If you’ve been grinding away at your endurance and you have all other training factors dialed in — like nutrition, recovery, hydration, and stress management — but you’re still not seeing improvements in your race times or overall fitness, strength training could be the hole in your game. It’s one of the best ways to prevent injury and ensure your body remains functional well into your nineties.

Let’s dive into why we decided to create this comprehensive strength guide in the first place: so runners, cyclists, triathletes, and many other kinds of athletes can embrace strength as an essential part of their training.

By incorporating a well-designed strength routine into your training program, you will elevate your performance to new heights, achieve new personal bests, and prolong your athletic career.

It’s time. Stop procrastinating on your strength training. Hit the weights and experience the transformative effects of strength on your endurance journey.

One way to hit fast-forward on your strength knowledge is to go into a CrossFit gym and take their Foundations course. Functional fitness foundations will get you miles ahead of the game in terms of understanding terminology and how to use strength equipment safely.

Don’t worry, we’re not asking you to become a CrossFit athlete. These courses are just the most accessible way to get a basic lesson in strength training. Think of a CF Foundations course as an in-person version of this chapter with one-on-one technique guidance and a strength coach to answer all of your questions. It’s an excellent resource for beginners and athletes looking to deepen their knowledge of strength work.

Here’s our high-level overview of what you need to know to start strength training.

Weight Room Basics: Navigating the Equipment Jungle

The gym can sometimes feel like a maze of machines, plates, and contraptions. But with time and exposure, you’ll quickly get a feel for how everything works and what equipment to use.

Let’s break down the essentials of weight room navigation.

Equipment Selection

Choosing the right equipment for your workout makes all the difference. There are a few main categories of equipment in the gym.

• Free Weights: These include dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells. Free weights engage stabilizer muscles and promote functional strength. They’re versatile and should become your go-to for most movements.
• Machines: Weight machines provide guided movement patterns and are excellent for isolating specific muscle groups using only one joint at a time. They’re beginner-friendly and often have instructions on how to use them. Since machines provide stability for you, they’re often considered “easy mode” for a lot of movements.
• Resistance Bands: These portable bands add resistance to bodyweight exercises and can be used for both upper and lower body workouts. They’re not a perfect substitute for free weights, but thicker bands mean more resistance.
• Cardio Machines: These might be the most familiar — rowers, stationary bikes, air runners, treadmills, stair climbers, etc, used for aerobic work.

• Optional Equipment: Everything else can be lumped into the “other” category, which varies widely in use — ab mats, medicine balls, boxes, yoga mats, sandbags, parallettes, gymnastic rings, battle ropes, tractor tires, and anything else you might see in a gym.

Common Gym Equipment and Their Uses

Understanding the different types of gym equipment and their purposes is essential to knowing what you’re doing. This is some of the most basic equipment in your average gym.

Gym Etiquette

A harmonious gym environment involves practicing good etiquette, which mostly comes down to common sense. Here are some key pointers:

• Wipe Down Your Equipment:After using a machine or bench, always wipe it down with sanitizing wipes, especially if you sweat on it.
• Share and Rotate:If the gym is busy, be considerate of others by sharing equipment and not taking too long in any one space.
• Re-Rack Your Weights: Always return weights, dumbbells, and other equipment to their designated spots after use.
• Ask for Help:If you’re unsure about how to use a piece of equipment, don’t hesitate to ask gym staff or a knowledgeable fellow gym-goer for guidance.
• Limit Phone Use: Except when checking your programming or changing your music. You’re here to train, not scroll on the gram!

Form & Technique

This could be an entire guide on its own, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll focus on an overview of some common technical patterns in weight training.

Learning strength movements as an endurance athlete means building motor control and body awareness.Pay attention to the small details, like how your body moves in space and where you feel the most effort in your muscles during a lift. Instead of zoning out like you might on a long run or ride, you’ll need to actively practice the mental effort for strength adaptations.

