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As an endurance athlete what should I prioritise in the gym? Would heavy lifting build up too much muscle?

Maximize Endurance: Prioritize Strength Training for Athletes

So if you're an endurance athlete, wanting to build up endurance for you given sport, you still need to prioritize strength training. If you're worried about putting on too much muscle than you want to be focusing more. So, on heavy compound movements in the lower rep range for strength. Avoiding too much, hypertrophy rep ranges. We're going to be building too much mass, but the same time, the strong, you can get the more Force you can apply to whether it's the upper body as well. Whatever your chosen sport is strength is super important because you don't have that strength there if you don't have that fourth production. So I think lower rep ranges and say, between 3 to 6 reps on compound movements is still essential for your strength training. And there's still room for hypertrophy in there and higher rep ranges but you just want to avoid going to too high in volume with your strengths up to the point where you're putting on too much mass, but this will also come down to your nutritional intake as well. So to answer the question, yes, have you lifting is still essential for endurance athletes but more in the strength and power rep ranges, More so than the hypertrophy rep ranges. And obviously a lot of you accessory movements are going to be higher reps with lower loads to help with that endurance, for whatever muscles that you need to use mostly human support.

Endurance athletes should still prioritize strength training by focusing on compound movements in the lower rep range (3-6) to build more force production. Higher rep ranges and hypertrophy can still be included but should be avoided if you don’t want to put on too much muscle. Additionally, your nutritional intake will also play a role in how much muscle mass you gain.

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As an endurance athlete, it is still important to prioritize strength training in the gym to build endurance for your sport. If you're concerned about gaining too much muscle mass, focus on heavy compound movements in the lower rep range for strength, rather than hypertrophy rep ranges that promote muscle growth. Building strength is crucial for generating force in your chosen sport, whether it involves the upper or lower body.

For strength training, aim for lower rep ranges, typically between 3 to 6 reps, on compound movements. This will help develop the necessary strength without excessive muscle mass gain. However, there is still room for hypertrophy training and higher rep ranges, but be cautious not to increase the volume to the point where it leads to significant muscle growth. It's important to consider your nutritional intake as well, as it can impact muscle development.

In summary, heavy lifting is still essential for endurance athletes, but focus on strength and power rep ranges rather than hypertrophy rep ranges. Additionally, incorporate higher rep ranges with lower loads for accessory movements to support endurance in specific muscles used in your sport.

Should I schedule my weekly lifts by body parts or by movements (push/pull)?

Maximize Results: Program Movements, Not Body Parts

I typically prefer to program movements. Not so much body parts, you know, going from the bodybuilder bro, split where you doing one muscle group per day and all that type of stuff that does work for some people. But in my opinion programming movements where we're trying to Target each muscle group at least twice per week, in terms of frequency, and then being able to substitute certain exercises out for different movements as well. Keeping in mind that it doesn't take you a full week to recover from one training session. Unless you're doing an absurd amount of volume with absurd amounts of loads, so, Breaking you awake down into certain movements, whether it's push-pull legs upper body, lower body, full body, whatever. It may be. In my opinion, that's going to be a lot more effective going to be able to train each muscle group and Target it more frequently. So seeing better results over a longer period of time and you're going to recover a lot quicker. The quality the sessions is going to be far greater as well. We survived go in and do chest. For example, after say two or three exercises of three to four sets on that same muscle group. The, the quality of my training is going to decrease as the session goes on. Whereas if I break my Chest movements down across multiple sessions per week. The quality is going to be higher. The amount of volume on lifting is going to be higher. So the results should correlate with that and be a lot better.

I prefer to program movements rather than body parts, as it allows for better training quality and frequency. This should lead to better results over a longer period of time, while also allowing for quicker recovery.

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I prefer to schedule my weekly lifts based on movements rather than body parts. While the traditional approach of targeting one muscle group per day can work for some individuals, I find that programming movements allows for more effective training.

By focusing on movements, I aim to target each muscle group at least twice per week, prioritizing frequency. This approach also allows for flexibility in substituting exercises to keep the routine varied. It's important to note that it typically doesn't take a full week to recover from a single training session, unless excessive volume and loads are involved.

Breaking workouts down into movements such as push-pull, upper body-lower body, or full body enables more frequent training of each muscle group. This leads to better long-term results and quicker recovery. Additionally, the quality of each training session tends to be higher when movements are distributed across multiple sessions throughout the week.

