Many marathoners might use the time between their marathon cycles to ‘get stronger’, particularly those who might not be satisfied with their most recent marathon. So off to the gym they go, squats, deadlifts, leg presses, curls, extensions and soon enough they are stronger! Is this new strength though translating into a faster stride? Often this is not the case, and part of the reason is their strength program did not involve the lower leg.

The calf, shin and feet are our contact to the ground. If these ‘tires’ are not properly developed alongside the powerful ‘engines’ of the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, the faster, more efficient transfer of force might just not happen, and injuries can also follow suit.

A few tips when adding lower leg strength exercises:

1. Involve exercises that are both ‘targeted’ (working a specific area/muscle) and ‘full chain’ (working
   the full leg through full body movements.
   
2. Involve some eccentric-contraction exercises (the most taxing but also most critical contractions that
   occur while running)
   
3. Involve some ballistic/plyometric exercises, where you are practicing land and propelling off the
   ground quickly.

Some exercise to consider:

Foot Shortening Exercise
Vele’s Forward Lean
Eccentric calf raises – bent and straight leg
Shin Walk w/ dumbbells (walking on your heels)
Single leg hops (done fast, 3 per second), and on your toes
Box jumps (start with a 2-4” rise, then eventually move to a knee-height box/bench). To target the
lower legs the focus is on quickly getting off the ground in transition, more than simply jumping up.

To get the most out of any strength exercise, make sure the muscles you are about to use are loose and
pliable before starting. This may mean spending 1-2 weeks on the foam roller before going to the gym.