12 Week Racing Strength for Runners

This program was designed by our physical therapist(PT) Ryley Nelson. He is a long time friend and runner. He ran in high school and competitively in college. The program is designed to help your peak with a race at 12 weeks. Make sure you start this program 12 weeks out from your goal race to get maximum results. If you want to start it early you can. Just restart the program at 12 weeks out. Have fun, and enjoy getting stronger. You deserve to spend time bettering yourself!😊👌🏻 Equipment Needed: Dumbbells, resistance bands, body weight, and available environmental structures (e.g., stairs, benches). Frequency: 1x per week Progression: Transition from foundational strength to power and plyometrics, with a taper leading into race week. Time: 30 minutes each session Warm up: We recommend warming up for each workout by doing 5 - 10 minutes of cardio(running, biking, walking, elliptical, swimming, etc.) You can also do some light stretching instead as well. PT Notes: As race day approaches, the focus shifts from strength to power to better mimic the demands of running. Strength training builds the foundation by increasing muscle capacity and resilience, while power and plyometric exercises enhance muscle responsiveness, coordination, and force output. The taper in the final week(s) maintains strength while reducing fatigue, keeping muscles primed without overloading them.