Training Tip: Strength Work isn’t a Band-aid for Poor Endurance Training

First off, if you are a runner or cyclist who has been struggling with recurring injuries, a solid strength program could possibly be one of the things that helps get you back on track.

But it is important to first look at your endurance training and the rest of your life in general and figure out why you injured in the first place.

Most running and cycling injuries are training errors from doing too much too soon (intensity, volume, frequency). Then there are other factors, such as nutrition, stress, and sleep, which can also wreak havoc on your body and its ability to recover and adapt to what you’re doing if they aren’t dialed in as well.

We often want a quick fix for our injuries and will do anything to get back to the activities we love. Many people turn to strength training as the answer. And it can help.

But if your endurance training is a train wreck, you’re stressed to the max at work, and you aren’t eating or sleeping properly, then adding in strength training (i.e., more stress) is only going to make things worse.

Of course I still think all runners and cyclists should be doing some form of strength training. The benefits for doing so in terms of performance and injury prevention are overwhelming.

Just make sure you take a look at the rest of your training program if you keep getting injured. Strength work isn’t a get out of jail free card if everything else that supports your health and performance is out of whack.

Let me know if you want a second set of eyes to look over your strength and endurance program.