STRENGTH TRAINING FOR MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES

W. Matthew Silvers, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.Whitworth University

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GENERAL OUTLINE

• Background

• Research

• Rationale

• Techniques

• Recommendations

• Open Mic

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OLD SKOOL• Endurance athletes don’t need to strength train.

• Strength training needs to be muscular endurance.

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NEW SKOOL• Muscle strength and power can

improve performance.

• ~ 5% of a distance race is anaerobic. (Green & Patla, 1992; Hauswirth & Lehénaff, 2001)

• Reduce the incidence of overuse injuries?

• More bang for your buck!

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ENERGY SYSTEMS

Immediate

Immediate System

Glycolytic System

Mitochondrial Respiration

Exercise Duration

Exer

cise

Inte

nsity

VO2max

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CORE STRENGTH• Improving core strength

makes sense, but...

• Little specific research to indicate that it will improve race performance or decrease injury potential. (Abt et al., 2007; Stanton et al., 2004)

• Until proven otherwise, it is prudent to include core work in your training.

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LACTATE THRESHOLD• Surprisingly, not too much research on this.

• When untrained individuals lifted, LT improved - big surprise! (Marcinik et al., 1991)

• When trained people lifted, LT did not improve. (Jung, 2003; Paavolainen et al., 1999a)

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VO2max

• VO2max typically does not improve after lifting in trained and untrained populations. (Ferrauti et al., 2010; Hickson et al., 1988; Kelly et al., 2008; Mikkola et al., 2007; Millet et al., 2002; Stanton et al., 2004; Saunders et al., 2006)

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ECONOMY• Economy, better known as efficiency,

improves (~4-8%) with strength training. (Johnston et al., 1997; Millet et al., 2002; Paavolainen et al., 1999a; Rønnestad et al., 2010; Saunders et al., 2006; Spurrs et al., 2003; Sunde et al., 2010; Turner et al., 2003)

• Practically, this is ~ 2-4 ml/kg/min less O2 consumed at a given speed.

• More importantly, it means you can go faster at your VO2max (vVO2max).

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PERFORMANCE• Improved 3K run time (16:30→14:45;

10:17→10:07) (Kelly et al., 2008; Spurrs et al., 2003)

• Improved 5K run time (18:24→17:45) (Paavolainen et al., 1999a)

• Improved cycle TTE @ 80% VO2max (71→85 min) (Hickson et al., 1988)

• Improved PO for 40-min cycle TT (~30 W) (Rønnestad et al., 2010)

• Improved PO for 5-min cycle sprint after 180-min ride (~30 W) (Rønnestad et al., 2011)

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PREDICTIONS• vVO2max is a better predictor of 10K and

90K race performance in elite runners. (Noakes et al., 1990)

• vVO2max and vLT significantly correlated with 3K run times. (Slattery et al., 2006)

• 82% of 3K time explained by vVO2max

• 94% of 3K time explained by vVO2max + vLT

• Likely that these findings can be extrapolated to cycling (March et al., 2011)

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PREDICTIONS• Relative leg strength index (RLS) and jump

height correlated with average speed during 5K run. (Yamauchi et al., 2010)

• Sprint and jump performance were strongly correlated with 5K and 10K run performances. (Paavolainen et al., 1999b, 1999c)

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WHY DOES S & P WORK?• Improved neuromuscular recruitment

increases force production with less musculature.

• Increased strength of Type I fibers improves endurance?

• Might prolong reliance on Type IIa fibers in a race.

• May delay fatigue in muscles that tire quickly, such as the bi-articular muscles of the hip. (Hanon et al., 2005)

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WHY DOES S & P WORK?• Greater efficiency reduces VO2 and RE at a

given submax speed giving you “more in the tank.”

• Greater Type IIb conversion to Type IIa?

• Probably not - explosive training augments IIb fibers, whereas endurance training promotes the shift from IIb to IIa.

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WHY DOES S & P WORK?• Improved utilization of the SSC?