For example, if I were to focus solely on chest exercises in one session, the quality of my training would likely decrease as the session progresses. However, by spreading chest movements across multiple sessions per week, I can maintain higher quality, perform more volume, and expect better results.

In summary, scheduling lifts based on movements rather than body parts can lead to improved training quality, increased volume, and better long-term results.

How many times a week should I lift as a runner?

Target each muscle group twice per week for optimal running performance

This depends on a number of different factors. Ranging from how many kilometers you doing per week. The intensity, the frequency, the volume of running that you are doing as a general guide for most of my athletes and clients that I work with. I try and get them targeting each muscle group at least twice per week. If possible, this will obviously vary depending on where they are at with their training block and whether or not wearing a periodized block of strength, or endurance or hypertrophy or whatever it is, that that athlete is needing at that current time. But just keep in mind, how often you are training in the volume that you actually do. Doing and whether or not you're going to be able to recover in, time to run, effectively and efficiently and not be too sore in your sessions as well. And this will also come down to training experience.

It depends on a number of different factors such as how many kilometers you are running, the intensity, frequency and volume of your running. Generally, it is recommended to train each muscle group at least twice per week, but this may vary depending on the individual's training block and experience.

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The frequency of lifting as a runner depends on various factors, such as the distance you cover each week, the intensity and volume of your running, and your training goals. As a general guideline, I typically recommend targeting each muscle group at least twice a week for most of my athletes and clients.

However, it's important to consider your current training block and whether you are focusing on strength, endurance, hypertrophy, or other specific goals. The frequency of lifting may vary based on your training phase.

Keep in mind the overall volume of your training and how it may impact your ability to recover and run effectively. You don't want to be too sore or fatigued from lifting sessions that it hinders your running performance. Additionally, your training experience will also play a role in determining the appropriate frequency of lifting.

It's best to consult with a coach or trainer who can assess your individual needs and design a lifting program that complements your running routine.

How to transfer general strength gains in weight room to sport specific movements?

Unlocking the Power: Translating Strength Gains to Sport-Specific Movements

So when it comes to sport, specific training or support specific movements, you need to find that balance between going to the gym and doing certain things that are, you know, quote unquote sport-specific. But in the end of the day movement, patterns of movement patterns, so when we getting stronger in certain movements are getting stronger in certain lifts than they are going to translate and correlate to what we're trying to do on the field, or on the court, or whatever. A given sport is in the pool, whatever. But as I said, it's a bit of it. It's a, there's a subtle art, I guess to making sure. That the programming is, is in a way sport-specific. But at the same time sticking to what work sticking to the basics, not trying to reinvent the wheel because going into the gym and standing on a bosu ball and trying to do movements that are similar to your given sport or whatever the case may be, isn't always the best way to achieve those results. So yes, it needs to be sport-specific. But at the same time, the the movement patterns are going to be all the same. Okay, so not trying to reinvent the wheel getting strong. Being able to apply more Force into the floor, being able to use, you know, muscles in certain ways and be able to handle certain loads at certain speeds is obviously extremely important. You're going to see that crossover. Once you go back to the sport, whatever the sport might be as long as the movements you are. Programming are specific to the movements. You are trying to replicate on court in the pool. Like I said, on the field, on the track, whatever it may be. So hopefully that gives you a little bit of insight.

When it comes to sport-specific training, you need to find a balance between going to the gym and doing certain exercises that are specific to your sport. At the same time, it's important to stick to the basics and not try to reinvent the wheel. Strengthening certain muscles and being able to handle certain loads at certain speeds will help you replicate movements on the court or field.

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To transfer general strength gains in the weight room to sport-specific movements, it's important to find a balance between gym training and sport-specific exercises. While sport-specific movements are important, it's crucial to remember that movement patterns are universal. Getting stronger in certain lifts and movements will naturally translate to improved performance on the field, court, or in any given sport.

It's essential to strike a balance between sport-specific programming and sticking to the basics. Trying to reinvent the wheel or focusing solely on mimicking sport movements in the gym may not be the most effective approach. Instead, focus on building overall strength, applying more force into the ground, and developing the ability to handle specific loads at different speeds.

The key is to ensure that the movements you program in the gym align with the movements you aim to replicate in your sport. By doing so, you will see the crossover and improvement in performance when you return to your sport. Remember, while sport-specific training is important, the underlying movement patterns remain consistent across different sports and activities.

Can strength work alleviate pain in the lower back?

