When people think about strength and conditioning, they often picture elite athletes lifting heavy weights. In reality, strength training has an important role to play for anyone looking to recover from injury, improve performance, reduce injury risk, or simply move better.
For endurance athletes in particular, strength and conditioning can improve running economy, cycling power, resilience to training loads, and overall performance. The key is having a programme that complements endurance training rather than competing with it.
Over the past 18 months, Active Health Clinics’ Strength & Conditioning Coach, Nick Riding (MSc, UKSCA Accredited), has worked with Martyn on exactly that journey. From recovering after a significant cycling accident to competing at the European Sprint Duathlon Championships in Spain, Martyn’s story highlights how a structured strength programme can support long-term athletic development.
Returning to Training After Injury
Martyn first began working with Nick after completing an extensive rehabilitation programme following a serious cycling accident.
While rehabilitation restored his ability to train, the next challenge was preparing his body to tolerate increasing training loads and perform at a high level again.
This is where strength and conditioning became the focus.
Rather than trying to improve race performance immediately, the priority was to rebuild a solid foundation of strength and resilience. Developing this base would allow Martyn to handle greater volumes of running and cycling while reducing the risk of future setbacks.
Building Strength During the Winter
Throughout the winter training block, Martyn committed to two strength and conditioning sessions each week in his local gym. Every four weeks, he met Nick at Active Health Clinics for a one-to-one coaching session.
These regular reviews allowed Nick to assess progress, refine lifting technique and adjust the programme as Martyn became stronger and more confident.
Training centred around fundamental compound exercises including squat and deadlift variations. These exercises develop whole-body strength, improve force production and provide excellent value for endurance athletes.
Alongside these key lifts, additional work focused on areas that needed extra attention following Martyn’s injury, particularly his hamstrings and calves. Building strength and robustness through these tissues helped improve their capacity to cope with the demands of running and cycling.
Although the exercises themselves were relatively simple, consistent training over many months produced significant improvements.
Why Strength Training Matters for Runners and Cyclists
One of the biggest misconceptions in endurance sport is that spending time in the gym will make athletes slower or interfere with endurance training.
Research consistently shows the opposite when strength training is appropriately programmed.
For runners and cyclists, strength training can help improve:
- Running economy
- Cycling power output
- Force production
- Muscular endurance
- Tissue robustness
- Resistance to fatigue
- Injury resilience
Importantly, the goal is not simply to lift heavier weights. The gym should support performance on the road or trail by improving the qualities that endurance athletes rely on most.
Adapting Strength Training During Race Season
As Martyn’s focus shifted towards preparing for the European Sprint Duathlon Championships in Banyoles, Spain, his endurance training naturally became the priority.
Rather than stopping strength training altogether, the programme evolved to reflect the increasing demands of race preparation.
Gym training reduced to one session each week, while Martyn continued attending a one-to-one session with Nick every four weeks to review progress and make appropriate adjustments.
The emphasis also changed.
Instead of chasing heavier numbers on traditional compound lifts, training focused on:
- Single leg strength
- Power development
- Plyometric training
- Injury robustness
These qualities help endurance athletes maintain strength while improving movement efficiency, producing force more effectively and staying resilient throughout a demanding race season.
Small Improvements Add Up
Approximately one month before the European Championships, Martyn completed a Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test.
He was delighted to record an all-time personal best with an improvement of seven watts.
While endurance performance is influenced by many factors including training volume, recovery, nutrition and race preparation, maintaining consistent strength training alongside endurance work can make an important contribution to long-term performance improvements.
Preparing for Racing in the Heat
Performance is often determined by the small details.
With the race taking place in Spain, Nick and Martyn decided to leave no stone unturned during the final two weeks of preparation.
A passive heat acclimation protocol was introduced after key training sessions.
Five or six times each week, Martyn spent between 20 and 30 minutes in either a hot bath or sauna following exercise.
Research suggests that repeated passive heat exposure can encourage several physiological adaptations including:
- Improved thermoregulation
- Increased blood plasma volume
- Increased red blood cell production
- Increased stroke volume
These adaptations may help athletes tolerate hotter racing conditions more effectively while supporting endurance performance.
Race Day at the European Sprint Duathlon Championships
The European Sprint Duathlon Championships consisted of:
- 5 km run
- 20 km bike
- 2.5 km run
After months of consistent preparation, Martyn arrived in excellent condition.
Unfortunately, towards the end of the bike leg he became involved in a crash.
Thankfully, he escaped without serious injury and was able to complete the race, finishing an impressive 18th overall in a highly competitive European field.
While the crash undoubtedly affected both his finishing time and final placing, it did not take away from the quality of the preparation that had gone into reaching the championships.
The Next Goal: Berlin Marathon
Like many endurance athletes, finishing one event simply marks the beginning of preparation for the next.
Martyn has now turned his attention to the Berlin Marathon later this year.
His strength and conditioning programme will once again evolve alongside his running programme. The emphasis will remain on maintaining strength, improving robustness and ensuring his gym training supports the increasing mileage required for marathon preparation.
This ability to adapt strength training throughout the year is one of the key reasons why endurance athletes benefit from working with an experienced strength and conditioning coach.
How Strength & Conditioning Can Help You
Martyn’s journey demonstrates that strength and conditioning is about far more than lifting weights.
Whether you are recovering from injury, training for your first 10 km, preparing for a marathon, competing in cycling events or simply looking to stay active and healthy, a well-designed strength programme can help you move better, become more resilient and perform with greater confidence.
At Active Health Clinics, our strength and conditioning programmes in Maidenhead are individually tailored to your goals, injury history and current level of fitness. Every programme is designed to work alongside your sport or lifestyle so that the gym supports your performance rather than taking away from it.
If you would like to learn how strength and conditioning could help you achieve your own goals, speak to the team at Active Health Clinics about working with Nick or book a free 15 minute consultation using the button below.