• Exaggerated with plyos, so you can potentially improve it.

• Improved muscle stiffness?

• There has to be an optimal level of stiffness - find the right balance to not compromise stride length and rate, economy, or injury prevention. (Hanon et al., 2005; Wilson et al., 2010)

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S & P TECHNIQUES• Standard resistance exercises

• Multi-joint, closed kinetic chain movements

• Movement specificity

• Focus is on basic muscle function, symmetry, and balance.

• Examples: squats, lunges, step-ups,

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S & P TECHNIQUES• Olympic-style lifts

• Trains whole-body coordination

• Focus is on velocity-specific training and maximal muscle power

• Examples: cleans, shrugs, jerks, snatches

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S & P TECHNIQUES• Plyometrics

• Exaggerate eccentric, isometric, and concentric contractions to utilize stretch-shortening cycle

• Focus is on speed of movement and minimal contact times

• Examples: squat jumps, box/depth jumps, bounds, hurdle hops.

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RECOMMENDATIONS• S & P workouts should be periodized and

synchronized with current training schedule.

• Early off-season: work on muscle endurance (general lifts are good here)

• Mid-late off-season: progress towards muscular strength (general lifts still good, but progression to specific lifts and/or Olympic lifts recommended)

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RECOMMENDATIONS• S & P workouts should be periodized and

synchronized with current training schedule.

• Early race season: introduce power movements (Olympic-style lifts and plyos)

• Race-season: maintain strength/power endurance (functional lifts recommended)

• Late race season: Taper off to remove strength work ~ 2 weeks prior to big races.

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RECOMMENDATIONS• S & P workouts should be periodized and

synchronized with current training schedule.

• Reverse linear for muscular endurance works, but not necessarily for S & P progressions.

• A traditional undulating model appears to work.

V

I

S

Time

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RECOMMENDATIONS• S & P workouts before or after endurance

workouts?

• Before probably best, when neuromuscular system is fresh.

• Practically speaking, many coaches and athletes like it the other way around.

• When possible, perform S & P workouts on lighter intensity days or off-days.

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RECOMMENDATIONS• Lifting tips

• Keep it SIMPLE

• Keep it FAST (Tanimoto et al., 2009)

• 8-12 week program

• 2-3 times per week

• Consult a professional before attempting Olympic lifts if you have no prior experience.

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RECOMMENDATIONSMuscle Strength

Focus: train the muscle to produce max force

Sets: 3-5

Reps: 3-6

Load: ≥ 80% 1-RM

Muscle Power

Focus: velocity-specific training

Sets: 3-5

Reps: 3-5

Load: 55-75% 1-RM

Muscle Endurance

Focus: stress the muscles continuously

Sets: 1-3

Reps: 15-20

Load: 50-60% 1-RM

Muscle Hypertrophy

Focus: put in a lot of work and muscle damage

Sets: 4-6

Reps: 6-12

Load: 60-80% 1-RM

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RECOMMENDATIONS• Plyo tips

• Need base of strength (8-12 wks) and good health before plyos

• Start with 80-100 foot contacts/session

• 4-6 week program

• 2-3 times per week

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CONCLUSIONS• Supplementing your training with an

appropriate S & P program appears to:

• Not affect VO2max or LT

• Improve economy, vLT, and vVO2max

• Improve 3-5K run times and cycling performance

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FINAL THOUGHTS• The research presented is convincing, but

many studies have small sample sizes, untrained populations, and methodological factors that make interpretation and generalizability of the findings difficult.

• Consequently, the known info does not represent recommendations that are “written in stone.”

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FINAL THOUGHTS• Many of the studies REPLACED some of the

endurance training and still saw benefits - you may not need to add S & P on top of what you’re currently doing.

• Don’t just go through the motions - every rep should be performed PERFECTLY.

• Consult a professional if you have little/no experience with resistance training.

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THANK YOU!• If you have additional

questions, please feel free to contact me at msilvers@whitworth.edu

• Good luck at the races!

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