1. Integrate strength training into your program two or three times a week with a personal trainer or coach
2. Measure your progress. Remember, "what is measured, improves." Do a treadmill or bike test in a controlled setting, that can be repeatable. Using metrics like power and pacing. Retest every six to eight weeks
3. Add strength-based classes that are included with your membership two times a week
4. Include active recovery workouts like yoga, Pilates or recovery days to repair, rebuild and continue to move the performance needle forward. This allows quality, breakthrough workouts after and prevents injury due to overuse
5. Keep an eye on your post-workout nutrition. Within 30 minutes after finish of key workout, refuel with a healthy, balanced snack or meal

Endurance Athletes Gain an Edge with Strength Training

Strength training makes you a more powerful and economical endurance athlete. it is not just how much oxygen you can consume, but how effectively you can use that oxygen during exercise. Economy is a very important for endurance performance.

Economy is your ability to sustain a given velocity or power output with a certain VO2 value. The athlete with the lower VO2 value at a given power/velocity will be the more successful athlete because a lower VO2 value means a lower energy cost and less fatigue. So, an athlete that has an improved economy due to strength training, will perform better than the athlete with the same VO2 who doesn’t build power from strength training.

Economy can be improved by teaching your muscles to work together in the most economic way possible. The better your muscles are able to coordinate movements, the better you will be able to use oxygen to maintain your power/velocity.

Seasoned veterans have most likely reached a plateau with their VO2 max. After years of consistent training, most athletes have reached this point. These experienced athletes must seek new training methods to continually improve. While sport-specific workouts will continue to help you refine your fitness, the gym is also an extremely time-effective way to break that plateau, especially if you have not done much strength training before.

Strength training will improve your economy. Strength training works your muscles in ways that are simply not possible by running or cycling. When you lift heavy things or do explosive plyometrics, you recruit all of your muscle fibers in a maximal way. Over time, this results in enhanced neuromuscular recruitment, which is essentially the connection between your brain and muscles.

After even just a few strength training sessions, your body will learn to recruit your muscles and muscle fibers will learn to work in unison. Your body will also learn to send stronger signals to your muscles, resulting in greater force production. This transfers over to your sport and teaches your muscles to work together and improve your economy.

For runners, strength training can increase the stiffness of your muscles which helps you to store elastic energy. Basically, your legs will have an effect that can help propel you without increasing energy expenditure.

Strength training improves your power across the board. Power = Force x Velocity. Heavy lifting will improve your ability to produce force at any velocity, improving your power.

Endurance athletes find that once they get in the gym and start seeing improvements, they enjoy it almost as much as their normal training. Strength training can also prevent injury, fight aging, and improve your health. Over time, I am sure that strength training is the perfect compliment for all endurance athletes.

References

Beattie, K The Effect of Strength Training on Performance in Endurance Athletes.

Conley, D. L., & Krahenbuhl, G.S. 1980.Running economy and distance running performance of highly trained athletes.

Strength training in female distance runners: impact on running economy. Journal of Strength and Conditioning

Explosive -strength training improves 5 k running time by improving economy and muscle power. Journal of Applied Physiology 1999.

In the fitness industry since 1996, Brenda Gustin is an ACE certified Personal Trainer, USAT Coach, coach for Newport Coast Triathlon Team, and group exercise instructor cycle and strength. She is also a two-time Ironman finisher/  Age Group 1st place 2010, and five-time World Champion Ironman 70.3 competitor 

If you are a Merage JCC member and would like to explore training with Brenda, contact Mark Pattis, Fitness Director.