Running
Most running injuries don't come from running itself, but from the strength work that's genuinely missing around it: unstable hips, fragile ankles, a core that consistently collapses late in a run.
Running & Trail very specifically targets these key areas over 9 weeks at two sessions a week, specifically designed to properly add to your running rather than replace it or overload an already busy week. The work combines core strength, hip stability and ankle proprioception, the three key pillars most often missing for self-taught runners.
This program always simply complements whatever specific running plan you already personally follow, whatever your actual usual pace happens to be: it never replaces your runs, it just makes them safer and considerably more effective over time.
Not sure yet?
Try the method first with the Starter Week: three full-body sessions written like our Running programs, free, no credit card.
Why strength training when you already run?
Because running builds endurance but does little to strengthen what stabilises your stride: the hips, the ankles and the core. Running & Trail takes care of that work over 9 weeks, at two sessions a week designed to sit alongside your runs, on road or trail, whatever your level as a runner. Nine weeks is enough time to build a real progression, not just a plank circuit repeated on a loop.
Two sessions a week, without touching your runs
The program never replaces your running plan, it adds to it. Two short sessions slot into the quiet spots of your week: the one habit worth keeping is to place the hardest session away from your long run, so your legs show up fresh to both. You keep preparing your 10K, your marathon or your trail race exactly as planned. In the weeks when running takes up all the room, one solid strength session beats two rushed ones: the progression then picks up right where you left it.
More miles or more strength: which prevents injuries?
Adding kilometres on top of unstable support means loading a fragile structure. The program combines hip stability, ankle proprioception and core strength, and a more stable stride costs less with every step: that is also what improves running economy over time. A knee that caves when the hip gives way, an Achilles tendon overworked by an unprepared ankle, a lower back that aches late in a run: most of the classic runner complaints start in these three areas. Our strength or cardio guide explains why the two reinforce each other instead of competing.
What equipment and what level does it take?
Dumbbells and resistance bands are all you need: the sessions work at home or at the gym, no machines involved. The program is built for every level, from a first 10K to long trail races. Every exercise comes with alternatives, so a crowded gym or a minimal home setup never blocks a session. And if you like the idea of giving strength the same place as running, our hybrid programs take that logic all the way.
A runner's PDF that stays yours
The PDF lays out every session: exercises, sets, rest times, week-by-week progression and alternatives based on your equipment. You download it once, and it follows you on your phone from one training plan to the next, season after season. No subscription and no app: one clear file you can print or read offline. The other sports are gathered in our sports performance programs.