What most runners & cyclists do with their strength training.

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TRAINING BREAKDOWN

“Cutting through the noise and maximizing your time.”

By Emma O’Toole

Hello,

I hope you’re well and the New Year is treating you well so far. Today we’re going to unpick an email I received from John, a runner and cyclist. If I were a betting person, I’d put large stakes on John’s email resonating with you.

There is a lot of noise online with regards to strength training for endurance sports and I’m sure you’ve heard of many of these:

• Only do strength training in the winter.

• Lift “heavy”

• Do lots of repetitions of bodyweight exercises, eg. 50 bodyweight squats

• Only train your “core” with planks, crunches, bird dogs etc.

What this often translates into is emails like this from John:

John’s experience with strength training is not unique. It’s the path so many runners and cyclists take with their strength training. The problem is: you’re not getting the most out of your time and effort spent, (not ideal when you’re already likely pushed for time). It is similar to having a 40 min run/ride workout session and not doing any of the workout steps prescribed, eg. 3× 8 minutes at 100-105% FTP. You’ve still spent the 40 minutes, but not maximized your time or targeted fitness adaptations from that session.

Breaking down John’s email:

Jumping straight into lifting heavy during strength sessions bypasses the essential ramp needed to make the most out of your sessions. This ramp focuses on preparing your body (connective tissues, muscles, bones) for lifting heavier weights and moving in different ways than normal. Soreness and fatigue are to be expected by going heavy and hitting your body hard with something it hasn’t experienced for many months.

This experience also feeds into the relationship that most endurance athletes have with strength training: “strength training leaves me sore and tired, so I couldn’t possibly do it when I’m training for my key race/event.” However, this is not the case! Structured strength training in fact can leave you in the best shape of your life ready to hit your goal race/event.

Lastly, John, once dropping more organised strength training, is spending 90 minutes per week pushing his body to the limit to see how much he can do, or better put, going to failure. This is coming at a time where he is likely doing a high volume and specific training to his running/cycling goal. He is going to get little reward from strength training in such a way at this time in his season… but a lot of unnecessary fatigue.

After speaking with John at the beginning of 2024, we discovered that he does often struggle with his training session the next day after his 30 minute workouts. He does them because he’s worried that lifting “heavy” will leave him sore. We revamped John’s winter approach to strength training and I challenged John to change the 3× 30 minute “go to failure” strength sessions that he typically done. Instead we worked on him doing 2× 45 minute progressive strength sessions, where yes, he was back doing his “heavy” deadlifts and “squats” but in a controlled manner with just the right amount of intensity and volume to ensure his strength training supported his running and cycling… and after a different winter approach to strength training.

Here’s an example of a typical session we worked on in February for John:

Session 1a:

Warm up

Mobility work

Main set:

4× 6 reps of back squat at 7/10 RPE, or 3 reps in reserve.

4× 5 reps of front foot elevated split squat at 7/10 RPE, or 3 reps in reserve.

3× 8 reps of bent over row at 7/10 RPE, or 3 reps in reserve.

3× 6 reps of single leg calf raises at 7-8/10 RPE or 2-3 reps in reserve.

Accessory set:

2x 8s single leg glute bridge isometric hold at 8/10 RPE.

2× 8 press ups at 7/10 RPE

2× 6 ½ kneeling shoulder press exercise at 7/10, or 3 reps in reserve.

Anti-rotation work:

2× 20s Copenhagen plank

2× 30s farmers carry at 8/10 RPE.

(Including adequate rest periods in there to ensure John was working to the targeted RPE/reps in reserve with the weight choices he was selecting).

This session was like nothing John had ever done before in February, he felt good from his strength training and not sore or tired to train the next day. This paid dividends to John’s season and he hit a breakthrough PR in the 10k in the summer and is currently riding at a new FTP.

For me and those I coach, strength training always boils down to this guiding principle:

Strength training supports your running and cycling.

Regardless of where you are in your season.

If John’s old approach to strength training resonates with you, please reply to this email and let me know. I’ve also got spaces for 3 free coaching calls to see how strength training can support your running and riding, helping you maximize the time and effort you’re spending - just reply to this email with the words: “strength training” and I’ll be in touch to set this up.

Enjoy!

Emma

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