Periodization/Progression - Strength Training

Resistance training is a vital compliment to any endurance sport training program (triathlon, swimming, cycling, and/or running).  "Resistance training" is the blanket term for what most people refer to as weight training or strength training and includes working out with any form of resistance including body weight, free weights (dumbbells, barbells), machines and/or rubber tubing/bands with the intent to increase muscular strength, hypertrophy (size), power or endurance.  A well-designed resistance training program can:

• Increase lean body mass
• Increase muscular strength and endurance
• Increase running efficiency & economy
• Increase bone density
• Increase joint strength (stronger tendons/ligaments)
• Decrease injury risk
• Improve ability to recovery from difficult workouts.

Just like a triathlon or marathon training program – progressive resistance training must include planned periods of rest and active recovery.  Consider this . . . if you gradually increase your mileage or pace each week, does your body also have the capacity to increase resistance training volume and intensity?  If you are an elite athlete, the answer may be “yes” - however, if you are a recreational runner, the answer is likely “no.”  This means you must plan to incorporate low-intensity or low-volume workouts over the duration of your training program.  We refer to this planning as "periodization," which is essentially planning ahead and adding variety to your workouts to decrease injury and increase performance.

The charts below represent a long-term (annual) and a relatively short-term (19-week marathon) resistance training program.  Both include three primary phases: General Conditioning, Strength/Power and Muscular Endurance. The repetitions, sets, amount of weight, total number of exercises and speed of movement will vary during these phases.  Early in the off-season, it is beneficial to spend about 80% of your time (strength training-wise) focusing on general conditioning to prepare the body for the eventual increase in physical demands.  As a race or event approaches, strength, power and endurance become more important, thus, you may spend equal amounts of time on each.  In all phases, perform primarily multi-joint movements (pushing, pulling, squatting, lunging) and limit single-joint exercises (curls, crunches), which are not sport-specific.

Overall, these charts look similar; however, the marathon training program is a snippet of the annual program (somewhere between pre-season and in-season).  Even though you may be in a "strength/power" phase based on your annual training plan, it is appropriate to vary the volume and intensity week by week (this is referred to as non-linear periodization).

Now is always a great time to build your strength base. As a compliment to your swimming, biking, or running, resistance training can increase your joint, bone, and muscular strength and prepare you for longer runs and harder workouts.  Most importantly, planning ahead to incorporate active rest & recovery can save you an injury and make training and racing seem easier.

Visit our website for details on our training and conditioning programs: www.RehabUnited.com.

Justin Robinson, MA,RD,CSSD,CSCS,FAFS
Director of Sports Performance