Strength training for runners and footballers
Why sport without weights ends in injury, how many strength sessions per week, and which exercise cuts hamstring injuries the most.
Athletes who lift run faster and break down less often. It is not about a muscular look, it is about tendons and muscles being able to absorb force.
How many strength sessions
- In season: two short sessions a week (30–40 min), the day after a match or before an easy day.
- Off season: three sessions, heavier loads — this is where the base is built.
The exercises with the biggest payoff
- Nordic hamstring curl — the best-evidenced exercise for reducing hamstring injuries (up to 50 % fewer in studies). 2 × 4–6 slow lowerings.
- Squat or Bulgarian split squat — 3 × 5–8.
- Deadlift or Romanian deadlift — 3 × 5.
- Calf raises — the Achilles tendon likes load. 3 × 10.
- Jumps and landings (plyometrics) — 3 × 5, only when fresh.
Where it fits in the week
Never a heavy strength session the day before a match. If you play on Saturday: strength Monday and Wednesday, light activation Friday.
Cardio and weights on the same day
If you must do both, do your priority first. Lifting before running favours strength; running before lifting favours endurance. A 6-hour gap is ideal.
Common mistakes
- Only stretching and "prehab" with no load — muscles do not get stronger from stretching.
- Training to failure in season — that fatigue shows up on the pitch.
- Skipping single-leg work — sport happens on one leg.
The short version
- Two strength sessions a week in season, three off season.
- The Nordic curl is the best insurance against hamstring injuries.
- Never train heavy the day before a match.
General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or pain, talk to a doctor before changing how you train.
