Squat to a stable chair
2 × 8–10Works: Hips and thighs
Sit back under control and stand tall. Use a comfortable depth; add a light held weight only when the movement feels familiar.
Personalised strength plan for runners
Strength for runners.
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Build strength around your running, experience, equipment and available time.
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Warm-up, exercises, rest and progression in one place. Answer the questions to see your own preview, then review the full-plan price before deciding whether to buy.
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Example day · Full-body strength · Around 40–50 minutes, allowing for rest. For an adult familiar with basic exercise, with a stable chair, wall and a light weight. This is an illustration, not a personalised prescription.
Warm up · 5–8 minutes. Walk or cycle gently, move your ankles and hips through a comfortable range, then rehearse the squat, hinge and press without added weight.
Hip hinge / Romanian deadlift
2 × 8–10Works: Glutes and hamstrings
Start without weight to practise moving your hips back. Keep the load close and your back comfortable; stop before control changes.
Supported split squat
2 × 6–8 each sideWorks: Thighs, glutes and single-leg control
Use a stable support. Lower through a comfortable range with your feet on separate tracks, then push through the front foot.
Standing calf raise
2 × 10–12Works: Calves and ankle strength
Use support, rise smoothly and lower slowly. Begin on level ground with both feet.
Wall press-up
2 × 8–12Works: Chest, shoulders and arms
Place your hands on a solid wall. Bend your elbows under control, then press away while keeping your body aligned.
Supported one-arm row
2 × 8–10 each sideWorks: Upper back and arms
Brace on a stable support, draw a light weight towards your hip and lower slowly without twisting.
Effort and rest. Choose a variation or load that leaves a few good repetitions available. Rest around 60–120 seconds between sets, longer if you need it. Start with fewer sets if the session is new to you.
Finish · 3–5 minutes. Walk gently and let your breathing settle. Optional comfortable calf, thigh and hip stretches are for comfort; do not force them.
How it progresses. First make the movement consistent. Build towards the top of the repetition range, then use a small increase in resistance if recovery and technique remain good. Your running load and available time still matter.
Stop for pain or concerning symptoms and seek individual advice where needed. The example is not rehabilitation or medical advice. General strength guidance from the NHS ↗
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Answer six short sections about your goals, running, equipment, preferences and week. You can review your personalised preview before deciding to buy.
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Your complete first session.
Your complete eight-week programme
Your next eight weeks, organised.
Keep every strength session, warm-up and cooldown, movement demonstrations and your detailed running week together. Open your private plan online, download the full PDF and edit future weeks as your routine changes.
- Every strength session, with movement demos and alternatives
- Warm-ups, cooldowns and detailed running days
- Private online access and a downloadable PDF
- Edit future weeks and receive each week by email
one payment
The Weekly Debrief
One useful running question, a practical takeaway and something to try.
Your full plan opens after payment. The final total is confirmed at checkout.
Your strength plan
Ready for the week.
Your weekly plan emails
Before you start
Your plan,
explained.
What you receive, how you can change it and how to come back to it.
What will I get?
An eight-week strength plan shaped around your experience, equipment, running and time. Each session includes warm-ups, sets, reps, rest and movement guidance. After payment, you can use it online, download it and receive it by email.
Can I change my plan?
Yes. Review your answers before paying, or edit your plan afterwards. Changes apply to your current and future weeks. Earlier weeks stay as they were when you keep the same start date. You can also change your start date to rebuild the timetable.
How do Sunday emails work?
Choose Sunday emails when you unlock your plan, or switch them on inside it. We send the coming week's sessions on Sunday morning, using UK time. They follow your saved changes and stop after the final week. They are separate from The Weekly Debrief.
Why this approach?
Strength training can support running economy. Your plan starts with a manageable dose and progresses with technique, effort and recovery. Home options build a foundation; they may not reproduce the heavier loads used in research. This plan does not promise a PB or prevent every injury.
Created by Charlotte Thom, qualified Level 3 Personal Trainer and founder of The Runner's Journal. Explore one-to-one support.
- Llanos-Lagos et al. (2024). Strength training and running economy: systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Currier et al. (2026). ACSM Position Stand: Resistance Training Prescription for Healthy Adults.
- ACSM (2026). Updated resistance training guidance and practical summary.
- Zanini et al. (2025). Strength training, running economy durability and fatigued performance: randomised trial in well-trained male runners.
- ACSM 2026: Resistance training prescription for healthy adults