Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
This document provides an in-depth exploration of the concepts presented in the Empirical Cycling Podcast featuring strength and conditioning coaches Angelo Gingerelli and RJ Borgers, authors of “Finish Strong: Resistance Training for Endurance Athletes.” It is designed for an educated and intelligent audience seeking a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively integrate strength training into an endurance sports program.
The central argument presented is that resistance training is a crucial, often overlooked, component of a successful endurance training plan. The primary benefits extend beyond simply getting “stronger” in a traditional sense and focus on two key areas:
Injury Prevention and Improved Biomechanics: The podcast emphasizes that strength training acts as “the glue” that maintains proper body posture and mechanics, especially under fatigue. As an endurance athlete tires deep into a race or long training session, form begins to break down. This “kinetic leak” means energy is wasted through inefficient movement, reducing power output and performance. A well-structured strength program builds a robust foundation that allows an athlete to hold optimal form for longer, preventing overuse injuries and improving overall efficiency.
Maintaining Health and Consistency: A recurring theme is that many talented athletes fail to even make it to the start line due to chronic, overuse conditions. The speakers posit that a consistent, year-round strength training program helps build a more resilient body, enabling athletes to handle the high training loads required for endurance sports without breaking down.
A cornerstone of the book and the discussion is the application of periodization to strength training, mirroring the structure of an endurance season. This approach counters the common mistake many athletes make: they lift heavy in the off-season, only to abandon it completely once their primary sport training ramps up. The proposed model divides the year into four distinct phases, with the lifting program adapting to the goals of each phase.
Off-Season: This is the time to introduce new exercises and build a foundation of strength. The focus is on heavier lifting and mastering technique without the pressure of imminent competition. It’s the ideal window to prioritize strength gains when endurance volume is lower.
Pre-Season (Base Building): As endurance volume and intensity increase, the weight room work begins to adapt. The goal shifts from building maximal strength to maintaining the strength established in the off-season.
In-Season (Competition): This is where most athletes drop strength training, which the authors argue is a critical mistake. During this phase, the volume and intensity in the weight room should be tapered, not eliminated. The focus is on maintenance, mobility, and preserving the biomechanical integrity that prevents form breakdown during races. A general rule of thumb offered is to taper the weight room volume by a similar percentage as the endurance training volume (e.g., a 20% reduction in mileage corresponds to a 20% reduction in lifting volume).
Transition (Post-Season): This is a period of active recovery where light activity, mobility work, and less structured strength training can help the body recover from the season while staying active.
The podcast delves deep into the controversial topic of lifting during the competitive season.
Why Keep Lifting? The primary reason is to combat the loss of strength and neuromuscular coordination that occurs when lifting is ceased entirely. The strength and stability built in the off-season are what help an athlete maintain power and efficiency late in a race. Stopping completely means these benefits slowly erode, just when they are needed most.
Why Do People Quit? The number one reason cited is time commitment. When faced with a choice between another hour on the bike or an hour in the gym, athletes almost always choose their primary sport. The second reason is fatigue management. Improperly programmed in-season lifting can leave an athlete too sore or tired to perform high-quality endurance workouts.
How to Do It Right: The key is to view in-season lifting as supplemental, not primary. The ego must be checked. The goal is no longer to hit personal records but to stimulate the muscles and nervous system enough to maintain strength. This means reducing volume (sets and reps) and modulating intensity based on feel and the demands of the upcoming endurance workouts.
The host, Kolie Moore, brings up the “concurrent training effect,” a well-documented phenomenon where high volumes of both endurance and strength training can interfere with each other, typically blunting strength adaptations in favor of endurance ones.
Practical Implications: This scientific principle supports the authors’ practical recommendations. When an athlete’s endurance performance stagnates or they consistently fail to hit their numbers in key workouts, it’s a sign that the overall training stress is too high. The first variable to adjust is often the intensity and volume of the strength training.
Auto-Regulation: This is the art of coaching and self-coaching. The podcast stresses that rigid percentages and loading schemes are often inappropriate for endurance athletes whose daily readiness is highly variable. Instead, they advocate for a more intuitive approach based on Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). A lift that feels like a 6/10 RPE on a fresh day might feel like a 9/10 after a long ride. The athlete must listen to their body and adjust the weight down to match the intended effort level for that day, rather than chasing a specific number on the bar.
Programming Guideline:
Prioritize the most important workout of the day. If you have a key FTP interval session, do that first when you are fresh. The strength session can be done later.
Allow adequate recovery. Don’t schedule a heavy leg day the day before a high-intensity ride. The podcast suggests at least two days of recovery between a very hard endurance session and a subsequent lifting session, and vice-versa.
One of the most valuable and detailed sections of the discussion focused on core training. The authors argue that traditional exercises like crunches and planks, while not useless, are incomplete because they primarily work in a single plane of motion (the sagittal plane).
Endurance sports, however, involve constant, subtle rotational forces. On a bike, as one leg pushes down, the pelvis wants to drop on that side, forcing the core to work to resist that rotation. The authors champion anti-rotation exercises as the most sport-specific way to build a strong, functional core.
What is Anti-Rotation? It is the act of preventing rotation through the trunk and pelvis. These exercises force the deep stabilizing muscles of the core to fire in a coordinated manner to maintain a neutral, stable spine against an external rotational force.
Top 3 Recommended Anti-Rotation Exercises:
Plank with Shoulder Taps: Start in a solid push-up position with feet slightly wider than usual for a more stable base. Slowly lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder without letting the hips rock or rotate. The goal is to keep the torso and pelvis completely still, as if the arm were the only thing moving.
Renegade Rows: From a push-up position with a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand, perform a row with one arm while stabilizing with the other three limbs. This powerfully engages the core to prevent rotation as the weight is lifted.
“Around the World” with a Plate: Standing with a stable stance, hold a weight plate and move it in a large circle around your head. The core must constantly work to counteract the shifting center of mass and prevent the torso from swaying.
Key Cue for Anti-Rotation: Use less weight than you think you need. The goal is perfect form and stability, not moving the heaviest weight possible. It’s recommended to film yourself to check for unwanted rotation.
The podcast clarifies the nuanced relationship between strength in different contexts.
Weight Room Strong: This refers to the ability to produce high force, often measured by a one-rep max in lifts like the squat or deadlift. This is primarily limited by neuromuscular factors (motor unit recruitment, firing rate) and muscle cross-sectional area.
On-Bike Strong (Endurance): This is the ability to sustain a high power output for a prolonged period, typically measured by Functional Threshold Power (FTP). This is primarily limited by cardiovascular factors (oxygen delivery, lactate clearance) and metabolic efficiency at the cellular level.
Where is the Overlap? While a 300-pound squat doesn’t automatically equal a 300-watt FTP, the authors argue that foundational strength can contribute to endurance performance by:
Improving Neuromuscular Efficiency: Strength training can teach the body to recruit more muscle fibers for a given effort, potentially making each pedal stroke more effective.
Increasing Fatigue Resistance: By strengthening the primary movers and the stabilizing muscles, the body becomes more resilient to the repetitive stress of endurance sport, delaying the point at which form breaks down.
The controversial statement from the book—”The improved strength will bump up your FTP”—is addressed. The authors concede that the wording was likely strengthened by editors for a general audience. The more scientifically nuanced take is that strength training may improve the power output over shorter durations (like a 20-minute FTP test) by improving anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular recruitment, but it does not directly build the aerobic engine that underpins a true FTP.