by Coach Tammy Metzger, B.Sc., & Carrie Sasynuik, B.Sc., CSCSNOTE: Your program may be different based on your events and background. This is a standard program for endurance sport, and entry-level racing. Contact your coach for more specific training.
While some studies have reported endurance training and weight training to be contraindicated, with the right attention to detail, there are gains to be made. We have developed a plan for endurance athletes to optimize their weight-lifting time. This plan will lead to greater overall gains in endurance sport, and significantly decrease risk of injury (due to overuse of stabilizing muscles and connective tissue). Weight training has the added benefit of providing work through a wider range of motion than is executed during endurance sport training and racing, thereby maintaining flexibility, and better balance in overall health and fitness.
A focus on weight-training in your off-season will lead to increased muscle fiber recruitment, which leads to greater efficiency, and lower energy cost at any given effort-level. Imagine a solitary individual needing to move a load of bricks from one end of his yard to the other. He can either pile all the bricks in one load, nearly killing himself to get them across the yard, or he can make several trips at less effort, but taking an entire day to move the load. What if three of his neighbors saw him struggling and came out to help? The four of them get all the bricks moved in no time at all, and at a lower energy cost than our solitary friend. The same applies to your muscles. More fibers = more work at less cost. On any given race day, whoever can do the most work at the least cost will win the day!
There are 4 phases to a good, basic supplemental weight-training program. The first phase (Preparation) is of highest importance for prevention of injury, and proper progression of your training. This phase uses relatively light weights with repetitions in the 10-12 range. This phase is designed to transition the body from the cyclical endurance work to resistance training. Tissues, such as muscle and tendons, need to be prepared for more rigorous resistance training, and muscle tissue will adapt to training before the all-important connective tissue. Advancing too quickly because you feel like you can handle the weight, could result in damage to tendons and ligaments that will require weeks or months of recovery. The second phase (Endurance) increases muscular endurance capacity, which is key to success in endurance sport. You’ll use a mid-level weight, and very high reps to fatigue. The third phase (Strength) focuses on increases in strength and/or muscle hypertrophy, while the fourth phase (Maintenance) is in place to maintain the gains you’ve made, without overly taxing your muscles during your main competitive season.
Phase 1. Preparation
This phase, which will last 3-4 weeks, should feel very easy, but as previously discussed, it is the most important phase for injury-prevention. Set aside your ego during this phase, and know that what you are doing is a very important step in your overall training plan. Pushing too much, too soon will only land you on the injured list, something we all strive to avoid.
As with every weight-lifting session, a short, low-intensity aerobic warm-up lasting 5-10 minutes to increase body temperature is recommended. Weight should be light enough for you to complete 12 repetitions and feel like you could keep going. If you are struggling to get that last repetition out, then lower the weight for the next set. You may find that body weight alone is enough for some movements, such as the squat. As in all phases, start with movements that use larger muscle groups around multiple joints, and end with more specific, single-joint exercises. This phase may be done in “circuit” style (doing one set of each movement in order, then repeating for each set) which will provide the added benefit of a good low-end aerobic workout while you are prepping for the next phase of lifting.
Duration / Frequency / Sets / Reps / Rest Interval (RI):
3-4 weeks
3x week
2-3 Sets
10-12 Reps
45-60 sec RI
Recommended lifts:
Squat
Bench Press
Step Ups
Seated Row
Calf Raise
Standing Bent-Arm Lat Pulldown
10° Leg Extension
Triceps Extension
Phase II. Endurance
For endurance athletes, the Endurance Phase is the most-specific phase of the weight-lifting periodization. Here we are training our muscles to ‘endure’, to produce sub-maximal force over a prolonged period of time. We will increase the weight now that our physiology has been prepped, and start zeroing in on the muscle fibers that will be producing the force that will get us across that finish line come the competition season.
