STRENGTH, RECOVERY, AND NUTRITION: ROUNDING OUT THE PILLARS OF PERFORMANCE

STRENGTH

Strength training is one of the most potent tools not just for athletic performance, but for overall physical and mental health. Study after study shows the beneficial effects of functional strength on cognition, musculoskeletal health, mobility, and cardiovascular health. Strength training will help you get faster and reduce the risk of injury, while amplifying your healthspan and ability to move through the tasks of daily life for decades to come.

Our strength sessions are specifically designed for endurance athletes and are aligned with the current phase of training. You'll see two strength sessions each week in the Baseline (and nearly all builds). Make them a priority!

• Strength is more than just weightlifting. It's functional work that supports both your athletic performance and your daily health
• Strength is not simply there to help you get stronger and reduce injury risk. It also improves your balance, coordination, stability, range of motion, and overall tissue resilience
• Strength is critical for maximizing your results in swim, bike, and run. Think of it this way: it's the only workout where you get to work on improving all three disciplines at once. (Those single arm rows you'll see soon in an upcoming workout? They build muscle and proper positioning for the catch in your swim, time-trial position on your bike, and posterior arm drive in the run.)

Let's add a bit more framing to the conversation around strength training:

• Check out this clip from Matt on the role of strength in our training program
• Check out Episode 146 and Episode 191 of the Purple Patch Podcast, which are both on strength training and feature senior coach and head of strength Mike Olzinski