Is deadlifting actually beneficial for distance running?

What was the criteria for “major” vs “minor” injuries? What definition did they use for “injuries”?

What was the resistance training program they used? Why did they use it?

What was the n size?

I’m sure it can be I haven’t seen anyone convince me on here yet. there’s runners who are horribly imbalanced and could use the extra strength, most elites are generally built for running anyway and have a natural and powerful stride where I could see weightlifting going too far in the opposite direction for them making them too strong in certain areas

I follow LR as a fan of Athletics, but am a lifter with modest PB's: 300 in bench, 450 in the squat, 550 in the DL, and can bend over row 250 before my form goes to crap. In other another life, I ran recreationally and slow, but those days are well over as I edge toward 50 yo.

It would seem to me there is a lot of conflation/confusion of rep schemes and exercises thrown in, and I have to say, that there are some pretty profound differences. First, if I'm working in 1-4 rep range (ramps, 3/2/1 waves, or contrast sets), odds are I'm working to build top end strength. I'm not putting any bulk during these phases, as I'm not doing enough work to do that. They are, however, incredibly taxing on the nervous system, and I found I can only do them consistently for 3-4 weeks before needing to move to something else. I'm not certain how these kinds of schemes would benefit a runner, but I suppose they could.

If I'm trying to balance strength w/ hypertrophy, then I'm doing something like 6/4/2 waves, 5x5, or contrast sets of 1/6. It gets me stronger without bulking me out like nuts, and generally, I find or most other people I know can do these pretty regularly. I imagine that a distance runner could integrate this during the off-season or early season, but I'm not certain how well someone could do this during high volume training. The squats alone would make recovery a bear in this range.

Lifters who are doing pure hypertrophy work are often going 4x8, or some other crazy scheme such as the German Volume of 10x10. Normally, you usually can't cut fat during these stages, save briefly work body comp at the same time as hypertrophy, usually with something along the lines of a giant set of 6/12/25 or 8x8 with 30 second rest. But these guys I know often will avoid steady state aerobic work like the plague, as they want to put on mass, or they want to cut while maintaining their mass. The hypertrophy counts don't really build strength and I'm not sure it makes sense for runners to use these rep schemes, though I'm by no means an expert.

For muscle endurance--which I see a lot of distance athletes--runners, XC skiers, etc--use, work in higher rep ranges, and work on single leg things here. I think this is the kind of work that might be easier to recover from in-season, and can help structural imbalances, etc. IF THE FORM IS SPOT ON.

I suppose the lower rep counts work better when the mileage is lower, and the muscle endurance work in season. I think that the weight training often has profoundly different functions and works in different ways. Also, per the trap bar: I'm a fan of it, particularly as I got older. The range of motion is less--saving my back--and how force is generated is slightly shifted. People screw themselves up less on it, and though I cannot remember the piece exactly, the trap bar apparently carries over to athletic performance.

Anyhow, as someone who was not a DI athlete and am just a proficient lifter, I could be completely off. But figure it might not hurt to get a lifter's perspective.

I'm curious - what does "too strong in certain areas" mean, how would this occur using a compound exercise like a deadlift, and why would the results end up being bad?

Muscle imbalances your antagonists are stronger than your protagonists or whatever you geeks say. but to us naturally fast runners who have cross trained or hopped off a bike and went for a run you know damn well which muscle groups are fatigued. if you strengthen your “train” or whatever with deadlifts you will inevitably get stronger there but what about all the tiny muscles in your lower legs and feet, all the synergizers. It all needs to work together and flow. so yeah elite sprinters and distance runners are already genetically born with those networks. so all they need to do is train and grow. but for the rest of you age groupers and hobby joggers whose calves are twice as big as their thighs then yeah start weight lifting.

