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TRAINING BREAKDOWN

“7 tips to never go wrong with your strength training”

By Emma O’Toole

Hello, happy Sunday!

It’s a little over 12 weeks until the New Year and right now is when a lot of runners and cyclists decide to introduce strength training either back in to their training or start it for the very first time. Arguably, as a strength coach for endurance athletes, you’d think this is my favourite time of the year… But it isn’t!

Why I hear you ask?

Well, the vast majority of runners and cyclists stopped strength training back in February and are now headed straight back under the bar or towards the last set of dumbbells they lifted 9 months ago.

This is not only a recipe for DOMS and injury. But, it also reconfirms the attitude towards strength training that many runners and cyclists have in that it has to be stopped and go to the bottom of the priority list as soon as their training volume ramps up and the weather is better.

It leads to these 3 seemingly understandable reasons to skip out strength training:

• How can I train when strength sessions leave me so sore?

• Strength sessions are too time consuming.

• I’m not getting stronger?

However this is not the case!

If you’ve jumped straight in at lifting the same weight as you did 9 months ago, are spending hours in the gym/at home on your strength sessions and are working to limited ranges of motion, then it’s no surprise that you’re feeling sore, bogged down and not making much progress with your strength training. Strength training should always be thought as something which supports your running and cycling, not overrule it.

Opting for that mindset is where your success with strength training lies. Think of it as a cornerstone of your training, as important as your base building runs, its your enabler. It’s not a fast fix, but you can see results fast!

Take Matt, who is setting all time power PBs on the road and in time trials and Philip who is reaching the podium in his age group and leaving others for dust whilst running uphill in duathlon GB qualifying races. Both these incredible athletes have seen progress to their training in just a few months, at 2 weekly strength sessions, that’s around 24 strength sessions since we began working together!

What makes them so successful? They get it done, they don’t skip these sessions for extra volume on the bike or pounding the pavement. And they implement the 7 pieces of advice below.

Follow these 7 pieces of advice you won’t go wrong with your strength training:

1. Minimum effective dose for maximum gains. 1 hour is plenty, 30-40 mins is enough.

2. Form over ego. The weights are never going to go anywhere. Focus on how you’re moving, before how much you’re moving.

3. Soreness is not an indicator of a good session.

4. Prioritize intensity over volume. Intensity is going to give you far better results than volume, eg. 3 sets of 8 reps of goblet squats with load vs 3 sets of 50 reps at bodyweight. 

5. Don’t neglect your core, “anything between the neck, elbow and knees” (as we saw last week!).

6. If you don’t use it, you lose it! Don’t stop strength training when you begin to increase your running and cycling training volume.

7. You only need 2 sessions a week throughout the whole year.

If you are looking to get back into strength training or to start it for the first time… Firstly, GREAT WORK!

Secondly, here’s my recommendation:

Complete 2x strength sessions per week for 3-4 weeks, focusing on bodyweight and lighter loads.

You'll have seen each session a maximum of 3-4 times and come the start of November you'll be ready to go.

If you'd like a starting point for a strength session for runners and cyclists, please reply to this email with the word "PLAN" and I'll send a plan across to you that you can do from the comfort of your own home.

The plans details sets, reps, rest periods and comes with exercise videos on how to do each exercise.

Ready to take the planning out of your training plan? Please check out my running, cycling and triathlon training plans which include 2x weekly strength training sessions.

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