General Physical Preparation for Runners (GPP)

Running is a single movement repeated tens of thousands of times a week. It builds the engine but leaves gaps: hips that collapse when you tire, calves that cannot absorb the load of a long run, a trunk that lets the stride leak energy sideways. General physical preparation fills those gaps with work that is not running — and that is precisely why it helps your running.

What GPP is — and how it differs from specific preparation

Coaches split physical preparation in two. General physical preparation (GPP; in French préparation physique générale, PPG) develops broad qualities: strength in the big muscle groups, single-leg stability, trunk control, mobility and basic coordination. Specific physical preparation (SPP; PPS) is closer to the running stride: hill repeats, bounding, running drills, plyometrics that copy ground contact. A season usually moves from general to specific: lots of GPP in the base phase, more SPP and race-pace work as the goal race approaches.

Why runners need it

• Fewer injuries. A meta-analysis of randomised trials (Lauersen et al., BJSM 2014) found strength training cut sports injuries to about a third; stretching alone showed no protective effect.
• Better running economy. Systematic reviews (e.g. Balsalobre-Fernández et al., 2016) report that adding strength training improves running economy in middle- and long-distance runners — you use less oxygen at the same pace.
• A stronger finish. Glutes, calves and trunk that tolerate fatigue keep your form intact in the last 10 km, when pace usually falls apart.

None of this makes you bulky: two short sessions a week next to regular running produce strength gains that are mostly neural, with little added mass.

10 key GPP exercises for runners

Pick a load that leaves two clean reps in reserve. Single-leg work matters most: running is a series of single-leg landings.

A 30-minute GPP session

1. Warm-up, 5 min: leg swings, hip circles, 20 easy jumping jacks, 10 bodyweight squats.
2. Block A, 3 rounds: goblet squat, single-leg Romanian deadlift, calf raises — 60 s rest between rounds.
3. Block B, 2 rounds: reverse lunge, single-leg glute bridge, step-up.
4. Trunk, 2 rounds: front plank, side plank each side, dead bug.
5. Finish: 2 × 20 pogo hops once you are past week 3.

Where GPP fits in your training week

Two sessions a week is the sweet spot; one keeps what you have built. Keep 48 hours between them. The simplest rule is to keep hard days hard and easy days easy: do strength after a quality session or after a short easy run, never the day before your long run or key workout. On those days, run the easy part genuinely easy — check your range with the training pace calculator or stay in zone 2 with the heart rate zone calculator.

An 8-week progression

• Weeks 1–2 — learn the movements: bodyweight only, 2 × 10, slow and controlled. Expect some soreness; keep runs easy.
• Weeks 3–5 — build: add dumbbells or a loaded backpack, 3 × 8–12, single-leg versions.
• Weeks 6–8 — strengthen: heavier loads at 3 × 6–8, add hops and skipping. This is where GPP starts to hand over to specific work.

Then switch to one maintenance session a week during the race-specific block, and do your last heavy or plyometric session 7–10 days before the race. If you are building toward a goal time, the race time predictor shows what your current fitness supports.

Common mistakes

• Doing too much in week one — the soreness ruins the next three runs.
• Only doing sit-ups and crunches: the trunk matters, but legs and hips matter more.
• Skipping calves and feet, which take the highest load per stride.
• Scheduling heavy legs the day before the long run.
• Stopping completely once the race block starts — one short session keeps most of the gains.

General information, not medical advice. If you have pain or a current injury, see a physiotherapist before starting. See the training disclaimer.