The best way to get a feel for whether or not you’re doing an exercise correctly is to have a coach watch you, either in-person or by recording your training and sending it to them for critiques. But there are some universal truths on lifting form that you can rely on across the board for many movements.

Compound and Isolation Movements

Understanding Tempo & Time Under Tension

This section adopted from Understanding Tempo Training for Maximum Strength Gains by Sari Terranova.

Tempo training is the practice of modifying the speed of movement for an exercise. It requires you to count the seconds and modify the speed patterns that you naturally groove into when performing exercises.

Programming specific tempo ratios into your workouts allows you to precisely dictate the time under tension (TUT), which is the length of time that the muscle fibers are straining during a given movement. By manipulating the amount of time you spend performing a lift, you can create the stimulus necessary for real strength gains.

Eccentric, Concentric, & Isometric Phases

Strength gains are often made during the difficult eccentric, or muscle-lengthening, portion of an exercise. This is when we are moving the load away from the body, like when you’re lowering the dumbbell during a bicep curl.

The concentric phase is the muscle-shortening stage, when you contract the muscle and lift the weight back toward your body.

The isometric phase happens when the muscle is under tension in the absence of movement.

There are generally two isometric phases: one at the bottom and one at the top of each movement.

Tempo is denoted by a series of three or four numbers, for example 3:1:2:0. The numbers tell you how many seconds to lower, pause, or contract in each phase of the lift. The order of the numbers indicates the phase:

1. Eccentric (lengthening)
2. Isometric (any pause at the midpoint or bottom of the lift)
3. Concentric (shortening)
4. Isometric (pause at the top of the lift)

Using the example above, if you were executing a bench press with a 3:1:2:0 tempo, you would lower the bar to your chest for three seconds, pause at the bottom for one, and press the bar up for a two-count. After full extension, you would immediately begin lowering the bar again. If there is an “X” in place of a number, that indicates explosive movement.

Tempo training doesn’t make sense for every exercise, but it’s a great way to break through plateaus on fundamental compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, and presses. Basic bodyweight exercises such as pushups and pull-ups also lend themselves well to tempo adjustments.

Generally, the more TUT you spend with a movement, the stronger you’ll become at performing that movement under load.

With practice over time, you’ll develop better motor control and movement patterns. Remember, consistency is key, and progress takes time. Keep going!

Pay Attention to Your Macros: Timing & Amount

Excerpted from How to Fuel Your Strength Workouts: Triathlon Edition

Remember, every athlete is different. If you really want to dial in your nutrition and get macros tailored to your fitness goals, work with a nutrition coach like Fuelin.

Getting Enough Protein is Key

​​Protein intake is paramount for muscle recovery and adaptation. Regardless of age, gender, or training experience, you should aim for about 2.0-2.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. This intake should be consistent throughout the week regardless of your fluctuation in daily training hours. You must consistently hit your protein number day in and day out for weeks in combination with your training to see the benefits.

Timing Matters

The timing of your meals and snacks can maximize your gains and recovery. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a breakdown of pre-, intra-, and post-workout fueling options.

Pre-Strength Workout

If you are not lifting first thing in the morning, then aim to consume a meal 60-90 minutes before training. This meal should include complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, moderate protein for muscle support, and a small amount of healthy fats.

You can also have a snack 15-20 minutes before the session if you want or need some additional carbohydrates. This is a great option if you prefer to do your lifting first thing in the morning.

Intra-Strength Workout

For sessions that extend beyond ten sets per exercise and a total duration of 90 minutes, consider fueling with easily digestible carbohydrate sources such as a banana, tortilla wrap with almond butter/jam, or crackers. This will help maintain blood glucose levels and delay fatigue.

Post-Strength Workout

The post-workout period is critical for recovery. However, if you have the time, shower, get dressed, relax, and enjoy your meal. Your muscles will not drop off if you don’t slam down a protein drink within thirty seconds of finishing your last set.

