Strength Training Improves Endurance

It’s that time of year again, the sun is cooking the earth like a Thanksgiving turkey, gas seems to be evaporating from our engines and while sitting on the deck at Hula Hut, I suddenly have the urge to cannonball into Lake Austin. But hey, with the 100-degree heat comes all the fun summer 5K’s, 10K’s, marathons and half-marathons. So whether you’re training for a race, or trying to get in shape for summer, studies show that two strength-training sessions per week can improve your endurance.

“A strong body improves your biomechanics, which enables you to train harder and more effectively without increased injury or risk,” says Matt Dixon, M. Sc., a San Francisco running coach. It makes sense that, if you want to train harder, your muscles are going to have to be strong enough to support the extra miles you’ll be pounding on the pavement. Another perk of strength training is the injuries you’ll avoid as your miles add up. Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, a Men’s Health Fitness Advisor and author of Turbulence Training for Fat Loss, conducted his own informal experiment of strength-training’s impact and concluded, “the more strength and muscle you have, the less likely you are to get chronic overuse injury.” He went on to say that being thinner may allow runners to attack hills faster, but will also leave them prone to more injuries.

What’s the safest, most effective and definitely most fun way to incorporate strength training workouts? By using our SandBell sandbags, SteelBell weights and Hyper Vest PRO weight vest, OF COURSE! The Hyper Wear blog archive contains hundreds of tips, videos and workout plans, and is a great resource to come up with your own muscle-building routines. Check out the video below for some SandBell exercises, take a look at previous blogs, or search Hyper Wear on YouTube for even more videos and demonstrations!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94KncdoUm3k[/youtube]

Regardless of the exercises you choose to do, strength training is an essential workout component that should not be overlooked, especially for runners. So pick up a SandBell and let those muscles feel the burn!