Runners & Riders: Reformer + Strength for Endurance
If you’re a runner pounding the pavement around Zurich’s lakeside or a cyclist zipping through the Swiss hills, you know endurance is king. But what if we told you that adding Reformer Pilates and Strength training could make you an even stronger runner or rider? Endurance athletes often stick to their miles and rides, wary of the weight room or unfamiliar workouts. However, cross-training with Reformer Pilates and functional strength can be the secret weapon that takes your running or cycling to the next level. In this post, we’ll explore why endurance fiends (runners, cyclists, triathletes – we’re talking to you) should incorporate Reformer + Strength, and how exactly it benefits your performance and longevity in the sport.
Control + Strength: The Missing Pieces in Endurance
Endurance training understandably focuses on the engine – your heart, lungs, and the repetitive motion of your sport. But often what limits performance isn’t the engine at all; it’s the chassis – your structural and muscular system. Runners commonly battle issues like knee pain, IT band tightness, or shin splints. Cyclists often have tight hips, weak cores, or recurring back and neck aches from long hours in the saddle. These usually stem from imbalances, poor movement mechanics, or simply not having enough strength in certain ranges of motion.
This is where Reformer Pilates comes in with the control and alignment element, and strength training with the raw power and stability. Reformer exercises emphasize eccentric control (lengthening muscles under tension) and range of motion, which can do wonders for a runner’s stride and a cyclist’s pedal stroke. For instance, a classic reformer drill like footwork or skating (side lunges on the moving carriage) trains you to apply force evenly through a full extension of your leg while keeping your core stable and hips level. That’s directly relevant to running, where you want a powerful push-off without your pelvis tilting or knees caving in. It’s also gold for cycling – stronger, more stable leg drive with each pedal and better hip-knee-ankle alignment.
Strength training brings in something endurance athletes often lack: force production capacity and muscular resilience. Distance running and cycling are sub-maximal efforts repeated ad nauseam. By occasionally training above that level (like doing weighted squats or explosive bodyweight moves), you raise your ceiling. Research shows that strength training can improve running economy (how efficiently you use oxygen at a given pace) by making each stride require less relative effort. It’s like upgrading your horsepower. Cyclists see similar gains; heavy resistance work can enhance pedal efficiency and sprint power at the end of a race.
Another key point: injury prevention. Pilates improves flexibility and strengthens stabilizing muscles around joints, while strength training increases the robustness of tendons and connective tissue. For runners, stronger glutes and core mean less pounding on knees and spine; flexible calves and hamstrings mean less strain on the Achilles and plantar fascia. For cyclists, a stronger upper back and core alleviate neck and shoulder fatigue on long rides, and stable knees from strong quads/hamstrings reduce the risk of knee pain despite all those revolutions.
In short, Reformer + Strength gives endurance athletes what their main training doesn’t: better movement quality (control, flexibility) and higher maximal strength. The result is you run or ride more efficiently (faster for same effort) and more safely (less prone to the typical overuse injuries).
Drills That Carry Over to Your Sport
Let’s get specific with a few examples of exercises we do at Protagonist and how they directly benefit runners and riders:
Reformer “Running” (Footwork on the Reformer): We have a drill on the reformer where you lie on your back and simulate a running motion on the moving carriage – one foot pressing away, the other bending, in a smooth alternating rhythm. The springs provide resistance, and we cue you to keep equal pressure through the toe and heel as you press. This does a few things: it strengthens your ankle stability and foot muscles (often weak in runners), it promotes a full hip extension (great for generating power in running stride, where many people stay too bent at the hip), and it trains you to distribute force evenly (no more favoring one leg). Athletes love the feedback – you can see/feel if one leg is lagging because the carriage might wobble or your timing gets off. Over time, this can improve your running form by reinforcing a powerful push-off and proper foot mechanics while keeping your pelvis steady (the reformer carriage helps detect hip drop or twist).
Single-Leg Squats or Lunges (Strength): We often program Bulgarian split squats or step-ups – brutal but effective unilateral leg work. For a runner or cyclist, single-leg strength is paramount, because running is essentially a series of single-leg hops, and cycling, though both legs, often one dominates unconsciously. By doing split squats, you iron out discrepancies in strength between left/right and build serious glute and quad strength that directly translates to pushing off the ground or pedals. We add tempos, like a slow lower and explosive rise, to mimic the loading and quick power generation you need in hill running or sprinting. Runners have reported that after a cycle of consistent split squats, hills that used to gas them became easier – that’s those glutes firing better (biggest muscle in running up hills) and also the mental familiarity of that “burn” from training.
Core “Anti-Rotation” and “Anti-Extension” (Pilates & Strength): Endurance folks need core stability above all – the ability to keep their torso steady while limbs move. We love exercises like plank with alternating arm/leg lifts (on reformer or floor) and Pallof presses (using a band or cable) where you resist rotation. A strong core means when you fatigue at mile 20, your form doesn’t collapse – you maintain efficient posture. Cyclists benefit by being able to transfer power from legs to pedals without energy leaks from a swaying torso. One drill we do: seated arm work on the reformer – you sit on carriage, hold straps and perform arm circles or punches while the machine wants to pull you side to side. Your core and hips must stabilize; it simulates maintaining upper body control while legs pump – very cycling-esque (think of how your core keeps you stable on the saddle as you pedal). We had a triathlete member note that after doing those, she felt more solid in aero position on her TT bike, not wobbling at high effort.
