6 Strength Moves Every Runner Needs

Photo by: Greg Presto

Dumbbell Thrusters

The goal: Work your whole body together.

Running effectively for long distances is about your entire body working in concert, says Elizabeth Hendrix Burwell, a personal trainer and owner of High Performance in Greenville, S.C. To simulate this with an exercise, Burwell has clients perform total-body movements like the dumbbell thruster, a combination of a squat and an explosive overhead press.

To perform ... more 

Photo by: Greg Presto

Dumbbell Thrusters

The goal: Work your whole body together.

Running effectively for long distances is about your entire body working in concert, says Elizabeth Hendrix Burwell, a personal trainer and owner of High Performance in Greenville, S.C. To simulate this with an exercise, Burwell has clients perform total-body movements like the dumbbell thruster, a combination of a squat and an explosive overhead press.

To perform the move, stand with dumbbells at your shoulders, palms facing in. Push your hips back to squat, bending your knees until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. As you press through your heels to come out of the squat, use the momentum from your legs to thrust the dumbbells off your shoulders until your arms are extended overhead. Return the dumbbells to your shoulders, and repeat. less