Joan Benoit Samuelson’s Guide to Strength Training

“Running in my life as a young person gave me a feeling of freedom,” says Olympic gold medal–winning runner Joan Benoit Samuelson. In college at North Carolina State University, Joan ran cross-country, for which she earned All-American honors, an accolade that designated her one of the top collegiate runners in the country. In 1979, Joan won the Boston Marathon, a feat she replicated four years later, setting a world record in the process. But it was when she won the first-ever women’s Olympic marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles that Joan solidified her status as one of the greatest runners of all time.

She vowed not to change who she was as a person and that she would give back to the sport and community that had given her so much. In the years since, Joan has continued running, regularly completing marathons in under three hours and setting world records for her age group. Joan believes in the importance of knowing your own body and how to develop a passion for running, so that you, too, can continue to love the sport for decades. And, most importantly, she’ll inspire you to achieve greatness while finding balance—among your mind, body, and spirit—in running and in life.

As a runner, Joan Benoit Sameulson still prioritizes strengthening, which can help alleviate running injuries and speed recovery. Below, Joan walks you through five strengthening exercises, in her own words.

• Planks: “Planks are an exercise that are really helpful for the glutes, the lateral muscles, and the core.... Runners normally don’t have very strong cores, and this is something most runners really have to work on.... Make sure to keep space between your chin and your chest and shoulders. Keep your upper body as open as possible, and keep as much length in your neck as you can when stretching your legs out. Maintain a small bend in your knees so as not to put too much pressure on them.”
• Squats: “The squat is an important exercise for runners. It’s also a very simple exercise you can do with or without weights. I choose to do my squats most of the time with weights, but if you’re someplace and don’t have weights, you can do squats with your arms out at a ninety-degree angle. Keep on the balls of your feet and then come all the way up, extending your knees as straight as you can without locking them. With weights, my arms are by my sides, and I’m gonna go down and get the weights. [Then] I’m going to bring them up, and I’m going to go into full extension, looking up. My knees are straight but not locked. Then I’m going to go down to about a ninety-degree angle [before I come] back up, straight up, and down again. Keep your back as straight as you can, and keep your core tight. You want to feel really firm on the ground and planted with your feet solidly below your shoulders. This is good for all your lower muscles, and for your knees because you’re strengthening the quads, the glutes, and the hamstrings, which support your knees. I usually do three sets of ten to fifteen squats, and I like to do my squats before my workouts. It makes me feel like I’m on track in every sense of the word.”
• Side steps: “The benefit to doing squatted side steps is that it helps develop your core and glutes during the exercise.... All you need is a simple resistance band—you can have as much resistance on that band or as little resistance as you want.... Make sure to stay low and not to hyperextend your tailbone; keep the spine long and your tailbone tucked. Think of your core as touching the back of your spine. Also, maintain space in your neck and shoulders, and keep your head relatively lifted while still in a consistent line with your spine. Don’t let the tension go to your shoulders; keep the focus lower, in the core and glutes.... I usually will go fifteen side steps in one direction, then I’ll go fifteen side steps in the next direction, and back and forth three times.”
• High knees: “The high-knee exercise is important because it’s developing that powerful set of glutes, and it’s also adding to flexibility and stability, because when you have one knee up, you have to balance a bit more on your knee that’s grounded on the floor.... When lifting the knees, make sure not to dump into your stabilizing leg. Try to keep lengthening through your stabilizing leg all the way through the hip and to the top of your head. Make sure not to lock your stabilizing knee; keep a small bend to maintain activity in the leg in order not to relax into your knees. Pull your lifted knee into your chest and try to keep the upper body as relaxed as you can when doing so.... Usually, I do three sets of sixteen reps.”
• Bridges: “Bridges also help you to develop that core strength that’s so important, and you’re squeezing your glutes and bringing your stomach in.... Some people may wanna use a yoga mat to soften the surface, but you can do [glute bridges] on the ground or on the floor or wherever you might be.... Keep your shoulders back and your neck free. Again, extend through the leg you’re lifting so as not to input all of the weight into your stabilizing knee. You should feel the glute and core start to engage as you lift. You never want to let your toes point out; if anything, a slight point inward will help to protect your knees and back in the long term.”

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for twenty-four to forty-eight hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Before you toe the line, you must learn proper running form and training techniques. Discover Joan’s approach to running technique, strength training, and racing when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.