Consume a meal rich in carbohydrates and protein, ideally within sixty minutes. You have up to two hours after training to maximize your recovery and adaptations in that post-workout window.

Your carb intake will vary between 0.5-2g/kg/BW depending on the total amounts of carbs you require for the day. Aim for about 0.5g/kg/BW if you’re on a lower carb intake without subsequent sessions that day. Try to get 2g/kg/BW (or potentially more) if you’re doing heavy training or have subsequent sessions that day. It’s important to increase your carb intake on heavy training days where replenishment of glycogen stores is critical to training performance.

Key Takeaways:

• To get the most out of your strength training, you’ll need to pay attention to your nutrition. Keep in mind, you might need to eat more than you think you do.
• Optimized fueling strategies are essential for performance and recovery.
• Macronutrient intake and timing of meals are critical factors in supporting both endurance and strength training.
• Individualized approaches to nutrition are based on training intensity, goals, and personal preferences, considering pre-, during, and post-training nutrition needs.

Get a Boost From The Right Supplements

Excerpted from Supplement Primer for Strength & Conditioning Athletes

An infinite number of supplements flood the nutrition market right now, and wading through the misinformation is exhausting. The good news is, there are very few supplements that are actually necessary for optimal health. Here are the tried-and-true supplements that benefit most bodies who are training for strength gains, regardless of sport type.  

Remember, if you have conflicting medications, diet restrictions, physiological ailments, or other complications, ask your doctor before taking any new supplement.

1. Creatine

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements there is — it’s essentially proven to work for muscle recovery, and many athletes take it to improve their performance. And while it’ll likely improve your performance, it’s not a performance-enhancing drug that will show up on a drug test. 

Creatine supplies the creatine-phosphate system, which is used during particularly high-intensity/short intervals. This makes it an excellent supplement for those who are weightlifting and HIIT training. It works by saturating the muscle stores so you’re capable of producing more ATP (energy). Research also shows that creatine supplementation reduces exercise-induced muscle damage and promotes faster recovery in resistance-trained individuals (aka, you). 

Endurance athletes should take no more than the recommended dose of 5g/day. Taking more than this amount might lead to some unwanted side effects, such as fluid retention and gastrointestinal discomfort. Make sure you purchase through a reputable brand and consume products with NSF Sport, Informed-Sport, or HASTA certification. We recommend products using Creapure. 

2. Protein

In general, protein is protein. Where it comes from isn’t super important, provided you’re getting it from varying sources. But supplementing with protein powders is a convenient way to make sure you’re feeding your muscles enough to adapt and recover. 

If you’re training hard, you want to consume an above-average amount of protein to provide your muscles with the nutrients they need (between 1.0g-1.5g of protein per kg of body weight). Protein shakes make it a lot easier to hit those numbers.

There are a lot of different protein supplements available depending on your diet — everything from vegan pea and pumpkin powders to paleo beef and egg powders. As a general rule, whey protein is considered the athlete’s go-to, as it’s easy to digest and has a high bioavailability (i.e., absorption rate). 

3. Vitamin D

Vitamin D has been extensively researched and shown to be important for bone health, muscle growth, recovery, and immune function (including battling viral infections). You can get D from food and, of course, sunshine. For this reason, many athletes choose to supplement vitamin D in the winter months.

Dosing for Vitamin D is a little difficult since it’s a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it can be stored/accumulated in the body. There is a very small risk of toxicity.

It’s best to get your bloodwork done and start a supplementation routine of between 1,000-4,000 iu per day. Then get your bloodwork done again in three to six months. If your number has gone up to optimal ranges, stick to your current dose. If not, try adding another 1,000 iu. If you’re not in a position where you can routinely get bloodwork, you’d likely be safe in the very conservative range of 1,000-2,500 iu per day.

4. Fish Oil

Everyone has heard of Omega 3s (n3) by now. They’re a relatively unique fatty acid chain. Western diets are largely full of grains/starches and distinctly lacking in oily fish. This gives us a ton of omega 6s and 9s, but not very many omega 3s. Taking an omega 3 supplement, such as fish oil, can restore this balance and give us a more favorable ratio of omega 3-6-9. The result is an anti-inflammatory effect.

