Running & Trail

Two short sessions a week, added to your running and never in its place, to strengthen what gives way in runners: gluteus medius, calves, hamstrings and knee control on every foot strike. This running and trail strength work builds tissue tolerance before asking it to produce.

Who is it for?

This programme is for any runner, at any level, who wants to add targeted strength work without sacrificing runs. Two weekly sessions are enough, with dumbbells and bands as the only equipment. It never replaces a run: it comes to reinforce the areas that give way first in runners, gluteus medius, calves and hamstrings, and teach the knee to stay stable on every foot strike, on the road as on a trail descent.

The method

Three three-week phases. Phase 1 · Foundations builds tissue tolerance before strength: full ranges, slow tempos, modest loads, with the goal of finishing the three weeks without a single bout of soreness that disrupts a run. Phase 2 · Strength repeats the same families, heavier and more single-leg: the calf goes under load, the hamstrings meet the nordic curl, the gluteus medius works standing against resistance. Phase 3 · Strength and elasticity adds one jump entry per session, in tiny volume and with silent landings, while strength is held on the hardest variations of the block. The two weekly sessions follow the same layout across all three phases: posterior chain and calves, then stance, knee and ankle, with intensity rising but the exercise families never changing.

How long does the Running & Trail programme last?

Nine weeks split into three three-week phases, at two sessions a week, on top of your runs.

What equipment does this runner's strength work need?

Dumbbells and bands are enough for all three phases, right through to the plyometric work of the last one.

Is this programme suitable if I already run regularly?

Yes, all levels are covered: these two sessions add to your existing running without replacing it, targeting the areas that give way most often in runners.

What the program includes

• 9 weeks · 2 sessions / week · All levels
• Equipment : dumbbells · bands
• 6 complete session sheets: exercises, sets, reps, tempo, rest and RIR
• Tracking columns to fill straight into the printed PDF, week after week
• Detailed how-to, warm-up routine, adjustments page and glossary

The programming

• Phase 1 · Foundations (weeks 1 to 3) : Build tissue tolerance before strength. Full ranges, slow tempos, modest loads: the calf, the hamstrings and the gluteus medius learn to absorb before being asked to produce.
• Phase 2 · Strength (weeks 4 to 6) : The same families, heavier and more single-leg. The calf goes under load, the hamstrings meet the nordic curl, the gluteus medius works standing against resistance: you produce force.
• Phase 3 · Strength and elasticity (weeks 7 to 9) : Strength is built, now you add elasticity. One jump entry per session, in tiny volume and with silent landings, while strength is held on the hardest variations of the block.

Every week follows a defined cycle (baseline, intensification, accumulation): you always know what to do, at what intensity, and when to adjust. Nothing is left to chance.

Format : Downloadable PDF, yours for life, designed to be printed.