Strength Training for Endurance Athletes: Benefits and Routines

Welcome, endurance athletes! So, you want to pack on some extra muscle, but you don’t want it to hurt your endurance game, I hear you.

When I started training for my first half-marathon, I remember thinking: “how am I supposed to keep lifting?” “If I lift I won’t run as well!” and many more theories I made up in my head. The truth is, strength training can completely up your endurance game, whether you love to run, bike, or swim your heart out.

Why Strength Training Matters for Endurance Athletes

Strength training does not just suit the huge bodybuilders who want to be jacked and pack on muscles. Lifting weights can help make you stronger and more powerful, which when put together with cardio sessions that build stamina, can make you an endurance machine. Don’t worry, you don’t need to try to lift the most heavy weights in the gym, any will do.

Adding weights to your routine will boost your muscle strength and endurance, making you a better athlete and more likely to crush it in your sport. Stronger muscles also help with support and stability, which helps you maintain good form and technique, while simultaneously reducing the risk of injury.

Strength training for endurance also fixes muscular imbalances that can come from doing the same movements over and over. By working on muscles that don’t get much action during your cardio workouts, you can balance things out and avoid overuse injuries.

Why Strength Training Is Great for Endurance Athletes

If you’re into running, cycling, or any endurance sport, adding some weights to your routine can be a game-changer. Let’s break down some of the key benefits strength training will give you as an endurance athlete.

Boost Your Endurance Game

Running-specific strength training improves running economy, especially when running at speeds 8.5 mph or faster (around a 7 minute mile for those who don’t want to do the math).

Strength training also improved muscle-tendon stiffness, enhanced neuromuscular function, and increased the ability to reuse elastic energy. Simply put, your brain and muscles will work better together, which makes your muscles stronger and tendons tighter, which helps you use stored up energy easier. This means you can run longer distances without getting tired as quickly (Prieto-González & Sedlacek, 2021).

Strong muscles provide power and stamina for workouts. Every endurance athlete knows the importance of these two traits. You will find it a lot easier to maintain solid form and move with efficiency if you are mixing in weight training in your routines. Whether running, pedaling, or swimming, you will feel the power that strength gives you to keep going.

Focus on exercises that fit the muscle groups you use for your sport. If you are a runner, try squats. If you are a swimmer, push-ups may be a good exercise for you. Targeting the right muscle groups will help you smash your goals even faster.  If you need inspiration for strength training exercises, read out article on creating a strength training program that fits you.

Decrease Injury Risk

Doing resistance exercise at least three times a week was associated with a 54% lower risk of running-related injuries compared to those who performed resistance exercise less frequently or not at all (Šuc et al., 2022). FIFTY-FOUR PERCENT. THAT IS AMAZING!

Injuries can keep you away from the sport or type of workout you love to do for an extended period of time. By building strength in your muscles, you will fortifying your muscles and connective tissues. These muscles will protect your joints by providing better support and preventing injury.

Endurance sports often involve repetitive motions that can create muscle imbalances. By working multiple muscle groups, you can maintain a balance in overall strength, and prevent overuse injuries. Compound exercises are amazing for this.

Burn More Calories and Shed Fat

Groups of people who combined strength training programs with endurance training, reduced body fat percentage by 5.7%, compared to non-significant reductions in groups who did not do both (Prieto-González & Sedlacek, 2021).

If you are looking to burn more calories, and shed body fat, you should absolutely include strength training into your routine. Strength training boosts your metabolic rate, so you burn more calories naturally throughout the day. This means even when you are watching TV, you will burn more. Muscle also burns more energy than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

Strength training will help you lose fat without losing the muscle you want to keep. Endurance athletes looking to stay lean without performing worse in their sport can use strength training to burn that fat and stay strong.

Many people overlook strength training when it comes to weight loss, because they think cardio means more calories burned, without considering the enhanced metabolic rate of strength training athletes.

Crafting Your Strength Training Routine

So, it’s time you put together a strength training routine that can help you grow as an endurance athlete. Let’s go over the 3 most important things to keep in mind when making your routine.

Setting Clear Goals

When you are making a strength training routine, the first thing you need to know is what you want to get out of strength training. Do you want to build overall body strength? Do you want to run long distances faster? Getting an idea of what you want to achieve is the first step to success.

This is because each goal makes for a different program. For example, if you’re prepping for a marathon, you might focus more on leg exercises like squats and lunges. If you’re looking to bulk up and build size, you may need to train many different muscle groups. Knowing your goals will help you decide.

Balancing Strength and Endurance

If you are looking to add strength training on top of a routine that already includes a lot of cardio, you need to strike a balance. If your endurance sport is your main focus, then by all means that should take the priority. If you try to do too much strength training, you can overdo it and suddenly let strength training overshadow your running, cycling, or swimming.

