Why Strength Training Will Make You a Better Mountain Athlete

Myths About Strength Training

There are tons of opinions about strength training out there, and it can be difficult to figure out which aren’t BS. Some people think strength training is the special sauce that solves all of your problems; others warn that it will make you bulky and hurt performance. Like most things, the truth lies somewhere in between. When done right, strength training can take your mountain sports to the next level and help you feel better while doing it.

In this post, the first of a four-part series, we’ll flag misconceptions about strength training. While this information applies to all mountain athletes, we’ll focus on the athletes most concerned about bulk: road and gravel cyclists, XC mountain bikers, XC skiers, climbers, trail runners, and hikers/mountaineers.  

The Common Misconceptions

Strength training will make you gain weight and slow you down

When most people think of strength training, they imagine bodybuilders (like young Arnold). While bodybuilders certainly use strength training to gain size, a well-written program for mountain athletes won’t have that effect at all. Variables like the weight used, exercise selection, and rep count determine how your body will respond. In fact, regardless of how hard endurance mountain athletes strength train, most find it very hard to gain weight  because all the mileage tells their body to cut unnecessary weight and size. Strength training will help you find the happy middle ground, making you more efficient and powerful for your size. 

Strength training places too much stress on the joints

You may have heard someone say that squatting will hurt your knees, deadlifting will hurt your back, yada yada yada…We’ve all seen the cringey videos of people hurting themselves in the gym. However, the research shows that regular strength training will actually keep your joints healthy and improve mobility. Strength training will not only help you achieve greater ranges of motion, but also improve control over those ranges. Every mountain sport trains some types of mobility, but not all types. A road cyclist, for instance, rides in fairly static positions for long periods of time. Cycling alone won’t train mobility for everyday tasks, like reaching for something heavy on a top shelf or squatting to pick up something from the ground.

Strength training will make you too tired to play outside

Strength training doesn’t have to make you exhausted! There’s a time and a place to go all out in the gym, but when mountain sports are your focus, strength training can be short and sweet but still effective. Friend of OTM Charlie Sturgis, an avid skier, climber, cyclist, and Park City legend, is 72-years-old and trains that way. He calls it “Charlie’s no sweat workout.”   

About the Author

Alex Wetmore is the director of online coaching for Off The Mountain and earned his Ph.D. in sport physiology & performance from East Tennessee State University. Alex has worked with athletes at all levels from youth to Olympians. Alex uses his understanding of physiology to help others thrive, on and off the mountain.