Strength Training Improves Endurance: How It Can Help You Reach Your Goals

Leigh’s success wasn’t just about running. It was about building strength, endurance, and confidence through consistent strength training. Here’s how High Intensity SAFE Strength Training (HIST) empowers you to reach your goals—whether you’re training for a race, improving your fitness, or simply living life to the fullest.

1. Strength Training Improves Endurance and Stamina

You might not think of strength training as a tool for runners or endurance athletes, but it’s a game-changer. Stronger muscles mean you can go further and faster without getting fatigued.

In fact, research from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research shows that adding strength training to an endurance program improves running economy, meaning you use less energy to maintain your pace. For Leigh, this meant powering through every mile with greater efficiency and less fatigue.

With HIST, you’ll train your muscles to work harder, longer, and more effectively—making every activity, from running to daily tasks, feel easier.

2. Building Stronger Legs and Core for Better Performance

Running is about more than just your legs—it requires a strong core, stable hips, and balanced muscles to maintain form and avoid injury. Leigh’s strength training sessions included:

• Squats and lunges to strengthen quads, hamstrings, and glutes
• Deadlifts and bridges to support her hips and lower back
• Core stabilization exercises to improve posture and balance

These exercises are foundational in our HIST program, helping you build the strength and stability needed for running, lifting, and everyday movement.

Scientific Insight: A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that runners who included lower-body strength training in their routines reduced their risk of injury by over 50%.

3. Strength Training Prevents Injuries and Strengthens Joints

Strength training doesn’t just make you faster—it keeps you injury-free. Running can be tough on joints, especially the knees and ankles. But when you strengthen the muscles that support these joints, you reduce impact strain and avoid common injuries like shin splints and runner’s knee.

Our High Intensity SAFE Strength Training (HIST) program focuses on controlled, joint-friendly movements, so you can build strength without risking injury. Leigh’s consistent strength training helped her run pain-free and recover faster after her race.

4. Boosting Confidence and Mental Toughness
The strength you build in the gym isn’t just physical—it’s mental. Pushing through that last rep in a tough workout teaches you resilience, determination, and confidence. It’s the same grit that powers you through the last mile of a race.

Strength training also boosts your mood by releasing endorphins—your body’s natural stress relievers. According to research from the American Psychological Association, regular strength training is linked to reduced anxiety and improved self-esteem. Leigh crossed the finish line not only stronger but more confident—and you can, too.

5. Helping You Achieve More in Less Time
One of the biggest advantages of HIST is that it delivers maximum results in minimal time. Just like Leigh, you don’t need hours in the gym to see progress. Our 25-minute, twice-weekly sessions are designed to:

• Build strength efficiently by targeting all major muscle groups
• Push your body to momentary muscular failure (MMF), maximizing gains in less time
• Give you plenty of time for recovery, which is crucial for performance improvement

Scientific Insight: Research from James Steele, Ph.D., shows that brief, high intensity strength training sessions can produce the same strength and endurance gains as longer, more frequent workouts.

How Strength Training Leads to Life-Changing Results—Just Like Leigh’s 5K Finish

Leigh’s Glam Run 5K success is proof that strength training is about more than building muscle—it’s about building possibilities. When you commit to getting stronger, you open the door to new accomplishments:

• Running faster, longer, and stronger
• Preventing injuries and staying active for life
• Boosting your confidence and mental resilience
• Reaching new milestones in and out of the gym

At Rock Solid Fitness, we help people just like Leigh transform their strength into real-world results. Whether your goal is to run a race, lift heavier, or simply feel more capable every day, our High Intensity SAFE Strength Training program will get you there—efficiently and safely.

Are you ready to discover how strength training can help you crush your next goal? Try a free training session at Rock Solid Fitness and experience the difference that strength makes—because strength changes everything.