As endurance athletes, we are well-versed with the benefits of a tailored approach to training. From plans which calculate your training zones to working with a coach for a truly flexible approach to your training, the compliance and performance outcomes are far higher amongst personalised training plans than generic plans.
A recent study found runners following an individualised training plan improved their 10k performance over 2x more than in the generic group, a 6.2% improvement compared to 2.9%. Just as you wouldn't expect a marathon training plan for an elite runner to mirror that of a runner about to embark on their first ever marathon, you also wouldn't train for a long course triathlon in the same way as you would for a sprint distance.
The same is true for your strength and conditioning program. Your needs as an individual athlete and the needs of your chosen sport should be the foundation of your approach to S&C. In this article, I delve into why a generic program won't cut it...
There's only one of you!
Your biomechanics and injury history are two facets which help shape how you train, recover and perform. It's well documented that those with longer femurs relative to their tibia will naturally experience a greater forward lean in a deep squat position. This consequently affects kinematics and muscle recruitment when performing the back squat.
Therefore, exercise selection is crucial to ensure you're getting the most out of your S&C program. For example, you may benefit from using a leg press machine instead of a back squat to elicit a deeper range of motion.
So, what do you do if you can’t complete a certain exercise? A generic strength and conditioning program knows nothing about your injury history and you may even be increasing your risk of reinjury by executing movement patterns which are beyond your current capabilities.
I liken this to the incorporation of race-specific pace work during a training block; your training plan follows a periodised progression to ensure you’re able to complete this training load and intensity, it doesn’t just jump straight in with it at the start of a plan.
After suffering an injury, like a fracture, the need for an individualised strength and conditioning program is higher than ever. Studies have shown that after an initial low-trauma fracture, there's an increased risk of refracture that persists for up to 10 years after the initial injury; this is true for both men and women.
The prescribed load for resistance training varies from athlete to athlete and one of the determining factors is their injury history. For example, athlete A, with no previous injury history, can successfully drop from 2x weekly S&C sessions to 1x session a week in the competition phase of their season.
However, for athlete B, who has recurring Achilles tendinopathy, they need to maintain 2-3x weekly S&C sessions regardless of where they are in their season to help reduce their risk of reinjury. Before undertaking an S&C program, completing a movement screening is a fantastic way to identify your current starting point and make sure the program is suitable for you and your needs.
Your S&C training age
Endurance athletes are often guilty of only doing S&C during the winter or in the off-season when their overall training volume is typically lower.
In practice, this means that if you do 2x strength and conditioning sessions from the beginning of October to the end of January every year for three years, your training age with strength and conditioning is only 12 months. This is a relatively low training age, especially for many of us who have a high training age with endurance sports, often 10+ years.
A ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to S&C programs assumes that everyone has the same experience, movement mastery and competency with strength training as the same exercises are prescribed for everyone. There are no regressions or progressions to exercises in generic S&C programs, opening us up to the problem of performing exercises with a load beyond our current capabilities. This hinders performance, increases the likelihood of injury and often causes excess fatigue.
It also assumes that everyone has the same goals with their S&C program. The goal of a successful program should reflect your own personal goals with endurance sports and the needs of the sport itself. For example, there's a need for explosive power development in a draft-legal triathlon due to performing regular power surges to hold a wheel during the bike leg of the race, in comparison to a non-draft event where you're largely aiming to maintain a steady pace and power output.
Progression (or lack of it)
A generic S&C program is static and, consequently, your performance will stagnate too. S&C programs should be periodised around your season. There are many models of S&C periodisation out there which follow the same principles.
These are the typical phases I use during a season:
- Anatomical adaptation: Acclimating your body for resistance training
- General preparatory phase: Muscular hypertrophy/strength endurance development
- Sport-specific preparation (phase 1): Development of max strength
- Sport-specific preparation (phase 2): Development of max power
- Pre-Competition phase: Speed and power development
- Competition phase: Priming sessions and maintenance of qualities developed throughout the season
- Recovery/off-season: A short break before recommencing a S&C program
The duration of each phase can somewhat vary for each athlete and reflect the skills and qualities that they are looking to acquire. The athlete’s S&C training age and their entry point of S&C relative to their upcoming race schedule is another important factor to take into consideration during the program design.
I've detailed below how the sample training prescriptions for a strength endurance (general preparatory phase) and max power development (sport specific preparation phase 2) session can vary.
Example*- Strength endurance example program (general preparatory phase):
| Exercise | Sets | Load | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 2x 12.5kg | 3 | 60-90 seconds |
| RFE Split Squats | 3 | Bodyweight | 3 | 60-90 seconds |
| 1/2 Kneeling Shoulder Press | 3 | 3kg | 3 | 60-90 seconds |
Example*- Max power development example program (sport specific preparation phase 2):
| Exercise | Sets | Load | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 2x 12.5kg | 4 | 150-180 seconds |
| RFE Split Squats (dumbbell) | 4 | 25kg | 5 | 150-180 seconds |
| 1/2 Kneeling Shoulder Press | 4 | 10kg | 5 | 150-180 seconds |
*By following this strength and conditioning programme you voluntarily assume the inherent risk of physical training. Should you suffer from any medical conditions, injuries, or should you be in any doubt whatsoever, I advise you seek medical/professional advice immediately and do not proceed to partake in any activity. The weights listed here are just a guide, please choose your weights accordingly using the RPE/reps in reserve scale.
Exercise videos:
Understanding that a strength and conditioning program starts and finishes with you is fundamental to making sure you're not leaving anything on the table and avoiding the downsides of generic S&C programs.
Further reading
- Should strength training be part of your training routine?
- How to start strength training for endurance
- How often should endurance athletes be strength training?
- Are you making these 3 common mistakes when strength training?
Head to Built To Endure to learn more about designing your own S&C program.
