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Benefits of Kin+ Strength Training for Running.

3/7/2017

 
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This would be nice! Dedicate 8 - 10 weeks of appropriate strength training and it could be a reality.

Not  a new concept - just popularized

Athletes have been using strength training as a tool to help increase performance for decades. Modern sport science (post Mexico City 1968) has helped bring to popularity the idea of strength training concurrently with endurance training. Our understanding of the interaction was at its infancy. Sebastian Coe was one of the first high profile endurance athletes to document and popularize the practice. It is now universally accepted in high performance circles as a means to increase performance.

Prescription matters.

Endurance training is a layered process, regulated by an extremely complex set of processes within the body. WARNING: PHYSICS METAPHOR: Training is like light, at some points it acts like a particle, measurable and predictable - but in some ways, like light, acts like a wave, non - linear, dynamic and unpredictable. It is this duality that makes understanding and prescribing exercise both an art and science.

When it comes to a strength programming for running, make sure you get it from the right individuals who specialize in your sport.  Tim Noakes, one of the most published endurance sport researchers states in his TEN LAWS OF RUNNING INJURIES, "never accept the final advice of a non-runner (medical doctor or otherwise". The same can be said for exercise prescription. Kin+ Kinesiologists are regulated fitness professionals. They understand how the body responds to exercise and have earned the accreditation to prove it. When it comes to strength prescription for runners, deal with a professional who has a practice with the demographic you are a part of. Do they deal with a variety of age groups? Performance levels? Do they walk the walk? Are they out there in the field or just in a clinical setting. These are all questions you should be asking when seeing any healthcare provider. Would you go to a surgeon that specializes in knees to operate on your shoulder or go to the specialist for shoulders? Always take opinions as they are, formulate your own core beliefs, empower your well being by accepting responsibility for your own actions and behaviors.

Are all demographics the same?

No. There are some age groups that would benefit from concurrent resistance training more than others.
  • Pre-Pubertal and Adolescence
  • Aging population
  • Single Sport Athlete

Is it for me?

Working with Kin+, we can help you make that decision. That is a part of the coach-athlete relationship. In most cases some additive exercise is beneficial. It has to fit your life, but can be a very important tool to rehabilitate, perform and enhance your current abilities. 

A perfect substitute... or not..

Performing a resistance training regime is NOT a substitute for your endurance sport. The dose response just isn't there. In other words, will 30 minutes of intense running offset 30 minutes of intense strength training. In most cases, I would say no (unless you have maxed out your training capacity as an elite athlete).

For the majority of athletes the most effective way to get better at running, is run.
  • Run faster,
  • run longer and
  • on a consistent basis with appropriate rest. 

​When an athlete feels that have reached a plateau they often look for the magic workout or supplement to get them to the next level, when the answer is staring right at them, do more of your sport! For example: you run 3 days a week... increase it to 4, 5..etc, add some controlled intensity... or extend the length of each run.. or extend the length of one run, change the modality (environment - terrain). Progressive overload!

Okay, how do I begin?

Reach out to us! We can get you started on a individualized performance plan to match your goals. Programs are simple, effective and progressive! Contact us! Need motivation? Join our Strength and Conditioning Classes!

Some evidence

The Effects of a Sport-Specific Maximal Strength and Conditioning Training on Critical Velocity, Anaerobic Running Distance, and 5-km Race Performance.
The effects of resistance training on endurance distance running performance among highly trained runners: a systematic review.

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    Author

    Kevin Moore, R. Kin

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