One thing is that strength training is as important as running. I will also give you the program you need to achieve a fantastic time. Marathon training isn’t just about running long distances if you’re a smart athlete. You need strength training if you want to finish strong, stay injury-free, and improve your performance.
Over the years, I’ve had city professionals come to me to improve their running technique. When I mention weight training, they immediately tell me that weight training will slow them down. It does the opposite. A smart strength plan boosts running performance, improves stride efficiency, and reduces overuse injuries.
That’s where 12REPS comes in. It instantly gives runners a clear, periodised plan by selecting which muscle group they’d like to work on and their available equipment. The 12reps strength training plan fits alongside your running program. Combine that with tools like the Runna training program and Strava to map your runs and track progress, and you’ve got a complete system.
Strength training is the daddy and mummy for performance before agility, speed, endurance and power. So don’t ignore mummy and daddy for your race.
Why Strength Training Matters
Scientific research backs this up. A 2008 study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that runners who followed a strength program for 8 weeks improved their time to exhaustion by 21% without gaining excess muscle mass (Paavolainen et al., 1999).
Another study in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports (2010) showed that resistance training enhanced running economy, which directly correlates with improved marathon performance (Støren et al., 2008).
That means lifting weights doesn’t make you slower, it makes you more efficient and powerful, and look sexy while running.
Strength Periodisation for Marathon Runners
At 12REPS, we recommend that you use a 2-phase structure designed by our founder, Will Duru, a sports scientist with a decade of experience training professional and recreational athletes. The structure is specifically for endurance athletes. Each phase lasts 4-5 weeks and is built to complement your running volume, not clash with it.
When doing these exercises, I recommend warming up with stretching and performing active stretches, followed by a cool down. Ensure you take 45 seconds of rest between sets, and always listen to your body regarding how things are going.
Phase 1 – Foundation (Weeks 1–5)
Goal: Build joint stability, core strength, and movement control.
2 sessions per week: Focus on bodyweight, dumbbell, and kettlebell exercises for your workout.
Session 1:
Kettlebell goblet squats: 4 sets of 12 reps.
Kettlebell swings: 4 sets of 12 reps.
Kettlebell single-leg RDL: 4 sets of 16 reps (8 each leg).
Kettlebell lateral lunges: 4 sets of 16 reps (8 each leg).
Single-leg box jumps: 4 sets of 16 reps (8 reps each leg).
Session 2
Skipping: 6 sets x 1 minute
Hop skips: 6 sets x 20 seconds
Dumbbell single-arm row: 4 sets of 20 reps (10 on each hand)
Dumbbell farmer’s carry: 4 sets of 40 metres (heavy weight)
Dumbbell snatch: 4 sets of 20 reps (10 each arm)
Dumbbell walking lunges: 4 sets of 20 reps (10 each leg)
Phase 2 – Strength (Weeks 5–10)
Goal: Enhance muscular strength, which will subsequently improve your fast-twitch muscle fibres and contribute to greater explosiveness and power when running up hills, as well as sprinting past those in front of you who may slow your pace without exhausting too much energy. This phase requires you to do 2–3 sessions per week, heavy weights, fast tempo, with lower rep range
Session 1,
Box Squats: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Barbell RDL: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats: 4 sets of 6-8 (8 each leg)
Barbell power cleans: 4 sets of 2-3 reps.
Sledge push: 4 sets of 40 metres
Cable wood chops: 4 sets of 10 reps
Session 2:
Box jumps: 4 sets of 8 reps
Lateral skips: 4 sets of 12 reps (6 each side)
Skipping: 5 sets for 1 minute
Battle rope: 4 sets of 30 seconds
Bodyweight calf raises: 5 sets of 20 reps
Kettlebell hip flexor drive: 4 sets of 20 reps (10 each leg)
Session 3
Plank: 4 sets of 45 seconds.
Bear crawl: 4 sets of 40 metres.
Kettlebell farmer’s walk: 4 sets of 40 metres.
Side plank: 4 sets of 20 seconds on each side.
Press-ups: 4 sets of 12 reps or knee press-ups.
Medicine ball slam (slam ball): 4 sets of 12 reps.
The 12 reps app offers all these exercises, video demos, rest timers, and progression tracking. 12reps plans workouts for you based on the equipment you have and you can also search and find exercises in this program on the app.
Tracking Your Runs with Runna and Strava
Apps like Runna and Strava pair perfectly with strength work. Runna gives you personalised running programs based on your goal time and current fitness level. Strava maps your runs and logs your pace, elevation, and mileage—all key data for monitoring fatigue. 12Reps offers you the strength training program you need at the gym without the confusion. Together with 12REPS, you get structure on both sides: your muscles and your miles.
Conclusion
You can’t run your best marathon by just running. Strength training reduces injury risk, builds durability, and gives you the power to finish faster. Start doing strength training because it will boost your running and create a balanced body composition. The goal of this article was to get you to understand the importance of strength training and how it can boost your running, and using the 12 reps can be very beneficial for you. Use 12REPS for your gym work. Use Runna and Strava for your running. That’s how smart runners train now.
Will Duru
Personal Trainer | Founder of 12REPS
