_ 1. Personalized and adaptive

One of Maarten’s main conditions during our initial discussions was that the feature had to be personalized. No library of exercises for you to choose from, no simple inquiry about your experience with strength training. No, we opted for a thorough approach: an assessment determines your level for each muscle group, forming the basis for your personalized strength training plan.

Maarten’s vision perfectly aligned with how we see our running plans. That’s why our plans are also adaptive: after a certain number of sessions, you may be presented with a new variant of an exercise for a specific muscle group. This way, you keep making progress, becoming a better runner. That’s what you can expect from Trenara: scientifically backed guidance that helps you achieve your personal best, now and in the long term.

You may not see it, but our UX design also aims for personalization. If you consistently score the highest on the tests, you’ll receive level 3 exercises – the current maximum. To add extra complexity, we recommend working with kettlebells. The weights of these kettlebells are perfectly tailored to your body weight (which you provided during registration and can be found under ‘personal information’).

_ 2. Dedicated to runners

Of course, there are already apps that focus on strength training, some of which are integrated with running training. But no one approaches it the way we do. Not only did Maarten compile a selection of exercises that are evidence-based for us runners, but they are also perfectly aligned with Christophe’s training plans. Are you in the final intense training weeks before your goal race? Then the strength training sessions will be slightly less intensive. Are you in a recovery period? The same applies.

Through our community, we received all kinds of questions, and Maarten answered each one. We publish these videos on our channels and, of course, also in the app’s FAQ section.

_ 3. Designed by an expert: Maarten Thysen

Rest assured, Maarten’s approach even convinces Olympic champions. His years of experience in elite sports (from Athletics to Sailing) are effortlessly translated to amateur athletes. Maarten always starts from the sport-specific nature of the question and builds his advice and plans accordingly. It’s no surprise that he was awarded the title of ‘Sports Excellence Enhancer 2022’.

He is the key to many, Belgian, sports successes. So, make sure to take advantage of his expertise! We are confident that it will benefit all of you 😉

Maarten & Christophe introducing strength training.

_ 4. Conclusion

We are very proud to offer you this feature in the app. It was a significant investment for us – more than twice as expensive as the first version of the app – but it perfectly aligns with the framework we want to provide you: responsible training with a focus on longevity, for which I cannot find a perfect English translation – something like long-lasting sustainability.

And to be honest: 9.99/month for this integration is a bargain. You are lucky that launching a new subscription also costs us money!