Benefits of Strength Training
At this point in the year strength training is one of the main focuses for each of your training plans. Many endurance athletes resist the notion that strength training is an intricate component of training and racing. The reason for this misunderstanding is usually a lack of explanation of the importance of strength training. I hope that this monthly tip will clarify some of those questions and inspire each of you to take a new level of focus when approaching your next strength training session. Here are some (but not limited to) of the benefits of strength training:
Resiliency in the ligaments and tendons which decreases your chance of injury when endurance training volume increases in preparation for race season.
Strength training stresses the central nervous system which elicits a release of human growth hormone (testosterone). This allows us to train more, recover faster, and develop a lean body composition. Endurance training in the general sense is quite catabolic (breaks you down) but with a correct dose of heavy strength training it can provide an anabolic (build you up) response that will help counteract the detriment long distance training can have on the body. It provides a balance to your body.
Long slow distance training doesn't do a great job of recruiting a large % of muscle mass. Strength training does in fact increase muscle recruitment and neuromuscular control. Both of these allow you to recruit and activate more motor units thus utilizing more muscle mass which allows you to harness more power when swimming, cycling and running.
As we age strength training becomes even more important. Once we hit age 30 there is an exponential decrease in strength and muscle mass each year we get older. This is usually accompanied with an increase in adipose (fat) tissue. Training for endurance sports helps to negate some of these changes, but without the inclusion of strength training, performance in sport and in general life tasks, will eventually be compromised.
I hope this inspires each of you to embrace strength training and consider it to be a crucial component of your endurance training!