Hamstring Curls and Bridges (Reformer & Mat): Runners and cyclists often have dominant quads and weaker hamstrings. We attack that imbalance with exercises like hamstring curls on the reformer (feet in straps or on the footbar) and single-leg bridges on the mat. This not only helps with knee injury prevention (strong hamstrings protect the knee), but also boosts your posterior chain power. Strong hamstrings contribute to a better “paw-back” motion in running (when your foot pulls behind you) and to the upstroke in cycling (especially if you use clip-in pedals). Improved hamstring strength and flexibility also lengthen your stride and cadence efficiency – you’re less likely to overstride (a common running flaw leading to braking force and injury) when you have the strength to cycle your legs more fluidly.
Upper Body Rows and Pulls (Strength): Endurance athletes sometimes neglect upper body, but it does play a role. Runners use arm drive for momentum and to counterbalance leg motion; if your arms get weak and tired, your form suffers. Cyclists, especially mountain bikers or sprinters, need a strong upper body to handle the bike and leverage power in a sprint. We include basic pulls like dumbbell rows, pull-ups (or assisted versions), and even some push-ups. These build a stronger back and shoulders. The carryover: runners often report less slouching as they tire (since we strengthened those postural muscles) and better arm swing late in races to maintain speed. Cyclists notice they can hold a low aero position longer without neck/shoulder pain, because their upper back endurance improved and they can support body weight on handlebars more comfortably.
How to Pair With Miles in a Week
You might be thinking, “Great, but I’m already training X times a week for my marathon or cycling event – how do I fit this in?” It’s all about smart scheduling and quality over quantity.
For most recreational endurance athletes, we suggest starting with 2 sessions a week of Reformer + Strength cross-training. One could be more Pilates-focused, one more strength-focused, or our hybrid classes that combine both (convenient!). Ideally, place them on days that complement your key workouts. For example, if Wednesday is your hard interval run day, maybe do a Pilates/strength session Tuesday (to prime muscles) or Thursday (to aid recovery and still build strength without heavy impact). Many find doing strength on a moderately hard day (like after a shorter run) works, keeping easy days truly easy for recovery.
An example week for a runner:
Mon: Easy run or rest
Tue: Strength/Pilates session (focus on form and core) + short run (optional)
Wed: Hard workout run (tempo or intervals)
Thu: Recovery run or rest + gentle reformer stretching (even an at-home few stretches we can suggest)
Fri: Strength session (maybe heavier, since no intense run today)
Sat: Long run
Sun: Rest or easy cycle (cross-training cardio)
For a cyclist:
You might replace runs with rides obviously, but similar concept: slip in a strength day on a lighter ride day or as second workout separate from a key ride. Many cyclists do gym in off-season but we advocate year-round at least once a week to maintain the gains. So maybe Wed and Sat you hit a class, with adequate spacing from your long weekend rides.
In season, frequency can drop to once a week just to maintain, but in off-season or base phase, 2 sessions is excellent to build a foundation. Elite endurance athletes incorporate these things all the time now – it’s becoming standard because it works (and yes, even elite marathoners lift nowadays, debunking the myth it slows you down).
A key tip: listen to your body. If you’re new to these exercises, ease in. Initially legs might be sore from split squats and that’s okay – maybe adjust your next day’s run intensity accordingly. Over a few weeks, your body adapts and you’ll likely find you can hit it hard in both domains because you’re stronger and more resilient. We monitor that with our members; we encourage noting how you feel and we can adjust the load in class if we know you have a race or very long session coming.
Real Member Wins
Let’s share a story: one of our members, Daniel, is an avid recreational cyclist (does local races on weekends). He joined our classes initially to appease an injury – recurring knee pain – and was worried it’d take time away from biking. We worked on his glute strength, core, and hip mobility. Within a month, his knee pain significantly subsided (the combination of targeted strength and reformer stretches did the trick, likely by correcting his tracking and reducing strain on the joint). Not only that, but he PR’d on a familiar hill climb segment he rides weekly – he was a few percent faster. His testimonial: “I felt like I could put more power down without my torso rocking. And when I stood up to sprint, I actually used my arms and core more efficiently – I always thought cycling was just legs, but now I get it’s full-body.” That was a huge win – applying what we did in class to his sport directly.
Another, Maria, a marathon runner, credited Pilates work for her improved posture and breathing. She said in her last half-marathon, in the final miles when everyone was hunching over, she stayed upright and kept her form smooth – something she struggled with before. She ended with a personal best time and felt less beaten up in the days after. She attributes it to stronger deep core muscles and better hip flexibility; she could lengthen her stride a bit and maintain pace instead of shuffling at the end.
These are the kinds of results that get us excited. Endurance athletes sometimes worry cross-training will bulk them up or interfere. The reality is, the way we program it – focusing on functional, relative strength (not bodybuilder hypertrophy) and mobility – it synergizes with endurance training. As a bonus, many find it renews their enthusiasm and prevents burnout. Mentally, doing something aside from just miles can keep training fresh.
And let’s not forget the pure fun element: there’s something satisfying about discovering new capabilities. Runners often get a kick out of finally doing a pull-up or holding a 2-minute plank; cyclists find challenge in dynamic moves not just steady-state spinning. That confidence can carry back into their main sport – a sense of being a well-rounded athlete, not just narrowly specialized.
If you’re a runner or rider, consider this your invitation to break out of the straight-line monotony a bit and invest in the “chassis” that supports your high-powered engine. Join us for some Reformer + Strength work, and watch those endurance gains get an extra gear. As we like to say: train smarter, then go farther.
Protagonist Zurich | Reformer Pilates & Strength Boutique Studio