Too much chronic inflammation can damage otherwise healthy cells and tissues, causing a wide range of ailments. Keeping tabs on this will help your body recover, lubricate your joints, and keep your organs functioning as they should.

Don’t Sleep on Sleep

Excerpted from The Whole Picture: Recovery Through Sleep

Nutrition is only one piece of the recovery puzzle. Another key element? Sleep. If you don’t get at least seven hours of quality sleep a night, you won’t reap the full benefits of your hard work. Sleep facilitates recovery from exercise-induced damage and is especially important for athletes, who can benefit from sleep’s positive effects on hormones, carbohydrate metabolism, and the immune system.  

Improve Your Sleeping Habits

Excerpted from 4 Ways to Get Better Sleep for Optimal Performance Recovery

Despite all its benefits, it’s not uncommon for athletes to struggle when it comes to sleep. Fortunately, there are a few tips that can help:

Other Recovery Techniques

Since muscle soreness, joint tightness, and sticky mobility restrictions can come with regular strength training, it helps to get familiar with the most effective tissue maintenance methods used by athletes. 

Massage therapy is sometimes seen as a “treat”, but the manipulation of soft tissues is excellent for alleviating muscle tension, reducing soreness, and improving circulation. Don’t underestimate the power of human hands to help your body recover.

Since you likely don’t have a personal massage therapist on-hand, self-massage is a great option. For self-myofascial release, athletes use foam rollers, lacrosse balls, massage guns and other tools to apply pressure to tight muscles and trigger points. These can help break up adhesions in the fascia which promotes ease of movement.

Compression therapy isn’t as ubiquitous, but it can be incredibly valuable. For effective joint compression, use Voodoo floss bands to tightly wrap joints like your knees, ankles and elbows. This moves fluid away from the joint so you can “scrub” the sticky tendons and fascia. Blood flow restriction (BFR) uses cuffs to partially restrict blood flow to working muscles during low-load exercise. Normatec boots are also an excellent compression therapy tool for your sore legs.

Cupping is an ancient therapy gaining popularity among athletes for increasing blood flow and releasing muscle tension. It involves creating a vacuum in cups placed on the skin, pulling the tissues away from the body. Before you knock it, try the effects for yourself with this affordable cupping set on Amazon.

CBD is also popular for potential recovery benefits, with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Athletes often use it in creams and oils to alleviate soreness, or ingest it before bed for a deeper sleep. 

And don’t forget to hit a yoga class on your off days or as active recovery on the weekends. Yoga is the perfect balance for a strength training program. 

Be sure to check out this blog for a deeper dive on other recovery methods: 5 Ways to Speed Up Muscle Recovery.

Text edited and excerpted from How to Program Strength Training: An Endurance Coach’s Guide by Chris Lee

Endurance sports demand a lot from athletes, both in terms of cardiovascular endurance and musculoskeletal strength. The key when it comes to strength training is to strategically apply a strength “intervention” that enhances an athlete’s work capacity. It’s not just about building muscle; it’s about equipping athletes with the tools they need to excel in their demanding seasons.

Before you begin programming strength for yourself or for your athletes, it’s important to under the basics of weight training. Refer to Chapter 2 of this guide on form, technique, and different kinds of movements.

Timing Strength Sessions With Endurance Workouts

Many athletes and coaches like to do strength sessions on key workout days. Usually, strength training is completed later in the day after the endurance workout. The reason for doing it on the same day is to keep “hard” days hard and allow easy days to be true recovery days.

The goal of any training session is to achieve an adaptation to the specific stimulus. It’s best to rest a minimum of six hours between endurance workouts and strength sessions to allow for optimal adaptations that maximize the effectiveness of your training. It’s also ideal to rest a minimum of one day between sessions to allow the body time to recover. 

