The Coach Amy and Coach Liz Show
Promoting a healthy and positive experience for endurance athletes.
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The Coach Amy and Coach Liz Show

Created with endurance athletes in mind

Created with endurance athletes in mind. Coaches Amy and Liz have a combined thirty years of coaching and seven decades of competing in endurance sports. They cover topics relevant to athletes at various levels of participation: those training for a personal challenge to those competing for an age group placement or race qualification.

 

Strength Training Benefits Endurance Athletes - Including Distance Runners!

What is this episode about?

Research Shows the Benefits of Strength Training for Endurance Athletes

Coach Amy, like many runners, used to think that building muscle strength was detrimental to her running because the “extra bulk” might slow her down.  She now knows that's not true! Research shows strength training improves run economy and muscle power for mid and long distance runners*. Professional Runner, Molly Seidel, has talked about this with her own running.  

Triathletes differ from runners in that strength training is something they tend to embrace.  Dr. Stacy Sims, a well known researcher and endurance coach, has been highly influential on this topic in the triathlon community in the past 5+ years.  She talks about how and why to lift heavy here and here. 

Plyometric training (jumps / hops) is shown to help runners who are at an 8:30 minute pace or slower. However, runners who run at 8:30 or faster and have a higher VO2 max didn't benefit from plyometrics but did benefit from heavy strength training. 

Introducing any kind of strength training needs to be done very gradually and always with good form.  From starting with basic (correct) movement to listening to your body to staying consistent and focused but also flexible with how you strength train is imperative for injury prevention and building strength.    

Lifting should complement your endurance training. There will be times when you prioritize lifting and other times you will simply do short (even 15 mintue) maintenance sessions once or twice a week.  

Reference:

*Llanos-Lagos C, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moran J, Sáez de Villarreal E. Effect of Strength Training Programs in Middle- and Long-Distance Runners' Economy at Different Running Speeds: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2024 Apr;54(4):895-932. doi: 10.1007/s40279-023-01978-y. Epub 2024 Jan 2. PMID: 38165636; PMCID: PMC11052887.

Additional Reading: CoachAmyPT blog post on the benefits of heavy lifting for aging adults and endurance athletes.

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