Strength Training For Endurance Athletes

Master your hamstrings

• Flat lower back – the movement should
  be initiated at the hips with minimal
  movement of the vertebral column. If
  rounding of the lumbar spine (lower back)
  occurs, the bulk of the work moves from
  the glutes and hamstrings to the lower
  back and the movement can become
  dangerous.
• Big chest or shoulders pulled back
  shoulder blades should be retracted
  to be tight against the back of the
  ribcage and chest muscles should be
  protruding forward.
• Weight on heels – weight should be balanced near the back of the foot and the toes should be able to move with minimal disruption to balance and posture.
• Move at the hip instead of the knee – the knees should be slightly bent when each rep is started and there should be almost no movement at the knee joint after this initial positioning.
• The bar stays in constant contact with the legs – maintaining good posture and keeping the center of gravity of the bar as close as possible to the body’s center of gravity are both crucial to safely and
  effectively performing this exercise. The best way to do this is to keep the bar as
  close to the legs as possible throughout each rep.
• Aim to get the upper body parallel to the floor without posture breakdown -if the upper body is parallel to the ground, the hip is most likely at a 90-degree angle and this is a good indicator that you are moving through the proper range of motion. 
• If the upper body does not remain upright (in most cases, the back will round and force the upper body to lurch forward) it most likely indicates a weakness in the
  core. Until core strength is improved, resistance should be reduced or even
  eliminated until this can be done properly