Getting started again...
by BrianS on Apr 6, 2011 10:07 AM EDT
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Hello Andrew, and anyone else that would like to weight in.
Frequent reader and occasional commenter, here. I'm looking for a little advice on how to get started with lifting again. For the last 5 years, I'd done a pretty good job of sticking with minor variations what probably wasn't a great weightlifting routine, but met my criteria of hitting a lot of upper-body muscle groups in about 1:15 -- I've noticed that when my lifting routine gets much more than an hour, I have a lot of trouble finding time.
Over the last four years, I've become a more serious runner, moving up from 5Ks to half marathons and 10-milers, and did my first marathon in March and my second will be in November. As running ate up more and more time and energy, my lifting decreased from every other day to twice a week to once a week to occasionally, finally pretty much stopping completely in mid January.
Two questions:
1. What tips do you have for starting again -- start out lighter on the weight or just try to get right back into it as, for example? I do want to try to incorporate more of the tips I see here about fun activities I can do outside the weight room, too. I work from home, so I can usually head up to the local park at my lunch break and swing around on the monkey bars or rope climb without having to knock a bunch of kids out of the way.
2, What kind of routine do you suggest for runners? In your experience, do you think a lot of leg work is a help or a hindrance. I'd always been of the opinion that if I did lots of lower-body, that my runs would suffer since my legs would be sore/tired/etc. But during my marathon, leg strength just failed at around around mile 22. I think it was more a tactical error (too fast during the middle of the race), nutritional mistake (didn't start eating early enough in the race) or conditioning (due to an injury I missed my 20-mile training runs), but I still wondered if there was something different I could have done in the weight room.
2a. I'd seen some posters in a runner's world forum suggest that upper-body work was detrimental to runners because it's just more weight you carry during the race. Even at my best, I've never been able to put on a lot of muscle mass, even when friends were doing the same program with me, so I'm not hugely concerned about this, but would like to get some opinions.
Thanks -- I don't mean to be lazy, and I'll do my own research, too, but just thought I'd ask for an opinion since I know you've done some running, Andrew, and that there's a pretty good range of experience among the readers.
Thanks!
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Hey Brian...
Full disclosure: during my serious triathlon training, I basically dropped lifting from my sked. But then again, I was trying to master three sports—not running alone, so I had a little bit of built-in check and balance for the imbalances sometimes caused by running alone.
Not being an expert (go to Joe Friel for that), my understanding is that endurance-training protocols are shifting a bit to incorporate more strength and power stuff and LESS sheer LSD (that’s long, slow distance, not the drug). Off the cuff I’d say 2x/week would be ideal, running at various speeds and distances 3 more times a week, and taking one or two days off. That’s how I’d schedule it.
The park stuff would be good for a cross-training day—or perhaps as a substitute for strength training, provided you do ample lower-body jumps and lunges and squats. You’ll want to build up slowly, but definitely work up to real weight—you’re already doing so much high-rep stuff on the road that gym time should be spent on holding onto fast-twitch muscle fibers—ie, reps in the 3-6 range.
As for upper body: I’d surely steer away from curls, tricep extensions, and other sheer-vanity moves—but pull-ups, pushups, and DEFINITELY lots of core work in the form of kick-ass plank variations (rollouts, pike-ups, ValSlide rollouts, Swiss Ball planks, and so on) would be a big help.
Something that you didn’t mention which I hope you’re doing anyway: foam rolling and mobility work. You almost can’t do enough of these things, preworkout and even on off days. As Cosgrove has pointed out, when you do a long run, you’re doing literally thousands of reps of one movement—which is asking for repetitive-stress trauma if you don’t work on your soft tissue and mobility, especially through the ankles and hips.
So: in a word: full body workouts, 2x/week, lower body emphasis with standard moves: squats, deadlifts, lunge variations, perhaps some glute-ham raises, working up to lower reps. Play around with sprints and sled pushes for variety and additional power. I’d do the core stuff 3x/week, along with your lifting and then on one other light running day.
Plan these workouts so they don’t fall within 24 hours of a long run (ie, long run Sunday, lift Tuesday and Friday). Do shorter runs with variety in speed two other times a week (say, one medium dist, medium speed, one short distances, fast speed). Win medals. Get endorsement deals, wealth, pretty girls, power beyond measure. Owe it all to MPF. :).
by Andrew Heffernan on Apr 6, 2011 1:50 PM EDT reply actions
Thank you!
Very helpful — my approach to both lifting and running were not based on any sound advice at all, really. Modify the upper body routine I’d been doing since college, go out and run and slowly increase distance.
I learned the hard way about core strength and foam rolling in January when I had a flare up of IT Band syndrome that hurt so much that I thought I’d torn a ligament (I’d never torn a ligament so I had nothing to compare it to.)
I’ll probably mix some biking in during the summer, too. My goal is not to do a tri, or anything, though my wife is doing a duoathlon and so I’ll probably ride w/her, just to give myself a little bit of a break from running as much in the summer w/o losing overall conditioning— I loathe running when it’s really hot. I can do 10-15 miles in winter w/o too much trouble, but in the summer anything over 6 or 7 is really traumatizing and requires too much napping.
Win medals. Get endorsement deals, wealth, pretty girls, power beyond measure. Owe it all to MPF. :).</blockquote
The only medals I’m going to win are glorified participant ribbons — but they look cool hanging in my den.
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