Training for Strength and Endurance: Concepts in Concurrent Training

Concurrent training is simultaneously working to improve both strength and endurance capacity. This topic is of vital importance to the strength group, as the focus of this program involves improving capacity of all types of exercise. Unfortunately the physiological adaptations of strength training compete with the adaptations of endurance training (Fyfe et al., 2014). This is simply known as the concurrent training effect. Understanding some of the basics of research in concurrent training will allow the construction of more effective training programs, assist in avoiding over training, and allow for constant progress in both endurance and strength.

Research in concurrent training originated with exercise physiologist RC Hickson, a powerlifter. He began a running program one day to improve his overall health and fitness, and noticed a decline in his strength performance. Hickson’s original experiment compared three groups: a strength training only group, a running only group, and a group which combined both programs (Hickson, 1980). The most marked result of the study was that when compared to the strength only group, the combined group saw decreased strength improvement during the latter stages (weeks 7 through 10) of the program (Hickson, 1980).

Since Hickson’s study, this phenomena has been extensively researched. While exercise physiologists haven’t quite figured out exactly why the concurrent training effect happens, they have identified that the effect is partially dependent on the duration, frequency, intensity, and type of endurance training utilized (Baar, 2014; Wilson et al., 2012). As is the case with all exercise, there is an individualized aspect to the effect as well. This means that for some athletes the concurrent training effect will be less pronounced or even non-existent. Some points to highlight based on current research:

·       Separating endurance training from strength/power training by time (3 hours or more) reduces the strength/power attenuation of concurrent training (Baar, 2014)

·       Changing the order of training in one session does not reduce the concurrent training effect (i.e. it doesn’t matter if you do strength OR endurance first in a single session, your strength and power development will suffer) (Chtara et al., 2008)

·       The effect is the most pronounced for running; cycling and other types of endurance training causes less interference with strength and power development (Wilson et al., 2012)

·       Avoid long duration endurance exercise (>30 minutes) more than 3 times per week (Wilson et al., 2012)

·       Focus on endurance training of a shorter duration but performed at a much higher intensity (Wilson et al., 2012)

 

References

Baar, K. (2014). Using molecular biology to maximize concurrent training. Sports Medicine, 44, S117-S125.

Chtara, M., Chaouachi, A., Levin, G. T., Chaouoachi, K. C., Amri, M., & Laursen, P. (2008). Effect of concurrent endurance and circuit resistance training sequence on muscular strength and power development. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22, 1037-1045.

Fyfe, J. J., Bishop, D. J., & Stepto, N. K. (2014). Interference between concurrent resistance and endurance exercises: molecular bases and the role of individual training variables. Sports Medicine, 44, 743-762.

Hickson, R. C. (1980). Interference of strength development by simultaneously training for strength and endurance. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 45, 255-263.

Wilson, J. M., Marin, P. J., Rhea, M. R., Wilson, S. M. C., Loenneke, J. P., & Anderson, J. C. (2012). Concurrent training: a meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2293-2307.