Distance runners have all heard the myths or opinions that back squats are bad for distance running. Many people and coaches believe in order to become good or increase performance in distance running. You need to stay away from back squatting and just increase your mileage for the week. Unfortunately, this is a mistaken concept by many people today. In reality, the back squat can be beneficial and effective for distance running. When you think about it, most of the muscles being used for the back squat and distance running are the same such as gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and quadriceps. The beneficial effects that the back squat has on distance running are reduced risk of injury, increase in performance, and running posture.
People are always concerned with pain and injury when they start distance running. An easy way to alleviate this problem is to implement back squatting into your training at least once or twice a week. “Back squatting will also help in making your muscles stronger surrounding a particular joint and creating more stability for that joint” [1]. These joints, such as the knee, can become more stable and have less pain during long runs. Back squatting can also help with recovery time for your legs after long runs throughout the week. If you’re running at least four times a week this will help to lessen the fatigue after runs.
As well as reducing the risk of injury, back squatting can help with increasing your performance in distance running. Back squatting a moderate or light amount of weight can help a runner in developing a faster tempo and being able to go for longer runs. An increase in the 1RM of the back squat allows a runner to produce more force through the ground, even as the ground contact time becomes significantly lower at high velocities [2]. This simply means that you will be able to produce more power, creating a faster tempo for your runs while having a faster turnover with less foot contact to the ground.
For runners who have poor posture during their long runs or towards the end, this could be due to many issues, such as lower back pain, mobility of hip flexors, and weak quadriceps. The back squat will help in creating the strength needed for the lower back. The back squat can help increase mobility for the hip flexors and strengthen the lower back by stabilizing the barbell during the back squat. This is all due to the technique involved during the back squat and the activation of multiple muscle groups. Runners can become more upright when they run as a result of back squatting.
Overall, the back squat is beneficial and a proficient strength exercise to distance running for everyone, either being a beginner, intermediate, or advanced runner. The main thing to understand is that maxing out or squatting heavy amounts of weight isn’t necessary to carry over benefits to distance running. Light or moderate sets be sufficient to be beneficial to distance running. Remember, back squatting can help you with most problems you may encounter with distance running or to take your performance to the next level.
References
- sports.dmc.org/…/Running Without Strength 082009.pdf
- XLAthlete Blog:. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://xlathlete.org/blog/
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Great information on back squatting and I will incoporate back squatting into my exercise routine to increase my performance in running.
Adding mass to my legs doing squats indeed made me slower on any distance over a 1/4 mile. I can now Sprint much faster however. Since I and moving towards less distance and more HIIT training, this has actually worked out in my favor.
Ok I was looking for info on whether squats could be detrimental to distance running and found you say the opposite. I often get groin strain from my squats which worsens a day or 2 after the squat session and makes it impossible for me to run without jointing pain with each step . Takes about a week to settle down again so I?m planning to eliminate squats from any gym sessions I do. I think my squat form is ok but I?ll check with my physio. It?s a recurring problem.
All false. Squats are detrimental to running. It’s been proven but because coaches, PT’s, trainers, etc perpetuate squats as a good exercise, people just go along with it.
Do you have any evidence to refute the evidence of practitioners or the research supporting their use?
I agree completely. Generally the public tends to neglect a lot of areas in their training. Mobility, Warm ups, Strength Training/Cross Training, and Cardio Vascular Training. That said if you do have mobility issues, it will carry over in your weight lifting and running, hint the knee pain, joint pains, etc.
You must find the root of this issue and address it, meaning working on mobility issues and strengthen weak muscles. Pains with running often are also associated with lack of proper foot wear such as quality pair(s) of shoes, and fitted insoles (semi custom/custom). It can be a combination of it all, but often most are not willing to put in the work and figure out solutions and use excuses to call it quits.
I’ve had to learn all this the hard way and not I incorporate it all in my training.
Wake up at 4 AM – Warm up/Mobility/Strength Training – 4x Week
Afternoons 5:45PM – Warm up/Mobility/Cardiovascular (Running) – 5-6x Week
I have pains and aches, but I address them and prevent them from worsening.
Currently I am struggling against blisters, not sure if its the 20-30 miles runs or my shoes.
Hard to say, but with another Marathon coming up, I am not stopping.