Will weight lifting make a distance runner faster?
Let’s face it, Distance Runners are skinny. Really skinny. Like yours truly in this photo from ’01.
I had a friend test my body fat that summer and it came out to 4.5%. I was 6’2″ of pure bone and tendon.
I remember My Mom looking at a shirtless Justin Timberlake on the cover of Rolling Stone and saying ‘Why cant you put on some muscle and look like that.’ How’s your self esteem when a member of a boy band is more jacked than you? In the words of N’sync: ‘Gone, baby it’s gone.’
JT pictured after months of ingesting steroids
I remember in 8th grade bragging about lifting weights three times a week for the entire summer. My Sisters looked at me with legitimate concern.
When’s it going to work?’
I know, I know; Sisters will bust your balls. Trust me, this was legitimate concern, not good acting. I’ve never had a whole lot of muscle. I’m what we trainers call ‘ectomorphic‘.
Thankfully I’m a Runner and Runners don’t need a whole lot of muscle. Muscles are heavy and they require more oxygen, Large muscles will not make you fast, however being strong helps a lot.
What are the main things that make you fast? I’m glad you asked.
The right ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch muscle fibers.
This one’s partly genetic. Certain fibers will transition from one type to another, but in the end you’re predisposed to for either strength or endurance. Your type 1 vs type 2/2b fiber ratio will, in part, determine your ceiling. Unhappy with your ratio? Take it up with Mom and Dad. Elite marathon runners have the following ratio on average:
- Type I (slow-twitch, oxidative): ~70–90% of fibers in major lower‑limb muscles (e.g., vastus lateralis, soleus)
- Type IIa/IIx (fast oxidative and fast glycolytic): ~10–30% combined, with IIa predominating over IIx
Metabolize oxygen efficiently.
This one you can improve with training. There is a ceiling here as well, once again determined by your genetic lottery. Studoes suggest “specific genes (and novel nuclear-encoded SNPs) are associated with exercise response.”
Elite runners are all seriously skinny.
I’ve heard that an elite runners weight is equal to twice their height in inches minus 10.
Can’t achieve that? Don’t beat yourself up. In the top pic I was 74″ with a bodyweight of 155. To be elite I would have had to weigh around 134. So I guess I was as good as I was going to get with my body. I still had a great time and ran pretty fast for being so overweight (kidding).
In sum it’s lungs, legs and a skinny (ectomorphic) body
These by and large determine your ceiling. The right mileage and speedwork can really turn you into a stud. Having a great coach and teammates to push you can cut seconds, if not minutes, off your times.
I’d guess that alot of elite runners don’t have the perfect lungs and legs. They just work hard and take the right drugs.
Now weightlifting, as has been noted, will make you strong, but can also make you heavier (not to mention bigger muscles require more O2).
So to answer the initial question: No, weights will not make you fast over a long race.
Being strong will though.
I watched the Massachusetts state Cross Country meet a few years ago. It was amazing to watch after spending years as a Trainer. The race broke into packs early on. One could easily observe physical differences between the groups. You can’t look at someone and guestimate their VO2 max or their muscle fiber ratios, but you could eyeball the difference between the front pack and all who came after.
The front pack looked stronger (there are different types of strong btw) e.g. they were leaner, with better posture and muscle definition. They were more mature; more muscular without being big.
Being strong creates great running mechanics and more resilient muscles which increases resistance to injury. Strong runners can run more miles and recover quickly.
Hold up! Don’t lift weights but get strong?
What the hell are you talking about?
This isn’t the type of strength you’ll come across by lifting BIG weights. However, You may come across it lifting smaller weights, or lifting yourself. I.e. do lunges, squats, single legs squats, pushups, planks, single leg deadlifts etc.
Hint- Yoga is nothing if not lifting yourself.
Rules for runners getting strong.
Endurance Running is about moving your body and your body alone. Train that way.
I.e. Bodyweight exercises. Don’t worry about how much you lift. Think 3 to 5 sets of moderate weights for 12+ reps
You live your athletic life on one leg (think about it). Train your legs accordingly.
One or two strength sessions a week will do. They don’t have to be more than :20 long. You’ll get cut and look pretty good.
Don’t expect to gain much size if you’re running a lot. You’ll only get frustrated.
Correspondingly, don’t expect to gain a ton of strength if you’re running a lot. The body will adapt to running mileage; strength and size are luxuries the body can’t sustain while running over 50 miles a week. Personally I’ve seen.my chin up max go from 30 to 7 in 6 months. What changed? I started running mileage again after an injury.
That, above all, was the real reason JT made me look small; because I was running so much.