The minimal effective dose for strength training is two sessions per week. If you’re working with an experienced athlete, doing up to three or four sessions a week may be effective, but it comes at a high energy cost that many endurance athletes often can’t afford. Less than two sessions a week, and the effects of strength training are far less. 

Strength Training Warm-Ups

Warm-ups are just as important for strength workouts as they are for endurance workouts. Choosing movements target areas that are generally tight and overused in endurance athletes makes great warm-up exercises. Some movements include: 

• Downward dog lunge to rotation
• Banded ankle mobility
• Adductor mobility

Strength Training Periodization: A Full Season Overview

An athlete’s strength program needs to complement the current phase of their season, not take away from it. After all, the goal is to help the athlete PR on the course, track, or trail, not on their one-rep max squat. 

Here is one way to program strength throughout the season, starting with a solid base-building phase that allows the athlete to peak at the right time.

Base Training (8 Weeks)

Base training (aka, the offseason) typically lasts about eight weeks (most research shows an eight-week adaptation phase). You can get a little more aggressive without worrying too much about fatigue since there aren’t any races on the calendar. 

Bridging the gap on any key issues and weaknesses is the main goal during this period. If there is a big deficit in strength, you can make a major physiological change here. Basic principles of hypertrophy can be paired with plyometrics and foundational movements as well. Restoring joint function and/or mobility should also be a focus during this time.

The best time to start base training strength is one month after the final race of the previous season. Mobility and foundational movements can be implemented soon after the season, but the mental break is important to consider. So taking a few weeks completely off is usually a good idea.

During base training, remember that you’re reintroducing load AND volume. Exercises to include include compound lifts and key unilateral lifts such as single-leg deadlifts and split squats. Introduction to assisted plyos and transitioning to bodyweight plyos is ideal during this phase. Other key corrective exercises such as Copenhagen planks, star side planks, lateral lunges, and curtsy lunges are also good to include.

Early Season (8 Weeks)

This phase includes early-season races, and it usually lasts about eight weeks. After six weeks of training, plyos no longer have a delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMs) effect or result in muscular damage. This makes the early season phase a great time to continue building plyos and pairing them with max strength since muscular damage is low. (Keep in mind, though, that central nervous system demand is high.) 

As training volume increases, there is going to be a high creatine kinase (CK) production as a result of longer training bouts and an increase in cortisol as well. Plyometrics might have low DOMs and CK production, but top-end strength exercises might make your athlete a little sore. This makes recovery especially important during this phase. 

Ideal exercises to include during this phase include hex bar deadlifts, squats, rack pulls, pull-ups, and bench press. Continue with bodyweight plyos, and try to progress to loaded plyos by the end of this phase. It’s also good to continue with key corrective exercises such as Copenhagen planks, star side planks, lateral lunges, and curtsy lunges.

Mid-Season/Competition Phase (16-20+ weeks)

The mid-season competition phase lasts about 16-20+ weeks depending on the athlete and sport type. Training and racing are the focus during this phase. Volume and intensity will be high with periods of intentional overreaching, so you don’t want strength work to add unnecessary strain to the system. Provided you’ve already trained the off- and pre-season well, the exercises should not impede training, but rather enhance your athlete’s ability to train, race, and recover. 

You’re looking to maintain during this phase. The goal is to maintain strength at a level that does not provide increased or new training stimulus. You’re also trying to mitigate injury by focusing on key areas of high use, which depends on your athlete’s sport. For example, a cyclist or marathoner may have tight hip flexors and adductor complexes that limit gluteal function and posture. In this case, you should try to lengthen and eccentrically load the hip flexors and adductors while strengthening gluteal and abduction function.

Include exercises such as the hex bar deadlift and squats. Put a larger emphasis on dynamic movements such as standing lift and chop movements, lateral lunges, and plyos. Plyometrics should be maintained. During high volume or intensity weeks of training, replace load with isometrics at 90% effort.