Unlocking the Key to Lower Back Pain: Strengthening and Mobility

Back pain and particularly lower back pain. It's definitely a case-by-case. You know, it's very hard to tell what the specific issue, maybe, unless you have scans, why not? But typically, a lot of the time from people with stuff in general, lower back, soreness or tightness has a lot to do with hip. So if the hip flexors are tight, it's going to pull your pelvis into anterior. Tilt, hamstrings are going to be over stretch, the lower back is going to be constantly on and, and loading too much. So by improving mobility of the hips, improving the strength, particularly on the hamstrings and glutes, that's always I take away the load from the lower back and potentially help with that pain and allow the hamstrings and glutes to fire before the lower back, which is often an issue for athletes who have poor mobility and underactive all week hamstring and glutes, but saying that strength work is always under. Fix it back problem, may not be the case, if it's like a disc issue or something along those lines, but if you are weaker in certain muscle groups, particularly the post area, then that can often be an issue. Often be a reason for the, for the background in the first place. So, I think always starting with the mobility side of things, particularly through the hips and strengthening through the posterior and then kind of just gauge to see whether or not that's helping at all with the low back pain, or whatever type of back, pain and suffering.

Lower back pain can typically be helped with improving mobility in the hips and strengthening the posterior muscles, such as the hamstrings and glutes. This can help take the load off the lower back and allow the other muscles to fire more effectively.

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The impact of strength work on alleviating lower back pain can vary from case to case. It's challenging to determine the specific issue without scans or a thorough assessment. However, in many cases, lower back soreness or tightness can be related to hip issues. Tight hip flexors can cause an anterior pelvic tilt, leading to overstretching of the hamstrings and excessive loading on the lower back.

Improving hip mobility and strengthening the hamstrings and glutes can help redistribute the load away from the lower back, potentially reducing pain. It's important for athletes with poor mobility and underactive hamstrings and glutes to focus on strengthening these muscle groups to address the root cause of the issue.

However, it's essential to note that strength work may not be a solution for all types of back problems, such as disc issues. Starting with mobility exercises, particularly for the hips, and gradually incorporating posterior strengthening exercises can be a good approach. Monitoring the impact of these interventions on the specific type of back pain experienced will help determine their effectiveness.

For mature swimmers with sound lifting experience, do you recommend full range of motion squatting (below parallel)? Should they do DB instead of bench press?

Squat Depth & Dumbbells vs. Barbell: A Coach's Opinion

In my personal opinion, I typically don't get too many athletes squatting below. 90 degrees in the first place for a lot of athletes and never going to be in that range under load. So, when we're talking about squatting ass to Grass, very rarely going to have load from the top down at that position below 90 degrees. So, for me, and typically, when athletes may not have the greatest Mobility to get in that position, we don't want to risk overloading through the lower back. If they've got any form of knee injuries or an eagle's through the meniscus, or It may be, I tend to avoid going below. 90 degrees for everyone is different. There's pros and cons to both sides of the argument. I would I would say and then the second part of the question, the dumbbell or barbell when it comes to bench press again, personal preference if there's muscular imbalances in the athlete, then I think it's always a benefit to do some form of unilateral Movin or using dumbbells. So, both sides are working evenly. Making sure that the weaker side is only sorry. The stronger side is only doing as much as what the weaker side can do. Again, it comes down to my ability. I think it's normal. And if the athlete is able to bench press with correct technique with a barbell, then it can be part of their programming, but it might be wise to keep a mix of both.

In my opinion, I typically don't get athletes to squat below 90 degrees due to potential injuries. For bench pressing, it is mostly a personal preference and if there are muscular imbalances, then using dumbbells may be beneficial. It also depends on the athlete's ability and if they are able to bench press with correct technique with a barbell, then it can be part of their programming.

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In my opinion, for mature swimmers with sound lifting experience, I typically don't recommend squatting below 90 degrees. Most athletes won't be in that range under load, and it can put strain on the lower back, especially if there are mobility issues or knee injuries. Each individual is different, and there are pros and cons to both sides of the argument.

Regarding the bench press, it depends on the athlete's specific needs. If there are muscular imbalances, incorporating unilateral movements or using dumbbells can help ensure both sides work evenly. It's important to make sure the stronger side doesn't overpower the weaker side. If the athlete can perform the bench press with correct technique using a barbell, it can be included in their programming. However, it may be beneficial to have a mix of both dumbbell and barbell exercises.

Danny Kennedy answers your Strength questions. See all the advice Danny Kennedy has and get answers to your own Strength questions.

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Strength coach, online trainer and host of The Fitness & Lifestyle Podcast

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