Look at this section of your training as ‘functional strength training’. This is a resistance training programme designed to improve mobility, stability, strength and power to help optimise performance. This programme must be sport specific; this is not about embarking on a muscle building programme to look good at the beach, but adding functional strength to aid the required movements.

So what are the benefits, and how?
Quite simply, the benefits of a successful strength training programme will improve performance and reduce injury. These benefits will occur as a result of improved neural recruitment (the way in which the brain talks to the working muscles), improved strength and power through increased muscle recruitment, and increased tolerance to anaerobic output, allowing high intensity exercise to be sustained for longer.
A progressive strength programme will mean that increased strength, balance and coordination will improve movement efficiency, meaning less energy expenditure! Sounds good doesn’t it?!

Strength training over the season can be broken into three sections and should compliment specific phases of the endurance season.

Phase 1 (post-season – pre-season):
During this phase you need to determine your starting point. By following functional strength self-assessment tests, weaknesses identified can be focussed upon. This stage is primarily about the use of isolated exercises to improve muscle recruitment and develop movement patterns. By the end of this phase our goals should be to improve posture, core strength and movement patterns, and increase strength overall.

Phase 2 (End of pre-season to racing season):
The more isolated movements of phase 1 are now going to start to be grouped together to form more complex, sport specific movements. The start of this phase will be designed purely to increase strength whilst also maintaining the stability and mobility work. As the phase progresses, the weights may drop but faster, more explosive movements will be required to develop power. The reps will be maintained to 6 and under to prevent muscle growth. During this phase the greatest residual fatigue will be seen to have a detriment on race time, meaning recovery becomes pivotal.

Phase 3 (Preperation for key races):
This phase we will now start to concentrate on developing optimum race speed. Again stability and mobility work will be maintained. However, the number of exercises will be reduced, as they will now be a highly complex amalgamation of the more isolated exercises performed previously. The goals are to now maintain musculoskeletal and joint health, improve muscular force and power, maintain muscular strength, and transfer movement patterns into sport specific movements. There will also be greater emphasis on ballistic movements to develop power.

Although there are guidelines as to when and where each phase starts and finishes, unless proper form and completion of one stage is reached. it could be detrimental to move onto the next stage.

Join me for my next blog where we will look at designing a progressive strength training programme.

Nick McDonald

Sevenoaks Personal Trainer

Blackheath Personal Trainer