Finding the correct amount of weight for this phase can be tricky, as the reps are quite high. Shoot for 15-20 quality reps, and if you can do 20, you should increase the weight slightly. Focus on keeping good form throughout the set.
Every 3rd or 4th week should be a recovery week on your training plan. During those weeks, drop one session, and revert back to the Preparation phase guidelines for your first set, and finish up with one set of Endurance phase with slightly less weight than the week prior.
Duration / Frequency / Sets / Reps / RI:
8-12 Weeks
3x week
2 Sets
20 Reps
1.5-2 min RI
Recommended lifts:
Squat
Bench Press
Lunges
Seated Row
Seated Calf Raise
Standing Bent-Arm Lat Pulldown
Phase III. Strength
The Strength Phase will increase the amount of force any given muscle group can exert for any particular movement around a joint. This is the shortest phase in the plan, and also the highest risk. Good form is imperative in this phase, as there is a substantial increase in weight being lifted.
This phase is also a bit deceptive for the endurance athlete, as it creates a very different kind of fatigue than we are used to feeling. We’re used to a more central fatigue that results from long-duration aerobic work. The fatigue that results from a weight-lifting session is localized at the muscle level, so you may leave a strength session feeling like you haven’t done much, but trust that you have, and allow 36-48 hours recovery before attempting any high-intensity aerobic workouts.
Every 3rd or 4th week should be a recovery week. During this time, drop one session, and revert back to the Preparation phase of 2 sets to 10-12 reps. You’ll be lifting less weight than in a typical week of this phase, but it should still be an effort to get the last rep out. While this may not seem to be a “recovery” per se, the goal is to change the stress to your muscles, to keep your gains from plateauing. In this phase, you may end up spending more time in the gym during rest weeks than your build weeks.
Duration / Frequency / Sets / Reps RI:
4-6 Weeks
3x week
2 Sets
5-6 Reps
2-3 min RI
Recommended lifts:
Squat
Bench Press
Step Ups
Seated Row
Calf Raise
Standing Lat Pulldown
Phase IV. Maintenance
The goal of the Maintenance Phase is to limit loss of the muscle size and strength you have built over the past three phases. During your competition season, your races will be taking a high toll on your body, so we do not want to add to that stress any more than is necessary. Some athletes may only lift one day per week, but we feel that twice per week is the minimum to limit losses.
The protocol is one set of preparation as warm up, followed by one set of strength. During both sets the weight should be adjusted so that it is difficult to get the last repetition out. During rest or taper weeks, you may drop one of these weekly sessions, or complete two sets of preparation (12 reps), and drop the strength set. Never lift within 48 hours of a competition or race-effort workout.
Duration / Frequency / Sets / Reps:
8-16 Weeks
2x week
2 Sets
12 Reps / 5 Reps
Recommended lifts:
Squat
Bench Press / Military Press
Lunges / Step Ups
Seated Row
Seated Calf Raise
Standing Bent-Arm Lat Pulldown
Other Considerations
It is important to optimize recovery between your weight-lifting sessions, and to keep other workouts in mind as well. Do not compartmentalize your workouts, as they will all have a toll on your recovery, and optimal recovery determines your ability to train at proper intensity. Swimming has a lower toll on recovery, so is a good workout to plan closest to your weight-training session. Running has a very high toll on your body, and thus should be spaced as far as possible from weight-training sessions, while cycling falls somewhere in the middle. Keep the intensity of each sport in mind as well. A qualified coach can help you to juggle your workouts for greatest efficiency and gains.
If you are new to lifting, or out of practice, get proper lifting form instruction from a knowledgeable trainer. As weight increases, proper form is an absolute necessity for optimal performance gains and lower injury risk. Give prompt attention to any “bad pain” experienced during these exercises, and discuss with your coach or other appropriate specialist immediately. Do not push through joint or connective tissue pain.
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Carrie Sasynuik is a strength & conditioning specialist for Integrated Fitness, and former competitive bodybuilder