The athlete special comes to mind, sorry if Spencer’s is reading this but he looks way too weak to be competitive in a 1500m. Weight training would take him a long way. his natural build seems more suited for the marathon. Then you see powerful runners like grant fisher, just a real powerhouse l, all horsepower. I wonder if you spends much time in the gym or if he’s just building upon what was genetically given to him a strong engine and strong legs. These are too 1 percent examples though. like I said lots of you hobby joggers and age groupers look like misfit toys from a haunted factory the way y’all run, far from spencer or grant fisher. so yeah correcting those muscle imbalances might be a good thing. but trying to over perfect it in the case of fisher might be a bad thing

These are not modest PBs for a 50 year old ( unless you're quite heavy). Very impressive.

This statement right here presents your gross ignorance on the subject. We are not talking "isolation exercise" like you see at the gym when people are getting on machines. We are talking compound exercises, like the deadlift, that work and utilize multiple muscle groups/joints ("work together and flow") including all the "tiny muscles in the lower leg and feet."

"Elite sprinters and distance runners are already genetically born with those networks." Yeah, and so is your run of the mill couch potato. The point is the strength and develop them so they can be maximized to their fullest potential. What you are essentially arguing is "if you are already fast, you don't need to train." This is why 99% of elite athletes do this!

"us naturally fast runners who have cross trained or hopped off a bike and went for a run you know damn well which muscle groups are fatigued." Yeah dingus, no duh it's a good idea to rest between running and lifting session. No one is saying as soon as you're done you immediately go lift, kinda like you don't finish your run then immediately start your second run of the day if you're doubling. Come on, man!

You’re really trying to make a case and you do a good job I’ll give you that. I was very impressed by your arguments and hard work. You got all your grammar right you hit me with a few jabs “dingus” wow that’s a good one gee willikers. it’s not about isolation of one group but of multiple groups sure it’s a compound, any dingus knows what a compound lift is. but what about the other side of that compound where your foot lands and quads have to absorb the shock. elite runners are god gifted the running ability it’s what talent is, they are wired from top to bottom to run hard and fast. Yes you hobby joggers and sage groupers should maybe learn to rebalance your muscles maybe you have worn a tool belt for half a decade, or you sit in a car /desk for half the day. you are the guys that need weight training. not an African or elite athlete who lives and breathes running who was born to do this.

out of all the ways you can improve your running you’re coming at us with deadlifts, deadlifts!? Cmon man

Lol idk he’s deadlifting 150 pounds lmaooooo!!!!! Hahahahaha your best defence is literally a second of Mo Farrah deadlifting Mickey Mouse weight. oh boy you’re funny man

I wonder what worked better? His Phil knight diet or his dead lifts. I dig the music too very groovy

To quote you - "you (sic) are the guys that need weight training. not (sic) an African or elite athlete who lives and breathes running who was born to do this."

Yet here we are (235lbs doing stiff leg DLs, for the record).

The way he lifted that was very sus definitely a muscle imbalance and he could’ve injured himself doing those lifts. One half of his body is obviously stronger than the other. but if you run in the same direction on a track one of half of your body is going to be stronger than the other. he didn’t need to do all that for the camera. I love mo Farrah, but he just happened to be the best of his time, he’s mentally strong, he’s a winner. it’s not because of DLs. trust me you’re not getting any where close to farrah because you deadlift cmon man wake up

Excellent. Thanks.

They compared strength work with placebo. That's great. It shows a benefit. But what I'd like to see, is three arms: A timed amount of strength work (weights), versus an arm where they add an equal amount of additional time spent running only, versus placebo.

This would be to answer the question: If I have a limited amount of time to add either time doing weights, or running more, but not both, which will most efficiently improve my race times?

Yeah great argument I’ll give you that And kinda ties in with what I said about spencer if you’re visually and clearly weak then yeah weight train. now I won’t speculate on what else Salazar gave him besides a kick ass basic gym routine lol. you chose Farrah, not a great example bud surrounding his doping allegations. Personally I love the guy I love when a guy can consistently produce the W despite what’s in his body. mental strength is underrated. but for you to attempt to attribute all this success to weight training is hilarious... absolutely belly chuckling. What’s even more funny is my handle “it could work” but your whole argument is “YES IT DOES WORK”. Like I said hilarious.. who knew a man named Kenneth could have such a great sense of humour

I with elite running ability the guys that passed me always simply ran more they didn’t hop on the nick bare routine