I’ve been having problem of late with weak hamstrings and glutes.
There are plenty of exercises that can help strengthen these… but are 20 minutes a night of working on these really going to help with the weakness that I am feeling in long events?
Obviously working the weak area is better than not, however I have a hard time believing that a couple of sets of hamstring curls on a ball a night is going to dramatically help the issues I have having at the end of a full or half Ironman.
Thank you
The biggest benefit to strength training is that it keeps imbalances in check, helping to prevent injury. This should allow you to run more, which will help fading at the end of the race. Others with more expertise may chime in, but I also think that targeted strength work wakes up muscles, activating them so that they fire when you run, so you are not over-relying on one muscle group (ie quads.)
**I’ve been having problem of late with weak hamstrings and glutes. **
There are plenty of exercises that can help strengthen these… but **are 20 minutes a night of working on these really going to help with the weakness that I am feeling in long events? **
Obviously working the weak area is better than not, however I have a hard time believing that a couple of sets of hamstring curls on a ball a night is going to dramatically help the issues I have having at the end of a full or half Ironman.
Thank you
No. What you seem to be alluding to is inadequate aerobic fitness and/or a pacing issue.
BTW, even if you were trying to improve strength (the maximal amount of force you can produce for 1 repetition), you wouldn’t train the same muscles every day. You need at least 1 day of recovery in between strength training sessions.
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As others have said, strength training won’t necessarily make you faster in itself, but the muscle balance will prevent injury and make you faster by allowing you to train more consistently.
I struggled with weak hamstrings and glutes that wouldn’t fire, leading to hip flexor issues. I fixed it with deadlifts. The process took about 10 minutes, 3x/week. Deadlifts improve posture by strengthening the lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. I did 5x5 with a manageable weight, going through the full range of motion.
I did a lot of glute strengthening a year or two ago, and then neglected it for about a year, and starting getting hip flexor problems due to compensation. The routine above was recommended to me by my PT, who has worked with many KQers, as well as many of the area’s best runners and swimmers. Deadlifts were the major exercise, and they were supplemented by band walks (sideways and monster style) for outside hip strength, and some bridges and stepups for additional glute strength.
Good luck!
Val slides and single leg bridges work well for me.
Thank you all for the advice, i appreciate it very much
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Thank you all for the advice, i appreciate it very much
One thing I might add.
A very wise former pro once told me that whatever weights you choose to do to work your muscles, you should do 25reps per set at a very manageable weight that only gets hard at the end. This will build your strength, but without increasing your size.
Then, every fourth workout or so, do a more conventional 6-10 reps with a heavier weight. This will give you the top level power and strength that you’re after, but keep you lean.
The recommendation was three gym sessions every two weeks, thrown in with regular training.
I was initially thinking bridging on a balance ball > single leg bridging and lots of work with resistance bands… but I think there is something to be said about adding some actual weight training (especially deadlifts)
I really like the scheduling of 3 sessions per 2 weeks… that sounds like it might be about the perfect schedule
Just echoing others, 20 minutes obviously isn’t equal to, say, a 2-hour workout — but different muscles will start engaging on those normal workouts.
I can look back at my own periods of injury and pinpoint the fact that I neglected strength training, specifically glutes, hamstrings and hips. In fact, I was probably healthiest overall when I was in college and knew nothing about training, and instead just continued to do squats and lunges, etc, without worrying about added muscle mass.
My favorites include Romanian deadlifts, single-leg deadlifts, bridging on a ball, and the sideways/backwards walks with bands. Doing those consistently should solve a lot of issues. Bonus: If you do it before an easy run or bike, you’ll actually feel those new muscles firing. That’s how I know it’s working.