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Strength work to make you a more resilient runner or cyclist
Endurance Coach Michael Ruth, observation and advice to becoming a more robust runner or cyclist.
Whether you are an old hand and experienced runner or are looking to take up a new direction and run or cycle in 2022 then you are reading the right blog.
Strength work to complement your running or cycling will make you so much more durable, robust and mobile.
After watching our in-house nutritionist take on the mantle of hybrid runner last year I took close note of the kind of accessory work he did and have added a weekly set of non-negotiable movements to my training schedule. I am now going to share these with you.
The workout includes cyclist squats (with a narrow stance and raised heel), barbell step back lunges in a back rack position and finally front squats into box jumps or step ups, working up in intensity and volume over a week to week basis
After a good lower body warm up let’s go into a set of cyclist squats (raised heel)
If you have the luxury of a slant board then we are set. If not then a 20kg plate will be perfect for this. Feet in this squat are close together and knees are over toes start just using your body weight and go into a controlled deep squat and repeat 10 times.
For the first few weeks just use the empty barbell or a kettlebell in the front rack position and do 5 sets of 10-12 and always be nice and controlled. As the weeks go by, add weight to the bar and then when competent, add a slow downward movement (eccentric phase) and a pause at the bottom (3 seconds down and 2 second pause) this will then put your body under more pressure and remove the spring back of a normal squat.
Step back lunges (with a barbell from the rack if you have one) again this workout you can start with and empty bar if you wish and work up week by week in volume and intensity starting in sets of 12 and complete 5 sets in total, week on week first up the volume to 20 and then up the weight on the barbell gradually.
Front squat into box jumps is the third part of this workout. 5 sets of 4 front squats and 10 box jumps with 2/3 minute rest in between each set. Make the front squats good for quality and at a moderate weight going straight into the jumps and you can progress from box step ups to box jumps over the weeks as well if needed.
Make sure you take plenty of rest in the workouts and a 1:2 or 1:3 work to rest ratio is perfect, find a mate or two and take turns to rest. Split these up throughout the week if time is limited but make them non negotiable!
Putting these three weightlifting workouts into your weekly program will make you so much more robust, extremely more mobile in the ankle and hip flexors, stronger in the glute and quad and all round fitter athletes.