Our 12 Week Distance Athlete is the program we use at MBSC with all of our Endurance Athletes. The program contains three 4-week phases, with each new phase adding variation, progression, and different stimuli to avoid plateaus and allow for adaptation.
Why is it important for an endurance athlete to strength train?
We use the bucket analogy. Endurance athletes walk through our doors not needing any more supplemental endurance work. That bucket is full, and often overflowing. Their Strength bucket, however, tends to be lacking if not completely empty. We Strength train to reduce and prevent over-use injury like Plantar Fasciitis, Patella Tendinitis, Shin Splints, etc.
Where do I access this program?
Follow the link we have provided here (https://www.exercise.com/app) and also visit the App Store on your iPhone or Android and search “Exercise.com”. There you can download the mobile app, sign in, and find your purchased program.
I just bought the program, and am confused about the structure of it?
Starting with foam rolling and ending with “Reaching SLDL” constitutes our warm up. This should be completed 1 time through. From there, we have included 4 circuits or supersets. The first is a Light Implement Power circuit, where you will be throwing med-balls and jumping or bounding. After that you will strength train. The strength portion consists of 3 circuits or supersets typically of 2-3 exercises. Take the first block for example: Kettlebell Deadlift 2 x 8 and Front Plank 2 x :20. You would do 8 reps of the Deadlift, then do a :20 Front Plank. Go through that circuit twice and then move on to the next. The chainlinks in the program indicate which exercises are parts of a superset.
How does the program finish each day, do I condition, do I stretch afterwards?
We have not included Conditioning. Like we said earlier, that "bucket" is full. We encourage our Distance Athletes to use our program to supplement the Endurance program they are using for their specific sport. If you have time to stretch after, simply follow the Warm Up protocol provided at the beginning of the workout. We highly recommend that you do!
If I have any questions, or need help, who can I reach out to?
Email Ken Whittier @ [email protected] or Steve Bigelow @ [email protected]
Michael Boyle
Michael Boyle is one of the foremost experts in the fields of Strength and Conditioning, Functional Training and general fitness. He currently spends his time lecturing, teaching, training and writing. In 1996 Michael co founded Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, one of the first for-profit strength and conditioning companies in the world. Prior to Co- founding Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, Michael served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Boston University for 15 years, also for the past 25 years he has been the Strength and Conditioning Coach for Men's Ice Hockey at Boston University. Mike also was the Boston Red Sox strength and conditioning coach in 2013 that won the World Series. In addition to his duties at Boston University and the Red Sox, from 1991-1999 Boyle served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. Michael was also the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the 1998 US Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team, Gold Medalists in Nagano and 2014 Silver medalists in Sochi, and served as a consultant in the development of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
