Strength Training For Endurance Athletes

Essential Exercises

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Squat

The best exercise for total body strength

Keep your feet flat with weight on
the heels.
Keep the knees behind the toes throughout
the movement.
The goal of every rep is to get the upper
leg parallel to the floor and the knee to 90 degrees before coming out of the
bottom position.
Maintain a flat back with shoulder blades
retracted.
The pace should be slow and controlled
on the down phase, but get up with power

Lunge

Best exercise for single leg strength

If the front shin is not perpendicular, the athlete has not stepped the correct distance away from the starting point. One way to help this is to put tape or some other marker on the ground to visually show how far to step forward for each rep.
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

Deadlift

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

Trap Bar Deadlift

The easy way to nail the perfect deadlift

Head and back in neutral position, eyes looking slighty upward
Push hips back to squat before bending the knees. Avoid too much bending of the waist. Do NOT round lower back!
Get the feeling of lifting off and pushing the surface beneath you away

Hip Bridge

Forward propulsion for a strong core

Drive the heels into the floor as you press your hips to the ceiling.
Continue driving the hips straight up until the ear, shoulder, hip, and knee are
aligned.
Keep the head and both shoulder blades in contact with the ground for the entire number of desired reps.

Push Up

The ultimate upper body excercise

Focus on the quality of each rep over the number of reps.
Continue to use Push-ups to supplement training even after more complex movements have been implemented. (For example, a few sets of Push-ups are a great way to end a predominantly upper body
day in the weight room.)
Push-ups are a fantastic way to get some upper body training in if you can’t make it to the gym, so try knocking out some sets after your run or as soon as you get out of the pool or off your bike.

Pull Up

The ultimate upper body excercise

Pull-ups will be very difficult or impossible for many novice lifters. Have a plan for progression and goals to keep moving in the right direction.
Use a spotter or assistance bands when first attempting Pull-ups.
Keep track of how many good reps can be performed and build it into your programming to attempt a personal best reasonably often.