strength (or all of the above). Your running longevity depends on it!
Xo
Coach Kelly (and Coach Evan)