Why ever runner can benefit from strength training 

The stronger you are, the smaller that percentage needs to be, making your stride more efficient, says Daphne Harvey, founder of independent weightlifting club Classical Barbell. 

As a weightlifter, Daphne competes nationally and internationally at the Masters level, but says strength training doesn’t need to be complicated, as you can train once a week with five basic moves. Here’s how to get going.

The free-weights area in a gym can feel intimidating, especially if you’re not sure where to begin. That’s why Classical Barbell offers two Intro to Barbells classes, including one for women.

Before starting her own club, Daphne coached at Hackney Weightlifting Club for eight years, where she started a female-only strength class after spotting a gap in the market.

“With men, there’s more of a tradition of taking your brother or a friend to the gym and showing each other the ropes,” Daphne explains. “That tradition doesn’t really exist in the same way for women. Many women want guidance from someone they trust and in a space where they know they’ll feel comfortable.”

When it came to her own club, she created the space with intention: a supportive, low-sensory environment where beginners can feel at ease and confident as they learn.

The fundamental movements are the most important part and she recommends booking a session with a qualified coach to learn these.

Daphne says to incorporate unilateral training – think lunges, split squats, and step-ups – as running is basically a string of single-leg balances. 

“Most people don’t have the same amount of strength in both legs. If you are not very even, your stronger leg will take over, leaving your weaker leg further behind and creating a greater imbalance. It will also start to cause imbalances elsewhere.”

Training one leg at a time means the stronger leg isn’t taking over and making up for that lack of strength. Always start with the weaker leg and don’t go any heavier than your weaker one can handle, Daphne says.

If you’re already experiencing niggles, building strength is often one of the best things you can do. 

“A lot of the time, there is just weakness,” Daphne explains “The tiny stabilising muscles around the joints will get strengthened and will hopefully align better. When you see people running, and their knees are caving in, for example, you strengthen the muscles in the hip, and the knees will stop doing that.”

In terms of rep range, if you are aiming for strength you will do sets of up to five. Runners might want to focus on endurance, which would mean sets of up to 20 using much lighter weights. 

You may have noticed the growing trend of studios that mimic a nightclub atmosphere – low-level lighting and high-energy music playlists. But Daphne suggests trying training in silence to boost both resilience and awareness of your body and its movements. 

“If you rely on music for motivation, then you are not building mental resilience. And if you’re distracted by music, you are not thinking, and you are not in your body.”

An alternative is classical music, the genre of choice at Classical Barbell. If you've never lifted weights to Radio 3, the almost meditative atmosphere might surprise you.

“Classical music is easy to zone out if you want, in a way that you can't ignore loud music with a beat. When your training isn't going well, I find loud, intrusive music makes you frustrated when actually you need to calm yourself and refocus.”

“Training once a week will make you stronger as long as you push yourself,” says Daphne.

You will also benefit from ‘beginner gains’ as new lifters experience quicker progress. She says beginners can be hesitant about adding weight, but will usually surprise themselves when they do. The ‘tin of beans workout’ you used to see all the time isn’t going to do much, she laughs. You need proper weight to stimulate strength.

Every Saturday, Classical Barbell holds two Intro to Barbells classes. To find out more, check out the timetable on the club's site.