Training by sport and goal

How to adapt general training principles to your specific sport: running, combat sports, CrossFit, bodybuilding and more.

Why a maximal strength programme does not serve a marathon runner

The body adapts specifically to the exact stimulus it receives: movement pattern, joint range, contraction speed and energy system used. How well a gym exercise transfers to your sport depends on how closely they match across 5 aspects at once (mechanics, energy system, contraction speed, technical complexity and mental demand), not just on 'looking similar'. The most common mistake is maximising only the visual resemblance of an exercise and ignoring the other four.

How to apply it

• Do not assume an exercise 'transfers' to your sport just because the movement looks similar: also check speed, energy system and technical demand
• If a machine exercise mimics the movement but at slow speed, it probably transfers less than you think

The demands profile: the tool for analysing any sport

Before programming for a sport, it is worth answering 6 questions: which energy system dominates, whether it demands maximal strength or speed or strength endurance, whether the effort is single or repeated or intermittent, which joints and planes of movement predominate, whether the environment is predictable or changing, and which injuries are typical of that discipline. Most sports are mixed, not pure: saying 'football is aerobic' is a simplification that leads to badly calibrated programmes.

How to apply it

• Before copying a routine 'for your sport' off the internet, ask yourself whether you really know the actual demands profile of what you play
• Remember the profile describes the sport on average: your specific position or role within it may demand something different

General vs. specific: how much of each depending on your competition date

The further you are from competing, the more weight general work should carry (base strength, aerobic capacity, fundamental technique); the closer you get, the more weight specific work should carry (race pace, technique under fatigue, simulations). Programming the whole year the same way, without raising the specific component as the date approaches, is one of the most common planning errors among amateur athletes.

How to apply it

• If you compete or have a dated event, gradually increase how closely your training resembles real competition conditions as it approaches
• Out of season, do not be afraid to train 'generic' things (base strength, aerobic work) even if they look nothing like the competitive movement

Strength for runners: why lifting weights makes you run better

Strength training is not optional for a runner: it improves running economy (how much energy you spend at a given pace) and reduces overuse injuries. The evidence favours heavy, low-rep strength (2–4 sets of 3–6 reps, 80–90% 1RM) over high-volume strength endurance, because the heavy stimulus improves the muscle-tendon stiffness relevant to efficient running, without adding the fatigue of high volume.

How to apply it

• If you run seriously, add 1–2 heavy strength sessions (low reps) a week, not high-volume circuits
• Most runner injuries come from raising mileage too fast: control your weekly increase before looking at your shoes

Combat sports: the real danger of 'making weight'

In sports with weight categories it is common to dehydrate heavily before the weigh-in and rehydrate afterwards. Losing more than 5% of your body weight in 24–48 h through severe fluid restriction is associated with worse cognitive and cardiovascular function and a higher risk of acute medical complications, especially if repeated in categories well below your natural weight. There is growing consensus among federations to limit this practice and promote long-term weight management instead of aggressive last-minute cuts.

How to apply it

• If you compete in weight categories, plan your weight management weeks in advance, not as an abrupt 24–48 hour cut
• A repeated extreme weight cut season after season has real health costs; it is not just 'part of the sport'

CrossFit: train your weak point, not what you already dominate

Unlike a sprinter refining a single quality, CrossFit is deliberately designed not to have a single demand profile: it combines weightlifting, gymnastics and metabolic conditioning in varying proportions. That is why the programming strategy changes: instead of maximising your strong point, you identify your relative weakness (weightlifting technique, gymnastics, high-intensity endurance) and prioritise it. Combining heavy lifts, gymnastics with a high eccentric component and intense metabolic work in a single session generates accumulated fatigue that is hard to calculate: watch your total weekly volume, not just each session's.

How to apply it

• Honestly identify which of the three areas (lifting, gymnastics, metabolic) is your real weakness and give it programming priority
• Watch your accumulated weekly fatigue, not just whether each individual WOD 'feels fine'

Bodybuilding: the only 'sport' with no movement to transfer

Unlike any other sport, in bodybuilding there is no motor action to improve (you do not need to run faster or jump higher): the goal is the visual appearance of the muscle. This inverts the usual logic of choosing exercises by their resemblance to a sporting action: here you choose them by their ability to generate tension and fatigue in the specific muscle you want to develop, even if the movement (like a leg extension) is 'useless' outside the gym.

How to apply it

• If your goal is purely aesthetic, do not dismiss isolation exercises for not being 'functional': that is precisely their point
• Remember that bulking and cutting phases are long cycles (months), not week-to-week changes

The psychological risk of chasing a competition physique

Long, aggressive calorie deficits before a physique competition, combined with being judged literally on your bodily appearance, have been linked to a higher risk of disordered eating patterns and a distorted relationship with your own body (muscle dysmorphia), especially in young athletes or those with a history of vulnerability. This is not a rare exception: it is a documented and well-known risk within the sport itself.

How to apply it

• If you are preparing a physique competition, prioritise a gradual approach with professional supervision, not the most aggressive deficit possible
• Watch for signs that your relationship with food or your body image is becoming dysfunctional, and seek help if they appear