If you want to be a strong trail runner, you’ll need more than just miles on your legs—you need to build strength that can take on the rugged terrain. Hannah Allgood, a Colorado-based pro trail runner for Dynafit, is here to help, sharing her four favourite exercises for athletes.
Allgood not only excels in the mountains (in July, she won the Eiger Ultra-Trail by UTMB 100K), but also helps athletes build strength through her coaching with Freetrail, an online trail community and media outlet. With a background in exercise science and years of competitive experience across multiple sports, she has perfected the art of staying strong, fast and injury-free on the trails. “Strength training has always been an integral part of my career as an athlete,” Allgood explains. She knows firsthand how crucial lifting is to boost performance and prevent injuries, especially for trail runners tackling challenging mountain races.
“One of the biggest limitations for strength is that athletes are spending so much time running that strength is typically one of the first things to go to make space for the other important things in life,” Allgood says. “Unilateral exercises allow for specificity training as well as improve/correct any muscle imbalances.” Ready to get stronger and more resilient for the trails? Here are four of Allgood’s go-to exercises that target common weaknesses in trail runners and can help you level up your game.
Step-ups
Allgood suggests varying the height of your step to 12-18 inches, based on your height and current strength. “Step-ups are a great exercise because they allow for versatility to match the athlete’s needs (weight or no weight, increase or decrease height, increase speed or decrease speed),” Allgood explains. “They help with not only strength on trails but functional day-to-day strength.”
Single-leg Romanian deadlift (with a cable or band, OR with weight)
“This exercise targets many different systems,” says Allgood. “The RDL changes your centre of mass, therefore working on your balance and coordination, which are highly beneficial for trail running. The row helps with rotational core stability, which is also vital for running, as it helps with balance and control across various terrains and helps with efficient force transfers from upper to lower body.”
Bulgarian Split Squat
Allgood explains that the Bulgarian split squat is another unilateral exercise that helps improve balance and core stability by using weights. “This move is also very helpful for improving leg power, which translates to improved force production, meaning you can get up the mountains faster.” She suggests adding in a soleus raise for an extra challenge.
Modified side plank with clamshells or hip abduction
“This is one of my favourite go-to glute exercises that also incorporates core stability,” Allgood says. “Adding a band around your knees will increase the challenge!”
If you’re adding strength training during your racing season, Allgood suggests focusing on 12-15 reps per set, aiming for two to three sets. “This will help build strength, but also not leave you too sore for running or other fun activities,” she says. “Strength training two to three times a week can be huge for your overall health and with preventing injuries.”
To learn more about Allgood and her coaching, head here.
