Success through strength and resilience

Lets just take a look at 2016 so far! We’ve witnessed Tim Reed take the Australian Championship title at Ironman Port Macquarie, Tim Berkel run to Asia Pacific glory at Ironman Cairns and very recently Mirinda Carfrae dominate both the course and her competitors at Ironman Austria.

So what’s their secret? What’s the common factor that these athletes possess?

What are these athletes including in their training that you probably aren’t?

Plain and simple. They strength train.

Having trained Berks and Reedy, I have watched them consistently work twice a week in the gym – strengthening their weaknesses and building their bulletproof ‘chassis.’ I have watched them both develop into smarter and more resilient athletes, not by lifting three times their body weight or bench pressing a small car, but by two 40 minute quality sessions a week.

Only recently I had the great opportunity of speaking with Linsey Corbin. We discussed her recent comeback from injury, where she described how her strength work with Physical Therapist Jay Dicharry was without doubt the foundations of her successful comeback. With a run at Cairns that barely missed a stride and that was aesthetically perfect to watch, I reckon she’d be first to tell you the value of strength training in her return to racing.

As for Mirinda, I hope I get the opportunity to meet her one-day, but it is a well known fact that she works closely with her strength and conditioning coach – Erin Carson at ECFIT Boulder, in Colorado, (also a member of the SFE Network). Waste of time did I hear you say?

What I can guarantee is that what they are doing is nothing complicated. It’s a matter of regularly performing exercises that activate and strengthen the necessary joints and musculature that they rely on – on a daily basis. As endurance athletes you have such high expectations of your bodies, surely it makes sense that we take a step back and ensure our bodies, our ‘chassis’, our framework is “firing on all cylinders.”

If you are an athlete that has been living with a niggle or injury caused by imbalances or you’re consistently falling short of the mark – you SHOULD be adding strength training to your programming. If your coach is unsure of why, how or what to prescribe then look for a professional with experience. This is what The Strength For Endurance Network is about, connecting trusted and experienced professionals with athletes in need.