Whether you are a sprinter, middle distance, or long distance runner, a properly executed strength training program will be the key to improving your running times.

If youre a runner, you MUST strength train correctly. Running for distance, being aerobic in nature, will begin to break down good muscle tissue. You need a strength training program that will keep the muscle you have, and ultimately to build more muscle, that will carry over to faster running times.

Here are some tips to help you develop a strength training program exclusively for runners.

1. Emphasize Your Running Muscles

You should train all of your muscles thoroughly in any strength training program. The body works as a unit. Never neglect body parts, or favor other body parts simply because you like to train them.

Give all of your muscles attention, but emphasize the ones that pertain to your sport the most. The running muscles, in order of importance are: Buttocks, Thighs, Calves, Shoulders, Chest, Back and Arms. When you design a full-body workout for running, try to work the muscles in this same order.

2. Train With Full-Body Workouts

Unless youre a bodybuilder, you should train the full body with each workout. A bodybuilder who is trying to gain a lot of muscle would split their routine in order to work more thoroughly on each body part. An athlete should use strength training as a means to improve sports performance. A full body routine properly addresses the needs of an athlete.

3. Train the Tibialis Anterior

The tibialis anterior is the muscle on the front of the shin. By working on

this muscle, you keep a balance with the calves ie. the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. You need to keep opposing muscles in balance to maximize performance and minimize injuries. The tibialis anterior should also be developed to minimize shin splints. You can perform a foot flexion exercise to work on the T. A. muscle. If youre serious about running and dont have access to a foot flexion machine, Id suggest you get one.

4. Emphasize Your Buttocks Exercise

If you were asked to name the fastest land animals, you might say a cheetah, or an ostrich. The interesting thing about these animals that run so fast, is that they have skinny legs, but very well developed hinds (buttocks). The same with humans. Any runner, sprinter, middle, or long distance, should emphasize exercises that work on the buttocks

area. If you have access to a Reverse Hyperextension machine you can work the area directly, with complete safety. If you dont have one, a barbell full squat with work just fine.

5. Strength Train More Intensely Than You Run

When you strength train for running, you must strive to perform a set until you can no longer complete another repetition in perfect form. Obviously, you dont run until you drop. That would be counter-productive, and dangerous. Strength training is completely different and should be treated as such. By strength training a muscle to the point of momentary muscular failure, you set the stage for rapid strength gains in the muscle.

6. Strength Train Slowly To Run Faster

Any strength training exercise should be performed slowly and deliberately. This takes the momentum out of the exercise, and therefore

maximizes the amount of muscle fibers that are stimulated. A proper cadence when strength training should be about 2 seconds to lift the weight (when you contract the muscle) and at least 4 seconds to lower the weight (lengthen the muscle).

7. Add Weight or Repetitions Whenever Possible

It is so important for runners to try to add weight to an exercise as often as possible, or keep the weight the same and add repetitions whenever possible. This forces the muscles to adapt by increasing in strength. Runners need to do this because the very nature of frequent long runs catabolizes muscle tissue. Strength training in a progressive fashion will help preserve muscle, and ideally, add more muscle and strength to run faster, longer.

Steve Preston is a Sports Performance Specialist in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He specializes in developing sport-specific

strength training programs for athletes. He is available for phone consultations, and clinics. For more information go to http://www.sports-strength.com He has recently developed the Champion Strength Training for Runners DVD program. You can check it out at http://www.sports-strength.com/swimming.html

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Before we look ahead to this weekend's NFL conference championship games, let's take a look backward. What was all the talk in the NFL over the last month? Should the Colts sit their starters to have them rested for the playoffs or not? There were many people that split on the answer, but I think we'd all agree what the correct answer is: Play 'em! Or at least, rest any injured players, but don't bench the majority of starters the last two weeks of the regular season, even if everything is sewed up.

That was the position the Colts found themselves in after that 13-0 start. They had clinched everything: The division title, the bye week, home field for the postseason, the No. 1 spot. However, anyone who watched Sunday's loss to the Steelers saw an Indy team that was rusty for most of the game. Very rusty.

The

Colts were out of sync most of the way in their 21-18 loss to the Steelers. Overall, having a bye week gives a team enough time, two weeks, to rest and prepare. It takes time and practice to get a team in sync because there are so many players that need to work together in unison: Blocking patterns, running backs hitting the proper holes, lineman pulling, receivers running patterns, quarterbacks getting the football to them on timing routes, etc.

Think back to the final regular season game for the Denver Broncos. Denver was a 12-point dog at San Diego in a meaningless game for the Broncos. They had everything sewed up and needed only to stay healthy. Instead, Mike Shanahan had several starters play significant first half minutes. They also played inspired football, dominating the Chargers in an impressive performance. I think back to the regular season finale a year

ago when the Patriots hosted the terrible 49ers at home in a meaningless game, yet Bill Belichick played the starters for three quarters. The reason was a little different, as the Patriots played a sluggish first half, tied 3-3, as a big favorite. Belichick didn't like the performance and sent the starters back out for the second half, injuries be damned! They followed the next few weeks with dominating performances on the way to winning another Super Bowl title.

With the four remaining teams, does anything stand out? Yes, defense! Carolina and Pittsburgh are ranked No. 3 and 4 in the NFL in total defense, with the Broncos and Seahawks at No. 15 and 16. More important is run defense, and notice that all the remaining teams are in the Top 5 in the NFL at stopping the run! It goes Denver (2nd), Pittsburgh (3rd), Carolina (4th) and Seattle (5th).

One of those will win the Super Bowl, so again, stuffing the run is a huge key to building a championship defense.

That hasn't translated into a significant amount of unders for those teams, but keep in mind that 6 of the 8 playoff games thus far have gone under the total. Yes, it should come as no shock that defense wins championships in all sports, once again!

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