What is the benefit of strength training for endurance athletes?
, by Steff Overmars, 3 min reading time
Why do endurance athletes do strength training and does this also make sense for recreational athletes?
For years, endurance athletes have avoided strength training mainly for fear of unwanted weight in the form of muscle mass. In today's top sports, strength training has become indispensable and has made a difference in many sports.
But why do endurance athletes do strength training and does this also make sense for recreational athletes? I try to answer that here.
Strength training has a number of major benefits for endurance athletes:
- It can make the athlete more explosive
- Deliver more power
- It improves the pulling force on the muscles and tendons, which can significantly reduce the risk of injuries
- It ensures that you can maintain good posture for longer and therefore move more efficiently
Enough benefits! For top athletes, strength training is a great addition to growing levels, even as an endurance athlete.
The fear of weight gain is a common excuse not to do it and while that is certainly possible, it is certainly not the case that the pounds just fly off. Bodybuilders who have that goal have to train hard for it and, above all, eat and that is not so easy with 2 sessions per week. Furthermore, strength training for hypertrophy is different from pure strength. The difference is mainly in the repetitions and sets.
How much should you train?
How often someone should do strength training depends entirely on how many hours you train per week. Suppose you run twice a week, then twice an hour of strength to become a better runner is a bit of an overkill. Then you could achieve more with one extra walk. But for a recreational user, fifteen minutes, 20 minutes twice a week can do a lot. You don't necessarily need a gym for this because you can do quite a few targeted exercises with your own body weight and, for example, a mini band.
My advice is... get advice. I so often see athletes get schedules from the internet where it is advised to do heavy sets with 1-3 repetitions (HFLV high force low velocity) because that is what really makes you stronger... just realize that you have a decent foundation. must have done strength training to be able to perform this technically well. The LFHV (low force high velocity) are exercises that require more repetitions and are better to start with if strength training is completely new to you. Don't be alarmed, sometimes you can get quite a bit of muscle pain the first few times and that can also hinder your running or cycling training, but if strength training becomes a fixed part of your weekly routine, this will become less and less.
What exercises should I do?
That is a question that is not easy to answer. That really depends on the sport and the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete. Core training (abdomen, back and, for example, the small muscles around the hip) are a good addition for almost all triathletes. If you specifically want to achieve something with large muscle groups, it is best to go to the gym. There are plenty of videos of good exercises on the internet, but make sure you have mastered the technique before you go heavy. Working with a trainer is of course a great thing. This is not necessary every time, but a trainer can help you explain a program properly that you can then work on yourself. Tell the trainer that it is supportive of your endurance sport. Some people sometimes ignore that.
Good luck! Greetings, Steff
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