Clay Holton, The Running DPT

Clay Holton, The Running DPT I help runners, in Augusta, GA, manage pain, get stronger, and race faster.

08/12/2026

The optimal number of total number of exercises per workout can vary considerably. Whether you’re looking at improving running performance, strength, or hypertrophy, there are large ranges in the research.
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As I cover in this video, there isn’t a right answer but I believe 2-3 exercises and 2-3 intentional working sets of each can be great for most runners in most situations. This would bring the working set total to 4 sets on the low end and 9 on the higher end.
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However, there are programs with both far less and far far more working sets per workout which produce comparable results. Diminishing returns is a factor which is why sticking with 2-3 working sets on 2-3 exercises can be optimal for most runners

08/11/2026

The number of repetitions performed should be a product of the intensity being used with the goal of fatiguing in the 3-8ish rep range which is the range identified in running research as most effective for improving running performance. I usually keep my athletes in the 4-6 rep range for compound lifts, like squats, and closer to 8-15 reps for isolated movements if they’re a novice to intermediate lifter and 6-10 reps if they’re more advanced (as they generally know their ranges a little better and won’t have as much variation week to week).

08/10/2026

In this video, I discuss planning strength sessions in relation to your running workouts. It’s generally best to separate the strength sessions from the endurance workouts as much as possible to minimize fatigue impacting either workout and the interference effect.

Ideally, you’d like the workouts to be on separate days. But if you’re running 4+ days a week, that won’t always be possible. If performing both on the same day, try to separate them by 4-8 hours. And if you have to do them in the same session, do the strength training first

08/06/2026

Please let your STRENGTH exercises be limited by your strength and not any balance, technique, or mobility issues. In this video, I discuss split squats and single leg deadlifts/RDL’s as examples of phenomenal exercises that I’m often hesitant to assign because of their significant balance demands. If you’re struggling to complete even bodyweight split squats/RDL’s, it’s likely that balance will be the limiting factor and not your strength from the weight being lifted. Runners SHOULD take efforts to improve their single leg balance and movement control but that should not be a limiting factor for your strength exercises.

Keep exercise selection for your strength training straightforward so you know you’re pursuing the correct adaptation which is muscular strength and power in this context

My research partner, Mjolnir. Reviewing a new research article about the health benefits of averaging 7,000 steps per da...
07/23/2026

My research partner, Mjolnir. Reviewing a new research article about the health benefits of averaging 7,000 steps per day. 10,000 isn’t always feasible. Granted, if you’re active or run a lot, 10k steps isn’t all that hard to achieve but if you’re looking at the population as a whole, 7,000 steps/day is a much more realistic goal for most

07/20/2026

My favorite, and in my opinion the best, method to gauge lifting intensity is repetitions in reserve (RIR) which refers to the number of additional repetitions that could be performed at the end of a working set if maximal effort was performed. I generally assign 2-3 RIR for most strength training sets. For example, if someone was performing a set of 4 on back squats, I’d want them using a weight they could do for 6-7 reps as this elicits a favorable strength adaptation while not being so intense that form breaks down or excessive fatigue occurs

07/19/2026

Last video was about working sets so it’s helpful to define warm up sets too. Warm sets get your body ready for the upcoming workout. Many runners will often perform a general warmup with non-specific movements intended to generally raise body temperature and promote improved muscle and tendon elasticity and would often include walking on a treadmill for 5-10 minutes or completing a mobility routine. Sometimes a generalized warmup isn’t necessary but many people, myself included, tend to enjoy taking 5-10 minutes to generally warm up before starting a more specific warmup. Warm up sets, contrastingly, involve performing a similar or identical movement as the one you’re about to perform for working sets. This would include 1-2 sets of squats, as an example, at a much lower intensity than the upcoming working sets. These warmup sets provide the same benefit as a generalized warmup but also help to familiarize yourself with the upcoming movement pattern of your working sets

New mile world record of 3:42:66! Insane
07/18/2026

New mile world record of 3:42:66! Insane

07/16/2026

Over the next 14 days, I’ll be posting short videos covering fundamental terminology and phrases I regularly use when assigning strength training to my running and physical therapy clients. Starting with working sets.
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Working sets are sets performed at the assigned intensity with the goal of improving muscle strength. Working sets do not include warmup sets and also do not generally include technique focused sets.
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As an example, I may assign 3 sets of squats for 4-6 reps but I may also ask my clients to perform 1-2 warmup sets with bodyweight or just the bar. In this instance those two warmup sets do not count towards the 3 sets of assigned squats

Tried out Max Fitness Augusta today! I was amazed by the amount of machines (particularly multiple glute machines, leg p...
06/29/2026

Tried out Max Fitness Augusta today! I was amazed by the amount of machines (particularly multiple glute machines, leg press/squat variations, and unilateral leg options), squat racks and platforms, specialized rooms like a women’s only room and a more old school bodybuilding one, and a large open turf area. I’d definitely recommend

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1264 Merry Street
Augusta, GA
30904

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+17062502226

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