Are there certain exercises runners need to include in their weightlifting program?

Question

Can I include exercises such as the bench press or squat into my weightlifting program for strength purposes? Do the exercises have to do with what the runner does when he is training or does he perform exercises which help build strength? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Answer 1

PLYOMETRICS! do a crapload of them. and squats those are always good. just make sure you do things efficiently with stretching and c**p, so you dont get hurt.

Answer 2

Squats are a great way to improve overall leg strength and explosion. You should work out with bench press as well because upper body is an important part of running. Plylometrics are also good for developing fast twitch muscles if you are a sprinter. Just make sure you dont get too bulky especially if your a distance runner. Sprinters usually have more bulk to them because they need to be powerful in order to move down the track that fast.