To find a balance, try switching off days between endurance and strength training. For example, you could hit the weights two or three times a week and save the other days for your endurance workouts. This way, you get stronger without burning out or getting injured.

Compound and Functional Exercises

For endurance athletes, compound and functional exercises should be the focus. Compound movements work multiple muscle groups at once, making them super efficient for overall strength.

Exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and overhead presses are the key to success. These exercises not only build strength but also improve coordination.

Functional exercises are also key. These exercises will help you with everyday movements, and will build a solid foundation of strength that gives you stability in your sport. Exercises like lunges, step-ups, planks, and Russian twists are great for this. These will target your core, hips, and stabilizing muscles, helping you keep good form and avoid injuries during your endurance training.

Important for many endurance athletes are the knees, and compound exercises lead to a 18.9% increase in knee strength, compared to only a 12.4% gain from isolation exercises (Paoli et al., 2017). These are great power training exercises that will help you build explosiveness as well.

Sample Exercises

Here are some exercises to consider:

• Squats: Great for building leg strength.
• Deadlifts: Targets the back, legs, and core.
• Bench Presses: Works your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Overhead Presses: Focuses on your shoulders and arms.
• Lunges: Excellent for leg and core stability.
• Step-Ups: Mimics climbing stairs, great for leg strength.
• Planks: Core exercise that also works your shoulders and back.
• Russian Twists: Targets the obliques and core.

Remember, listen to your body and take it slow to avoid injuries. Pick the exercises you like best and feel benefit you the most in your endurance training. If you’re new to this, check out our beginner’s guide to strength training for more tips.

Now let’s dive a little deeper into some specific exercises.

Sample Strength Training Exercises

You are going to want to mix it up in your training between lower body, upper body and core exercises that help build balance and stability. Here are some great exercises to start with during your strength training session.

Squats and Lunges for Leg Strength

Squats and lunges are your best bet for strong legs. They work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

Here’s how to do them:

Squats:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and hips like you’re sitting in a chair.
• Keep your chest up and back straight.
• Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as far as you can go.
• Push through your heels to stand back up.
• Repeat!

Need more tips? Check out our squat form guide.

Lunges:

• Stand with feet hip-width apart.
• Step forward with your right foot, bending both knees to 90 degrees.
• Keep your front knee over your ankle and your back knee just above the ground.
• Push through your front heel to return to start.
• Switch legs and repeat.

Push-Ups and Pull-Ups for Upper Body Strength

Push-ups and pull-ups are fundamental exercises for upper body strength. Push-ups hit your chest, shoulders, and triceps, while pull-ups will workout your back and biceps.

How to do them:

Push-Ups:

• Start in a high plank with your hands slightly wider than shoulders (or closer for a more tricep-targeted push-up).
• Bend your elbows, keeping them close to your sides.
• Lower until your chest it is just above the ground.
• Push back up, fully extending your arms.
• Repeat!.

Pull-Ups:

• Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, just a bit wider than shoulder-width.
• Hang with your arms fully extended.
• Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar, keeping elbows close.
• Lower back down slowly.

If you can’t do a full pull-up yet, try using resistance bands or an assisted pull-up machine for a bit until you can get a few reps on the pull-up bar.

I used the assisted pull-up machine for a long time until I could do about 5 pull-ups on my own, and then I switched over to regular pull-ups, so there is no shame in getting some extra help when you start.

Planks and Russian Twists for Core Stability

A strong core is necessary for stability and avoiding injuries in endurance training. Planks and Russian twists are time tested core exercises that will target your abs, obliques, and lower back.

Here’s how to do them:

Planks:

• Start in a push-up position, hands under shoulders, body straight.
• Engage your core and hold, keeping hips level.
• Hold for as long as you can
• Try side planks to work your obliques.

Try to hold the plank for longer than you did the last time. This will motivate you and will help you see the progress you make.

Russian Twists:

• Sit with knees bent, feet flat.
• Lean back slightly and lift your feet slightly off the ground.
• Hold your hands together and twist your torso to the right, bringing hands to the ground by your hip.
• Return to center and twist to the left.
• Keep alternating sides for your desired reps.

You can add a challenge by doing Russian twists with a dumbbell, or a medicine ball. This added weight will add resistance and build even more muscle in your core.

Always focus on good form and gradually up the intensity as you get more comfortable with these exercises. Going slow throughout each movement will optimize the muscle growth.

Progression and Recovery

If you want to optimize what strength training can do for your endurance game, you need to use the principles of progression and recovery. Here’s how:

Keeping Tabs on Your Progress

Jot down your workouts, weights, and reps, or use a fitness app to keep things organized. This is an amazing tool I have used for years. It will help you see the progress you are making, and allow you to adjust your routine as needed based on facts you have gathered over time.

For example, if you did 185 for 12 reps the last time you squatted, maybe it is time to up the weight by 5 lbs and see if you can get up to 12 reps again! Knowing what to aim for is an amazing tool.

