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Get better at your sport with strength training
Katharine asked for help, became a beginner again and trusted her coach to adjust along the way.
Katharine was already an experienced endurance athlete. But when it came to lifting weights, she was a beginner. 10 months later, strength training has helped her become stronger, more confident and better at the sports she loves.
You might run marathons, cycle hundreds of kilometres or consider yourself pretty fit.
But that doesn't necessarily mean you feel confident walking into the weights area of a gym.
And what if learning something new could actually make you better at the sport you already love, and help you keep doing it for longer?
An experienced athlete, but new to weights
It's not about replacing the sport you love. It's about building a stronger body to support it.
At 40, Katharine had years of experience in triathlons, long-distance running and road cycling.
But there was one area she'd always neglected.
"I already did a lot of cardio but have always neglected the strength side of things."
She wanted to build muscle, support her bone health as she got older and improve her power on the bike.
But despite all her sporting experience, lifting weights felt intimidating.
So she decided to ask for help and embrace being a beginner again.
Learning to lift with confidence
Katharine describes herself as a perfectionist. She likes to understand what she's doing and know she's performing each exercise correctly.
That's where Coach Juliette has made a difference.
"Juliette is very precise and makes time to explain and answer my questions, which I really appreciate."
Juliette loves Katharine's curiosity and willingness to learn.
And the confidence she's gained is clear.
"I now know that I could go to another gym and train on my own (for example when travelling) without worrying so much about form and what I might be doing wrong."
When training needed to adapt
Back in February, Katharine's health meant Juliette had to adapt her programme, reducing her strength training to once a week.
Since then, Katharine has regained her energy and continued building strength.
Today, she's lifting heavier weights and hitting new cycling power personal bests.
Juliette says one of the most rewarding changes is seeing Katharine regain her energy and confidence. Even when she arrives mentally tired from work, she's often the one asking to add more weight.
Recently, she completed 8 deadlift repetitions at 55kg, approaching her own bodyweight.
Quite a change from someone who once felt intimidated by weights!
Why strength training matters when you already do sport
"As a road-cyclist we are always looking for ways to be faster and produce more power to climb up the hills so this has definitely been a motivating factor."
Strength training helps improve force production, build muscle and strengthen the tissues that support movement.
For cyclists, it can support power production. For runners, it can improve running economy. And appropriately programmed strength training can help reduce injury risk in many sports.
Small commitment, meaningful progress
One of Katharine's biggest surprises has been how much progress she's made with just one strength session per week.
"What sometimes feels like a small stimulus (one hour just once a week in my case) all builds up to more than you can imagine."
While her cycling improvements reflect several factors, including her recovery and endurance training, strength training has become a valuable part of her routine.
And her motivation goes beyond cycling performance.
"I'm thinking of this process as getting comfortable with lifting, building a consistent habit now and it will be an investment for now and later life."
Do the hard thing. Be a beginner again.
We'll meet you where you are.
Katharine was already fit when she joined ATTIKA.
But she recognised there was another part of her fitness worth developing.
She was willing to become a beginner again, learn new skills and trust her coach to guide and adapt her training along the way.
Now she's stronger, more confident and seeing the benefits in a sport she already loves.
Just because you're already good at one sport doesn't mean there isn't another part of your fitness worth developing.
Sometimes, becoming a beginner again is exactly what helps you move forward.
And the strength you build along the way can help you keep doing what you love for years to come.
Katharine was already an experienced endurance athlete. But when it came to lifting weights, she was a beginner. 10 months later, strength training has helped her become stronger, more confident and better at the sports she loves.
You might run marathons, cycle hundreds of kilometres or consider yourself pretty fit.
But that doesn't necessarily mean you feel confident walking into the weights area of a gym.
And what if learning something new could actually make you better at the sport you already love, and help you keep doing it for longer?
An experienced athlete, but new to weights
It's not about replacing the sport you love. It's about building a stronger body to support it.
At 40, Katharine had years of experience in triathlons, long-distance running and road cycling.
But there was one area she'd always neglected.
"I already did a lot of cardio but have always neglected the strength side of things."
She wanted to build muscle, support her bone health as she got older and improve her power on the bike.
But despite all her sporting experience, lifting weights felt intimidating.
So she decided to ask for help and embrace being a beginner again.
Learning to lift with confidence
Katharine describes herself as a perfectionist. She likes to understand what she's doing and know she's performing each exercise correctly.
That's where Coach Juliette has made a difference.
"Juliette is very precise and makes time to explain and answer my questions, which I really appreciate."
Juliette loves Katharine's curiosity and willingness to learn.
And the confidence she's gained is clear.
"I now know that I could go to another gym and train on my own (for example when travelling) without worrying so much about form and what I might be doing wrong."
When training needed to adapt
Back in February, Katharine's health meant Juliette had to adapt her programme, reducing her strength training to once a week.
Since then, Katharine has regained her energy and continued building strength.
Today, she's lifting heavier weights and hitting new cycling power personal bests.
Juliette says one of the most rewarding changes is seeing Katharine regain her energy and confidence. Even when she arrives mentally tired from work, she's often the one asking to add more weight.
Recently, she completed 8 deadlift repetitions at 55kg, approaching her own bodyweight.
Quite a change from someone who once felt intimidated by weights!
Why strength training matters when you already do sport
"As a road-cyclist we are always looking for ways to be faster and produce more power to climb up the hills so this has definitely been a motivating factor."
Strength training helps improve force production, build muscle and strengthen the tissues that support movement.
For cyclists, it can support power production. For runners, it can improve running economy. And appropriately programmed strength training can help reduce injury risk in many sports.
Small commitment, meaningful progress
One of Katharine's biggest surprises has been how much progress she's made with just one strength session per week.
"What sometimes feels like a small stimulus (one hour just once a week in my case) all builds up to more than you can imagine."
While her cycling improvements reflect several factors, including her recovery and endurance training, strength training has become a valuable part of her routine.
And her motivation goes beyond cycling performance.
"I'm thinking of this process as getting comfortable with lifting, building a consistent habit now and it will be an investment for now and later life."
Do the hard thing. Be a beginner again.
We'll meet you where you are.
Katharine was already fit when she joined ATTIKA.
But she recognised there was another part of her fitness worth developing.
She was willing to become a beginner again, learn new skills and trust her coach to guide and adapt her training along the way.
Now she's stronger, more confident and seeing the benefits in a sport she already loves.
Just because you're already good at one sport doesn't mean there isn't another part of your fitness worth developing.
Sometimes, becoming a beginner again is exactly what helps you move forward.
And the strength you build along the way can help you keep doing what you love for years to come.
