Strength training for endurance athletes

Strength training will not turn a runner, cyclist or skier into a bodybuilder overnight. Instead, it provides a type of training load that long, easy endurance training usually does not: one that builds strength, strengthens tendons and improves your ability to tolerate exertion.

Why does strength training matter in endurance sports?

Honestly, endurance athletes sometimes worry too much about muscle growth. Doing short sets of, say, 1 – 5 reps does not automatically mean your body will start packing on mass. Muscle responds to any training load, but what matters is training volume, food intake, years of consistency and how much of your training actually takes place in the gym.

If gym training features in your annual plan for only 2 – 4 months, most of your progress comes from adaptations in the nervous system. Your body learns to recruit more motor units, your muscle fibers work together more effectively and your movements become more controlled. This is valuable in endurance sports because a stronger body means more than just more weight on the bar. It also means better control, especially when you are fatigued.

Here is a simple truth: you need muscle. Without it, you cannot move fast, maintain your technique or withstand long workouts. Endurance sports wear your body down. The gym can be a place where you periodically give your body a stimulus to build itself back up.

How can you make strength training work for you?

Short sets work well when your goal is to build strength rather than get a muscle “pump.” The 1 – 5 rep range teaches your body to exert itself, but does not provide the same muscle growth signal as a large number of long sets. That is why it does not make sense to compare an endurance athlete with a powerlifter or an Olympic weightlifter.

• Powerlifters and weightlifters often maintain an energy surplus for long periods.
• They have trained in lifting year after year, some for decades.
• They do not limit themselves to low reps; they also use longer sets.

If a bodybuilder trained mainly in the 6 – 50 rep range and a powerlifter in the 1 – 6 range, the bodybuilder would gain muscle mass faster with the same food intake and a similar body weight. The difference largely comes down to rep count and total training volume.

This does not mean a 10,000 m runner should squat and do 5 x 5 like a powerlifter. Your technique must remain very good. You can increase the weight, but do so gradually. As an endurance athlete, your goal in the gym is to get a type of training load you miss out on for most of the year, rather than chase a record.

Practical signs that strength training is working

How can you tell whether gym training is helping? As a runner, your sprint may improve. As a cyclist, you may notice you have more strength to push the pedals on climbs. Pure strength training also strengthens tendons and ligaments, which is a very practical benefit for injury prevention.

The change is good for your mind, too. Repeating the same movement year after year is draining. If your main sport is distance running, cycling or skiing, a barbell, dumbbells and controlled, technically focused strength training give your brain a different task.

If you worry that strength training will harm your endurance, look at your rest intervals. Sets of 4 – 6 reps with heavier weights and 30 – 60 seconds of rest already provide a fairly demanding combination of strength and endurance training loads. Even then, though, technique must come first.

I like the old comparison with retreaded tires. A new layer of tread was added to a worn tire, making it more reliable to drive on again. As an endurance athlete, you wear your body down continuously over long periods. An occasional block of gym training can be that new layer you draw on during the tougher parts of the season.

FAQ: strength training and endurance

Will strength training make me too heavy?

Probably not, if gym training is a short block in your plan and your training volume is reasonable. Rapid gains in muscle mass are more likely when you do high volumes of strength training over a long period while eating in a substantial calorie surplus.

Can gym training hurt my endurance?

If you continue training for your main sport and the gym does not become the focus of your entire plan, you do not need to worry about this. The aim of gym training is to support physical qualities that your main sport alone does not develop as effectively, rather than replace endurance training.

When should I include strength training in my plan?

The preparation phase is a good time, such as 3 months over the summer or another quieter training block. During the competition season, keep the volume lower and do not let gym training interfere with recovery.

References

Background reading found online: http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/05/more-on-strength-training-for-runners.ht

More on similar topics: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18460997

Johnston, R. E., T. J. Quinn, R. Kertzer, and N. B. Vroman. Strength training in female distance runners: impact on running economy. J. Strength Cond. Res. 11: 224-229, 1997.

Dalleau, G., A. Belli, M. Bourdin, and J.-R. Lacour. The spring-mass model and the energy cost of treadmill running. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 77: 257-263, 1998.

Author: Janar Rückenberg

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