The Best Strength Exercises for Endurance
- Coach Grainge
- Sep 15, 2016
- 4 min read
When you think about the best strength and conditioning exercises for Swimming, cycling or running, you first examine what's needed. Cycling and running in particular happens one leg at a time, is predominately aerobic and requires repeated force production.
All three also requires a strong core e.g for handling your bike, climbing and overall endurance. There are many exercises that can address these needs but there are a few, especially when combined, which will target the entire body in a specific way.
Body weight exercises can be done anywhere, from your home, gym or office, while exercises incorporating weights are best done in a gym setting with proper footwear, form and spotters if needed.
The primary focus when it comes to strength exercises for athletes is to train in a similar motion to your sport with lower and upper body, while increasing overall core strength and muscular endurance. The main goal with strength training is to create a stronger support system for your prime movers while on the bike/run.
The aerobically stronger your assistance muscles and core, the less fatigue you will experience late in a race, additionally, the more potential you will have for increasing power.
The exercises below can be performed with kettlebells and dumbbells.
For weight guidelines, if you cannot complete the minimum number of reps and sets or your form is lacking, then lighten the weight, even if that means using zero weights. When you can complete the minimum number of reps and sets for two consecutive workouts easily, challenge yourself by adding light weight if zero weight is being used or increasing the current weight lifted.
Planks
Planks are one of the simplest exercises in the book and one of the most effective at increasing core strength. Planks can be done anywhere and can be used year round. Planks target your shoulders, abdomen, and lower back. Lifting one leg can add a degree of difficulty to each set and further target the lower back.
Prop yourself up on your elbows with your feet slightly apart. Make sure your body is aligned, your abdominal muscles are tight, and shoulders are directly above the elbows and down and back, not hunched up. Hold this position for 45 seconds to one minute. Gradually add time as your core gets stronger.
Modifications: Plank variations include: side planks to target oblique’s, single leg planks, spider planks, mountain climber planks, and supine planks.
Repetitions: 3 to 5
Muscles worked: core, lower back, shoulders
Lower-Body Russian Twist
Lie on your back with your upper legs perpendicular to the floor and your knees bent 90-degrees. Without changing the bend in your hips or knees, lower your legs to the left side of your body while keeping your shoulders in contact with the floor. Lift them back to the starting position, and repeat to the right side of your body. That’s one repetition.
Modification: To make it harder, keep your legs straight.
Repetitions: 10 to 12
Muscles worked: core
Back Extensions
Lie face down on a stability ball with your feet spread wide for balance. Your elbows should be bent with your hands lightly touching the ground for initial support.
Squeeze your glutes and lift your torso up until your body forms a straight line. As you lift your torso, allow your hands to come off the ground, keeping your elbows bent. Extend your arms overhead. Hold for one or two seconds. Release your arms and then your torso back down to the start position. That’s one rep. Aim for 10-12. No stability ball? You can do the movement on an exercise mat: Raise your thighs and arms off the ground while your torso stays in contact with the ground.
Modifications: To make it harder, hold light dumbbells.
Repetitions: 10 to 12
Muscles worked: lower back, glutes, middle back, shoulders
Lunges
Lunges are very cycling and running specific since they are worked one leg at a time, targeting your quadriceps, hips and hamstrings. It is highly advised to start without weight in order to practice good form.
Two common mistakes with lunges are letting the knee extend beyond the leading foot and flexing the torso forward/ jerking it back during the forward and backward movement phases.
Modification: Cross over lunge and reverse lunge
Repetitions: Focus on higher rep ranges of 15-30 reps per set, with the goal of 3-5 sets.
Power Bridge
Lying on your back, bend your knees and place your heels near your glutes. Arms are at your sides, palms down.
In one smooth motion, squeeze your glutes, raise your hips off the floor and push up from your heels to form a straight line from shoulders to knees; toes come off the floor slightly. Hold for two seconds. Keeping your toes raised, lower yourself three-quarters of the way to complete one rep.
In addition to stretching the hip flexors, often extremely stiff in cyclists, the bridge strengthens the link between your lower back and glutes.
Repetitions: 20
Muscles worked: Hip flexors, glutes, lower back
Burpees
Doing burpees is a full-body workout in every sense. They build strength and endurance, raise your heart rate and burn bundles of calories, while also testing your balance and co-ordination.
The variety of movements involved and muscles worked means the benefits of burpees will be obvious in your daily life, as every physical challenge becomes that little bit easier to conquer.
The classic burpee is a four-point move. From a standing position, drop into a squat with your hands on the ground just in front of your feet. Then kick your feet back behind you, keeping your arms extended so you are in a raised plank position.
At this stage, the more adventurous can throw a press-up into the mix, which really ramps up the difficulty.
In the basic burpee, you remain in the raised plank and jump your feet back towards your hands. Then round off the maneuver by leaping into the air with your arms straight above you. Then do it all again.
Modification: The Ba$tard, the burpee with a pushup.
Repetitions: Start with 5 and then build weekly adding two each week
Muscles worked: All of the major muscle groups
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