The strength method most runners and cyclists aren’t using
- Emma O'Toole
- Feb 22
- 5 min read
Many runners and cyclists associate isometric exercises with rehabilitation, but when used properly they are one of the simplest and most effective strength tools for improving resilience, tendon health, and fatigue resistance. Isometric training builds force without joint movement, making it easier to recover from while still developing strength in the exact positions used repeatedly during running and cycling. In this article, Emma O’Toole explains the difference between overcoming and yielding isometrics, why both matter for endurance athletes, and highlights three practical isometric exercises that can improve durability, efficiency, and long-term training consistency.
Strength training for runners and cyclists over 30 is a game-changer for performance, resilience, and long-term health.
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TRAINING BREAKDOWN
"One of the simplest ways to build strength, improve resilience, and support the consistency that endurance performance actually depends on."
By Emma O'Toole
Hi there!
Earlier last week, Rob in the free community for runners and cyclists over 30 messaged saying his strength sessions were starting to feel a bit stale.
He’d been consistent, getting the work done, but felt like he needed something to freshen things up and challenge himself in a different way.
So I sent him over a new S&C routine to try.
A few of the exercises surprised him. They looked simple on paper, but once he got into the session, he realised very quickly they were working the exact areas he needed and in a way that felt different to what he’d been doing before.
He finished the session saying he’d enjoyed it far more than expected and felt surprisingly challenged.
That routine was built around isometrics.
Isometrics are a type of strength training that consistently earns its place in an endurance athlete’s programme because it’s simple, effective, and adaptable.
An isometric contraction is where the muscle produces force without changing length. The joint angle stays the same, but the muscle is working.
They’re often first introduced to runners and cyclists through the physio room and in a rehab context, however when used properly, isometrics can help improve strength, support tendon health, and help you maintain posture and efficiency as you begin to fatigue on your runs and rides, making them a year-round essential part of your strength training programmes.
Types of isometrics
Not all isometrics do the same job. There are two main types you’ll see in strength training.
1. Overcoming isometrics:
With overcoming isometrics, you are trying to push or pull against something that will not move.
For example:
Pushing into a pinned barbell in a squat position
Driving into safety pins in a split squat
Pulling against an immovable object
The key here is intent. You are trying to produce as much force as possible, even though nothing moves.
For endurance athletes, overcoming isometrics are useful because they:
Improve neural drive and force production
Come with very little muscle soreness
Create minimal fatigue compared to heavy lifting
Can be used close to races or key sessions as strength primers
These low volume, very short, typically under 10 second maximal efforts, are a great option when you want to challenge your body and not induce much fatigue.
2. Yielding isometrics
Yielding isometrics are what most runners and cyclists will use most often.
This is where you hold a position while resisting load.
Examples include:
Wall sits
Single-leg calf raise holds
Hamstring bridge holds
Split squat holds
Plank holds
These are extremely valuable for endurance athletes because they:
Build tissue tolerance
Improve tendon stiffness
Strengthen key joint positions used repeatedly in running and cycling
Are simple to recover from when programmed sensibly
And importantly, they can often be done almost anywhere. Bodyweight alone is enough to start, and load can be added progressively when needed.
My top 3 yielding isometrics for runners and cyclists
If I had to pick three yielding isometrics that cover the biggest demands placed on endurance athletes, these would be the ones.
1. Wall sit
The wall sit targets the quadriceps and builds tolerance around the knee.
For runners, this helps improve tolerance to repeated knee loading, particularly useful if anterior knee irritation has ever been an issue.
For cyclists, it reflects the sustained knee angles held during longer rides and time trial efforts.
It’s simple to do, easy to progress and very effective.
2. Single-leg hamstring bridge hold
This is one of the most underrated exercises for endurance athletes.
You can start with your foot on the floor, which keeps the lever shorter and makes the exercise more accessible as you don’t need any equipment.
Moving the heel further away from the body increases the lever and the demand on the hamstrings. Elevating the foot on a bench can make it easier to maintain this longer-lever position and often increases the challenge.
It helps:
Strengthen the posterior chain
Support hip extension mechanics
Improve hamstring resilience
Provide strength stimulus without spinal loading
For endurance athletes managing running volume or long hours on the bike, this is a very practical option.
3. Single-leg calf raise hold
This one is essential.
Running and cycling both place significant repetitive load through the calf and Achilles complex.
A single-leg calf raise hold helps:
Improve force transfer into the ground or pedal
Build Achilles tendon capacity (an injury hotspot for endurance athletes)
Improve tolerance to repeated loading
Support running and cycling efficiency
It can be done in a straight leg or bent knee position progressing from bodyweight to relatively high load based on your current strength and experience.
Isometrics are not a shortcut and they’re certainly not just rehab exercises.
They are one of the simplest ways to build strength, improve resilience, and support the consistency that endurance performance actually depends on.
This is not about replacing your entire strength programme with isometrics, rather they are a tool.
Earlier in a training block, they help build capacity and durability.
Closer to races, overcoming isometrics can maintain strength and neuromuscular readiness without creating unnecessary soreness. High-quality, shorter yielding isometrics can be programmed to support conditioning.
If you’re unsure where to get started with isometric training and would like a free copy of my follow-along isometric focused strength session, the one that Rob used, head over to my free community for runners and cyclists over 30 and I’ll send it over to you.
Happy running and riding!
Emma x
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