In today’s episode, we’ll meet with Boulder-based strength and conditioning specialist – Chris Lee. Chris is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist, collegiate swimmer, and former professional triathlete. He is also a former head coach for the University of Colorado- Boulder swim team. Chris has also worked with the likes of Olympic team relay silver medalist Morgan Pearson, Drew Hunter, and Laura Thweatt.

We will discuss the benefits of strength training and how endurance athletes can incorporate programs into their schedule. We’ll also go into some of the considerations for special populations including youth athletes. Along those lines, we will also dive into current literature regarding injury rates and effects on performance for athletes who specialize in sport at an early age. Lastly, Chris will share his thoughts on the next big thing in strength and conditioning. We have a lot to dissect during this episode so let’s get ready to run with strength and conditioning specialist, Chris Lee.

What we talked about:

3:00- Background from athlete to strength coach

5:55- Principles of strength training for runners

9:15- Benefits of strength training

15:15- Initial assessment - "global -> local -> global" approach

19:00- Fitting strength training into your schedule

24:30- In-season and off-season lifting to maximize adaptations

27:05- Rate of force development

29:25- Return to sport continuum

35:25- Periodization

38:05- Plyometric training

42:50- Approach to strength training for youth athletes

45:15- Early sport specialization

52:00- Future trends in strength training

Show Notes:

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