How I Actually Train for Strength and Endurance

The Core Sessions That Drive My Weekly Progress

Saturday long run with my local run club

For the past 16 months, I’ve followed a straightforward training strategy to boost both strength and endurance. This approach has helped me achieve a 17:20 personal best in the 5km and a powerlifting total of over 1,000 lb. It’s also the strategy I plan to stick with for the foreseeable future.

Here’s the Strategy

1. Attend three runs with my local run club each week: Tuesday (easy run) and Thursday (track session) evenings, as well as Saturday (long run) mornings.

2. Attend three strength training sessions during the “open coaching hours” at my local gym: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings.

3. Gradually add additional easy running throughout the week, mostly in the evenings, sometimes at lunchtime, or on weekend mornings.

4. Slowly add additional strength training sets during the week, typically on Wednesday and Friday mornings.

The three runs with my run club and the three strength sessions during coaching hours serve as the core of the program. That strength volume alone is enough for me to make progress in the gym, while the running volume is sufficient to maintain a solid baseline fitness.

My core weekly schedule supports both strength and endurance. Three strength sessions a week are plenty to build strength. While three running sessions help to maintain a solid aerobic base.

The extra running volume added throughout the week allows me to progress with endurance. Endurance is mainly a volume game, and at least in the base-building stage, the best way to improve is by very slowly increasing low-intensity volume on a regular basis.

The run club provided my core running volume when I started last year. Currently, I run around 70 km a week, with about 25 km coming from the run club and 45 km from additional sessions throughout the week.

The additional strength days on Wednesday and Friday serve two purposes. First, they act as overflow days if I don’t complete the workouts on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday. I can always shift some volume to these days. Second, they allow me to add extra volume when I want to give a specific strength component more attention.

Adherence

Since the start of the year, I’ve attended at least 70% of the three weekly runs with my run club, with the most consistent being Thursday track sessions (94% attendance).

In addition to these runs, I typically find time for another seven runs each week, bringing my total up to 10 runs per week. These additional runs usually happen in the evenings (five times a week), but I also often run at lunchtime (three times a week) and in the mornings (twice a week). Weekly volume has averaged 66 km this year, with most runs being under 5 km.

How I fit in my running. The three sessions with my run club form the core of my running week.

I’ve been slightly less consistent with strength training, attending the open coaching sessions about 60% of the time. The spillover days on Wednesday and Friday are used infrequently (about 12% of the time), with some very rare strength work on weekends (less than 10% of the time). This averages out to 2.16 strength sessions per week.

How I fit in my strength training. The key sessions are the three workouts during the open coaching hours at my gym.

Working with my coach Amer during the open hours at my gym.

Evaluation

Even though attendance hasn’t been perfect, this plan has been more than sufficient for me to see significant progress this year. I’ve improved at every running distance and progressed in every lift.

I’ve gotten faster at every running distance this year.

I’ve also progressed in every lift. This shows the progress in the bench press toward a 130 kg (286 lb) bench press. There’s been similar gains in the other lifts too.

Here’s Why I Think It Has Worked:

• Enjoyment: I enjoy the core running sessions with the run club, which has helped me stay consistent and make friends.

• Structured Strength Training: The core strength sessions have enabled solid intensity and consistency. I often find it easy to skip strength training, but training with my coach has made it much easier.

  • Form Feedback: I get real-time feedback on my technique, which is invaluable for such a technical activity.

  • Motivation: It can be tough to push yourself to a true RPE 8/9 set (one or two reps before failure). Having a coach observe and support me during these key sets is crucial.

  • Accountability: It’s easy to second-guess a training program or make excuses, but having an in-person coach helps me stay committed. I can ask questions in real time, increasing my buy-in.

• Flexibility of the Strategy: There are 21 possible training opportunities each week: morning, lunch, and evening, seven days a week. My plan covers just six of those blocks, leaving 15 open for additional training based on how I feel. This flexibility allows me to add volume when I’m ready, instead of feeling restricted by a rigid system.

The progress is still ongoing, and I plan to stick with this general strategy until the gains start to slow down or plateau. Hopefully, this base-building phase for strength and endurance will continue for a long time to come!

What’s working best in your current training strategy? Or is there something from my approach that you might incorporate into your own routine? I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to share them in the comments below!