HOW TO STRENGTH TRAIN WHEN YOU ARE TIME POOR
One of the biggest challenges we face as coaches at Strength for Endurance is working with individuals who have packed schedules. But it’s also the thing we’re really good at. These are highly productive people balancing careers, families, social lives, and extensive training regimens across multiple endurance sports. Strength training often becomes the first thing to be dropped from their routine, yet it’s one of the most critical elements for sustained performance and injury prevention.
Athletes who neglect strength training often find themselves dealing with recurring injuries, setbacks, and a lack of overall progress. Many have flirted with strength training sporadically over months or even years, but without consistency, the benefits quickly fade. Our goal is to ensure that athletes—whether runners, triathletes, cyclists, swimmers, or multi-sport enthusiasts—maintain strength training as a consistent part of their routine for long-term performance gains.
Why Strength Training Matters
Neglecting strength training leads to muscular imbalances, weaknesses, and inefficiencies that can result in overuse injuries. If you only run for six months, or only ride your bike for extended periods, your body will start to show signs of wear and tear. Strength training prevents these issues by reinforcing stability, mobility, and resilience. Without it, you risk overloading certain muscle groups, compensating for weaknesses, and ultimately breaking down over time.
If you’re already experiencing niggles, injuries, or feeling stagnant in your progress, it’s time to reintroduce strength training into your routine. Here’s how to do it effectively, even with a packed schedule.
Four Key Strategies for Time-Poor Athletes
1. Integrate Strength Training Into Your Daily Routine
If you’re struggling to find an extra 45-60 minutes for a dedicated session, incorporate small doses of strength training every day into your existing habits. Here’s how:
Mobility and Stability Work: Use small moments in your day to work on fundamental movements like deep squats, lunges, and stretches. If you’re at the office, use a chair or table leg for support and drop into a squat periodically.
Micro-Sessions: Have just 5-10 minutes? Do single-leg exercises, core drills, or push-ups throughout the day. Even brief, targeted sessions can make a difference over time.
Warm-ups and Recovery Sessions: Instead of passive stretching, incorporate active strength drills like single-leg work, glute bridges, and core exercises into your pre- and post-workout routine.
2. Bully Your Weak Points
With limited time, focus on the areas where you’re weakest. Identify imbalances and inefficiencies through basic self-assessments:
Do you feel unstable when standing on one leg?
Are you struggling with core engagement?
Do you have limited range of motion in your hips, knees, or shoulders?
Targeting your weakest areas with even a few key exercises can create a significant improvement in your movement quality and injury prevention. For example:
Single-leg strength: Bulgarian split squats, step-ups, or single-leg deadlifts
Core stability: Planks, anti-rotation drills, or controlled rollouts
Postural strength: Rows, pull-aparts, and thoracic mobility work
By consistently addressing these weak points, you’ll build a more balanced, resilient body that can handle the demands of endurance training.
3. Be More Efficient With Your Strength Training
Strength training doesn’t have to be complex or time-consuming. Optimise your approach with efficiency-focused methods:
Supersets and Circuits: Pair complementary exercises (e.g., squats and core work) to get more done in less time.
Multi-Joint Movements: Focus on compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, and presses to engage multiple muscle groups at once.
Minimalist Equipment: You don’t need a fully equipped gym. Bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, and a few dumbbells can be enough for an effective strength routine.
If you’re traveling or have limited access to equipment, adjusting your program to fit your environment while maintaining consistency is key.
4. Create a Strength Training Strategy
Winging it with your strength training leads to inconsistency. Instead, plan ahead and set clear goals:
Schedule Your Sessions: Look at your weekly plan and identify specific time slots for strength work every week.
Track Your Progress: Keep a simple log of what you’re doing to stay accountable and measure improvement.
Stay Flexible: If a session gets missed, have backup strategies in place—shorter workouts, mobility sessions, or bodyweight drills.
Many endurance athletes avoid strength work because they stick to what they enjoy rather than addressing what they actually need. This is where coaching and structured programming can help keep you on track and accountable.
The Bottom Line
Being time-poor is not a valid excuse for neglecting strength training. It’s about integrating smart, efficient, and effective strategies into your routine. Small, consistent efforts will compound over time, leading to fewer injuries, greater efficiency, and improved performance in your sport.
If you’re unsure where to start, check out our resources at Strength for Endurance to assess your movement and build a strength strategy that works for you.
And as always, if you have questions or need guidance, reach out to us—we’re here to help you stay strong, consistent, and injury-free.