Strength Training,
Running Volume
& Lateral Hip Pain

Running Update: Building Volume the Right Way

Training volume is gradually building, and last week was a solid step forward. The week finished at 38km of running, including a 19km long run at 5:12/km pace. The standout session was 12 × 200m hill sprints at Brimbank — every bit as tough as they sound, totalling close to 10km on their own.

That hill session did leave more fatigue than ideal heading into Sunday's long run. Not perfect, but that's the reality of training — you work with the recovery you've got and adjust where needed. This week should land around the 40km mark, so the overall direction is positive: gradual progression without doing anything reckless.

"Nothing groundbreaking. Just consistent work stacked week after week. That's usually what drives progress."

Strength Training: Soreness Isn't the Goal

The new training block has started well. Monday's box squats were a highlight — though in hindsight, following two bigger runs over the weekend, it probably should have been a recovery day. Sometimes the urge to train legs wins. And the price was paid: 100kg for 10 reps felt far heavier than it should have.

Why We're Using Box Squats

The box squat is a valuable tool for building strength out of the bottom position of a squat. By pausing on the box, you remove momentum and force the body to produce force from a dead stop — often the exact sticking point for people who struggle to stand up out of heavier squats. It's a deliberate, controlled way to address a common weakness.

Thursday's session was equally good to coach, featuring sumo deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats, and curtsy split squats. Safe to say there were plenty of tired legs afterwards. A few members also mentioned feeling tight through the groins following Copenhagen raises — completely expected when introducing a new stimulus.

Why We Push for 3 Sessions Per Week

One of the most common questions at IAC is why we don't offer lower-frequency memberships. The answer is straightforward: results.

At Injury Active Clinic, we programme with outcomes in mind. For building muscle mass and strength, members need to accumulate enough weekly volume to create meaningful adaptation — generally around 10 working sets per muscle group per week as a minimum. That becomes very difficult to achieve with only one session per week.

And considering muscle mass is one of the biggest predictors of long-term health and longevity, it's something we prioritise heavily. We'd rather create an environment that gives people the best chance of progressing consistently than offer an option that sounds appealing but delivers poor results.

Lateral Hip Pain: Why It's Commonly Misunderstood

Did you know women are around four times more likely to experience pain on the outside of the hip? A very common cause is Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS) — typically involving irritation of the gluteus medius tendon where it attaches to the greater trochanter of the femur.

The problem is that this area is frequently misdiagnosed. Many people are told they have "bursitis" when, in reality, the tendon itself is often the primary issue. This distinction matters enormously for treatment — because the rehabilitation approach for tendinopathy is fundamentally different from managing an inflamed bursa.

Nick recently spoke with the IAC team about assessing and managing lateral hip pain properly — including why accurate diagnosis is the foundation of good long-term outcomes. If you're experiencing pain on the outside of your hip, particularly when lying on that side at night, walking up stairs, or crossing your legs, it's worth getting a proper assessment rather than assuming it will resolve on its own.