Consistent workout logging increases the likelihood of significant weight reduction by 1.7 times (Sae-Lee et al., 2023).

Progressive overload is a principle that is crucial for breaking strength plateaus. Progressive overload is when you gradually ramp up training intensity. This could mean adding more weight, doing extra reps, or cutting down on rest time between sets. The key here is to listen to your body and never do too much, where you risk injury or burnout.

One study showed that the Progressive Overload Principle led to a 14% increase in back muscle size and a 12% increase in chest muscle size (Geanta & Ardelean, 2021).

If you are really looking to increase the intensity, you can try a high intensity interval training (or HIIT) workout to improve your strength endurance.

The Importance of Rest Days

Rest days are not just for hanging around and being lazy, they are actually needed for muscle recovery and growth. Try to mix in 1-2 rest days a week where you just completely let your body heal up and get stronger, because that is what muscles do when they repair themselves.

If you don’t want to completely sit around, you can do some ligt activity. Walking, stretching, or just doing some mobility exercises will do. Active recovery can boost circulation, reduce muscle soreness, and speed up recovery.

For more on why recovery matters, see our article on strength training recovery.

Stretching and Mobility

One study showed that warming-up improved performance in 79% of exercises examined (Fradkin, Zazryn, & Smoliga, 2010). That should be all I need to tell you, but I’ll continue.

Stretching and mobility work will make you more flexible, prevent injuries, and help you achieve your endurance goals. It is very important that you stretch the muscles you worked during training.

I didn’t understand the importance of this until I began doing yoga. I was wayyyy more flexible, allowing me to get a better range of motion in my lifts, and reduce the tightness of my muscles which allowed me to run a lot more freely.

Static stretches (holding a stretch for 15-30 seconds) can boost flexibility. Dynamic stretches (moving through a full range of motion) will help with mobility and get you ready for movement.

Stretches to consider before a workout:

• Lunges
• Hip circles
• Arm circles
• Touch your toes!

To take your mobility up a notch, add yoga or Pilates to your routine. Not only do these exercises help with flexibility and balance, but they will really test your core strength. If you don’t believe me, try it. You will be humbled, just like I was.

For more on core stability, check out our article on core strength exercises.

Now that you know how to properly use progressive overload, and recovery well, you are well on your way to optimizing your performance. To finish off your journey, we’ll discuss nutrition and hydration, and how you can use these two things to be a superpower for you both before and after your workouts.

Nutrition for Strength and Endurance

What you eat will largely determine how your workouts go. So let’s break down the essentials: pre-workout fuel, the importance of protein, and staying hydrated.

Fueling Your Body for Workouts

To perform at your best, you have to eat correctly before a workout. A balanced meal or snack with carbs, protein, and healthy fats is your best bet. Carbs give you the energy you need, protein helps with muscle growth, and fats keep you going strong.

Here’s some sample foods to consider: 

• Whole grains like brown rice or whole wheat bread
• Lean proteins such as chicken, fish, or tofu
• Fruits and veggies for that vitamin punch
• Healthy fats from avocados or nuts

Staying hydrated is also essential in order to improve performance and be at your best. Drink water throughout the day, and hydrate when needed throughout your workouts. If you go into a workout already dehydrated, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Why Protein is So Important

Protein is your muscle’s best friend. When you workout, your muscles tear and breakdown. Protein is the macronutrient that repairs and grows these muscles back up in recovery. So getting enough protein in will help you achieve the highest potential for muscle strength and growth.

In fact, having 20–30 g of protein post-exercise significantly enhances fat-free mass, strength (as measured by one-repetition maximum), and muscle hypertrophy (Carbone & Pasiakos, 2019).

Here are some great sources of protein:

• Lean meats, poultry, fish
• Dairy products and eggs
• Legumes and plant-based options like tofu and tempeh

Depending on your weight and workout intensity, aim for about 0.6 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. This amount will help you build and maintain muscle.

Hydration and Recovery Nutrition

During tough workouts, especially long endurance workouts, you lose electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. These are all needed in order to keep your muscles working properly. Any fluids with some electrolytes are great in order to help you bounce back to your previous levels.

Within 30 minutes to an hour after your workout, grab a snack or meal with carbs and protein. The carbs will replenish glycogen stores, and the proteins will begin repairing your muscles. Fruits, whole grains, or sweet potatoes for carbs, and lean meats or plant-based proteins for the protein is the way to go.

By focusing on what you eat and drink before, during, and after your workouts, you will optimize your strength and muscular endurance. Keep your diet balanced with foods high in nutrients, stay hydrated, and make protein a priority in your diet.

Now you have all the keys to building a successful strength training routine into your life of endurance. Use these tips and you will reach new levels in your endurance game that you thought were only possible by logging more miles on the track. Good luck, endurance athletes, and always refer back to this guide when you need it.

Sources

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