5 Surprising Benefits of Strength Training for Endurance Athletes (And how to do it)

By Tricia Davis, DPT

Improved performance, injury prevention, bone health and muscle imbalance correction are some of the better known reasons for endurance athletes to incorporate strength training into their routine. 

These all sound like good enough reasons to get to the gym but it can feel daunting to imagine inserting one more thing into an already overloaded schedule.

In order to make a change there need to be reasons you may have not previously considered. Here are some surprising benefits to adding specific strength training to your routine.

1. Better Energy Efficiency- strength training teaches athletes to recruit muscle fibers with ease, strengthening patterns and connections specific to their sports. As distances increase these effects accumulate, making you more efficient and less fatigued during prolonged efforts. This is particularly true with sports requiring a high level of skill and coordination.
2. Enhanced Fatigue Resistance- building muscular endurance allows athletes to maintain great form and power during the latter stages of long events.
3. Increased Metabolic Rate- improving lean muscle mass boosts your metabolic rate which will help in maintaining optimal body composition for endurance sports
4. Improved Joint Range of Motion- exercises requiring a full excursion of movement not regularly required during your sport can aid in more effective movement mechanics.
5. Mental Strength and Confidence- strength training is HARD and proving to yourself that you excel at HARD things builds your mental strength. Confidence in your body’s abilities is the icing on the cake, the difference between finishing a race and DNFing as well as getting to the top spot or plateauing with mid-pack results.

Getting Started:

The key to starting anything new is to keep it simple. Focus on compound movements that target large muscle groups. This is where a little instruction is key. Performing a squat, lunge and deadlift properly will simply transform your strength routines. 

Using bodyweight and minimal equipment like dumbbells or kettlebells will allow you to really dial in your form and make it easier to start now. 

Being efficient and consistent with 2-3 sessions of 20-30 minutes a week will be enough to convince you that it is time well spent.

Example workout: (2X per week)

-body weight squats -reverse lunges -push ups -glute bridges -planks

Advancing your Program:

Adding resistance with more weight or load is the obvious way to make strength training harder. Building in single leg variations will up the ante and train balance and stability too. Power and speed with the addition of plyometric training can help train explosive power and help keep things interesting. (Think box jumps and jump squats!)

Just as we manipulate things like intensity, duration and recovery with training for sport performance so can we use variability with peroidizing your strength training. Overall volume of strength training should be done in the offseason, but maintained during competition.

Consistency is key with strength training:

Being consistent, getting some form help and carefully listening to your body are keys to your success. Get into the habit of doing just enough, but not too much so that you can continue to build a foundation. Having a coach or personal trainer may help with form and accountability. Getting together with friends in a group setting may also help if you need some extra motivation.

Make this year the year you invest in your long term health and sustainability as an athlete with strength training.