The Results of Consistent Strength Work

The results of consistent strength work were really big for me in the last year. This has been evidenced in both my running results and changes to my body. Those changes have become more apparent in recent months when I combined strength work and running with a cleaner diet.

Nutrition has played it’s part but that’s a tale for another day. For now lets talk about strength work. I’ve always enjoyed lifting weights, HIIT workouts and CrossFit but I’ve never done any of them consistently. Or at least not for anything longer than a few months at a time.

After picking up a few niggles during 2020 and being inconsistent with strength work, I decided it was time to make some changes. I wasn’t looking to get big or get a six pack. What I wanted was to get stronger. To build a stronger body that would compliment my running and help prevent injuries.

Creating habits

So at the start of 2021, I decided to try to make doing strength work habitual. It’s so easy to talk yourself out of doing things. You come home from work or you’re more tired than usual or just don’t feel like it so you don’t do it. You start to find excuses not to do it and put it off for another day. But then that day comes and you still don’t feel like it and thus begins the never ending cycle of not getting it done.

Time is often another factor when it comes to not doing things. There’s a good video on YouTube of Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about time and fitting in just an hour long workout. You can watch it here but the principle is that we have 24 hours in a day, if we want to, we can find the time. It’s about making sacrifice’s, often only small ones like not choosing to sit and watch tv in the evening, or getting up an hour earlier in the morning.

As someone once told me, you’ll find reasons to do the things you want to do but excuses not to do the things you don’t want to do. And a lot of runners in particular, don’t want to do strength work!

When something becomes a habit it’s like autopilot, we don’t even really think about it, we just do it. Rather than it feeling like a chore, it becomes something we accept that we have to do because it’s become habitual. Changing this mindset with strength work and cross training can be game changing.

So my goal was to do at least two workouts a week. After struggling initially to fit them in, I made the decision to do them on set days. I chose Mondays and Thursdays but was flexible so some weeks it would be Wednesday instead. Doing shift work requires a modicum of flexibility. I also did the odd extra session on a Saturday.

Gym or home workouts

I started the year working out at home, partly due to Covid but also because it was easier to fit it in at home. Kettlebells were something I had started to get into the year before but I would soon fall in love with kettlebell workouts.

Kettlebells are such an underrated piece of gym equipment. They come in sizes to suit all abilities, take up very little room and are probably the most versatile single piece of equipment you can own. You can adapt dumbbell and barbell movements to be done with a kettlebell. They are fantastic for building strength, core strength and also isolation of body parts.

After doing some research along with my own tacit knowledge of strength training, I was soon putting my own workouts together. And by the end of the year I’d have a nice little collection of kettlebells I’d regularly use. They range in weight from 12kg to 24kg. If you’re new to kettlebells, make you sure start with a weight that’s easily manageable. Certain movements can be dangerous if the bell is too heavy or your form is compromised.

Despite my love of kettlebells, I also started back down the gym. I’d mostly train with my long time friend Matt who owns the gym I go to. As its a CrossFit gym, it offers me the opportunity to really mix up my workouts. Having Matt around to come up with gnarly workouts and push me hard also helps.

I don’t get to the gym quite as much I’d like some months but it’s still been a massive benefit. It’s allowed me to throw around bigger kettlebells than I have at home and generally do more heavy lifting. I also learnt a couple of months ago that I’m capable of doing all varieties of strict pull ups, something that shocked me at the time.

Changing shape

My body has changed in the last year. A lot. I used to think I was in pretty decent shape with all the running I did alongside the occasional workout. Now, I’m in the best shape of my life and I’ve just turned 38. Not bad for a kid who only ever used to eat chips!

But this isn’t me bragging about my newly found six pack. As mentioned at the start, that was never the goal. However, do the right things, stay consistent and eat well and you’ll be surprised how much your body can change. Mine went through a few changes throughout the year.

I started to put on a little bit of muscle but wasn’t really that defined. Then when I started back on the speed work and cleaned up my diet, I started to get more “ripped”. I also lost half to three quarters of a stone in weight. The weight loss was definitely attributed to the changes in my diet.

This is when I really started to see changes in my running. I was lighter, leaner, stronger and fitter than I’d ever been so its no surprise my times got so radically quicker. I’ve never been a slave to the scales but I’ve watched with interest my weight drop. However, my weight loss has been far more noticeable in my physique and face than any number on the scale can tell me. I can see it and feel it. Also, if you are looking to lose a bit of weight or change shape then photos are the way to go. Take them regularly and compare them over time to see real life progress.

Staying consistent

Staying consistent is probably the hardest thing with all aspects of training. But when it comes to strength work, you just won’t see the full benefits unless you do it consistently.

You don’t even need to go all out or lift heavy every time you train. Something is better than nothing so if you plan to do 3 rounds try to do them but if you only manage 2, that’s ok too. Make sure you mix things up, don’t get stuck doing the same exercises or lifting the same weights every time.

Consistency is key but so is learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Learning new movements can be hard so drop the ego and ensure you’re learning them correctly with weight that’s comfortable, even if you think its too easy. Trust me, good form is critical in working the right muscles correctly and avoiding injury.

There’s nothing more frustrating than going too heavy too and injuring yourself. Believe me, I’ve been there on more than one occasion! But most of all, learn to enjoy it. Yes it doesn’t have the freedom of running but there are so many benefits to be had from it that it’s a no brainer to fit into your schedule.

Most of my workouts are posted on my Instagram page if you want any inspiration. I am not a qualified personal trainer and everything in this post is based on my own knowledge and experience. If you’re unsure on strength work, do your research and/or contact a good PT, even if its just to get you started.

Next up will be nutrition, a big subject for me but it goes hand in hand with strength work.