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What kind of cross training? (Read 1062 times)

scappodaqui


rather be sprinting

    I'm sure you're in amazing shape and doing a decent job of balancing it all.

     

    I actually have developed my own workout routine that combines running with parkour conditioning, body weight, pilates and , things taken from yoga and martial arts. You know it's like all the stuff (or a lot of the stuff) I've learned over the years.

     

    I don't lift weight anymore, because for me it created an imbalance in my body. I think the more running/body weight oriented training i do now has corrected some of that. 

     

    The core of my workout is running (like more or less a standard HM training regimen with about 35mpw)  and I do all the other conditioning during and after a run, depending on the type of run it is. So it's all mixed in. Hope i never get mistaken for a cross-fitter.

     

    Anyway how do you like kettlebells? Do they really strengthen you?

     

     

    <--I too am curious about just what your program entails!  I kind of think bodyweight stuff is HARDER than weights because it requires so much coordination and the ability to fire muscles.

     

    By 'kettlebells' I assume you mean swings?  Because I think a lot of us have used kettlebells for a LOT of things from goblet squats to snatches to Farmer's Walks to Turkish Getups to single-leg deadlifts... the reason I like kettlebells is less about strength and more about explosiveness and core stability.  Which are really useful for running!

     

    I'm jumping into this thread also Smile to say that right now I'm focusing on learning the Olympic lifts + doing accessory work specifically for that.  During the year I regularly squat, deadlift, overhead press, and row, but I don't get super fancy.  In terms of other crosstraining IDK, do plyometrics count? I do those a lot, and jumprope, and sometimes boxing.  When I can, I do kettlebell swings and some other moves once a week.  I'm fixated on developing explosiveness, so there you go.  The thing about boxing, of course, is the force production is UPWARDS so it really isn't much like running, directly.  Everything else is, though, I think.  Oh, and sometimes I go rock climbing.  Which has only helped my grip strength and acrophobia, really.

     

    I want to start swimming but I am very, very bad at it.  I don't seem able to master the breathing.  But I KNOW it would really help me with my weak spot, which is my lats and upper back, and potentially help to improve my running posture.  The only thing is it is hard to get a good workout when I periodically have to stop to cough up a gallon of chlorine.  

     

    And I used to take spin classes sometimes in the hopes that they would improve my leg turnover but they didn't really and my butt hurt, so I stopped...

    PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56

    Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb

    yeoldefatguy


      I lift weights. Cycle between heavy, mid, and light weight ranges depending on the time of year and what I feel like doing.

      Run a little.

      Bike a little.

      A weekly yoga class.

      Work out on the heavy bag, jump rope, speed bag and occasionally spar.

      asdfsdaaas


        spam
        MrNamtor


          <--I too am curious about just what your program entails!  I kind of think bodyweight stuff is HARDER than weights because it requires so much coordination and the ability to fire muscles.

           

          By 'kettlebells' I assume you mean swings?  Because I think a lot of us have used kettlebells for a LOT of things from goblet squats to snatches to Farmer's Walks to Turkish Getups to single-leg deadlifts... the reason I like kettlebells is less about strength and more about explosiveness and core stability.  Which are really useful for running!

           

          I'm jumping into this thread also Smile to say that right now I'm focusing on learning the Olympic lifts + doing accessory work specifically for that.  During the year I regularly squat, deadlift, overhead press, and row, but I don't get super fancy.  In terms of other crosstraining IDK, do plyometrics count? I do those a lot, and jumprope, and sometimes boxing.  When I can, I do kettlebell swings and some other moves once a week.  I'm fixated on developing explosiveness, so there you go.  The thing about boxing, of course, is the force production is UPWARDS so it really isn't much like running, directly.  Everything else is, though, I think.  Oh, and sometimes I go rock climbing.  Which has only helped my grip strength and acrophobia, really.

           

          I want to start swimming but I am very, very bad at it.  I don't seem able to master the breathing.  But I KNOW it would really help me with my weak spot, which is my lats and upper back, and potentially help to improve my running posture.  The only thing is it is hard to get a good workout when I periodically have to stop to cough up a gallon of chlorine.  

           

          And I used to take spin classes sometimes in the hopes that they would improve my leg turnover but they didn't really and my butt hurt, so I stopped...

           

          I can see the problem with swimming if you're very dense, body composition wise. Maybe you're always sinking, and that's why you're sucking in water? So just like running isn't for everyone, probably swimming isn't either. And I sympathize with the butt-hurt. My ass always hurts when i bike because of the seat.

           

          I don't know if you were talking to me or Nora when you wanted to know about the workout, but if you're talking to me, I can tell you this - Almost my entire workout has evolved from me TRYING to be able to do something, and failing. Like I've been trying to do a real planche pushup for a year and am probably no closer to it than i was a year ago. This is a move, if you don't know, where one is supported solely on the hands, with the entire body off the floor in a push up position.  I have been doing several kinds of pushups as well as lower back exercises in attempt to do this move, and these exercises have definitely strengthened me. Still no planche though.

           

          I'm going to try to create a video of my routines or at least write them down in a cohesive way before i either a) break my neck and/or b) get too old to do this kind of stuff. I figure that at some point I'm going to have to refocus but i hope i can physically keep doing what I'm doing for a while.

           

          So are you going to do a vid of some of your workout? If you ever do, please let me know through PM because sometimes it's easy to miss posts. Big grin

          Birdwell


            As a swimmer turned runner, I have found the problem most runners have with swimming all boils down to technique.

             

            from my perspective (nothing scientific here, but hear me out) running is very simplistic by nature. You just put shoes on (or not) and head out the door. Time on your feet will eventually, for most people, translate into decent enough form.  

             

            Wth swimming, if you don't have down proper technique, you exert so much more wasted energy, and never get anywhere. If anyone is serious about swimming, it would be well worth the time and money to invest in lessons such as stroke improvement, or a Masters program to learn. It will make a huge difference. 

             

            so, how does someone know if they have bad technique? next time your in the pool doing the front crawl (freestyle), count how many arm strokes you take to get across the pool (25 meter or yard). If its more than 20, your technique stinks, or you're under 5 feet tall. 

             

            Swimming, when done properly, should feel effortless. It doesn't matter how "dense" your body is, how tall you are, or your body fat. 

             

            The hardest part about learning the proper way, will be to realize that you've been doing it wrong you're whole life. 

             

            (FYI, i get a little obsessed with stroke counts when I swim. I know how fast I'm going by how many strokes it takes to cross the pool. The lower my stroke count, the faster I'm going) 

              I am by no means expert on swimming technique, but someone once told me to roll laterally more when doing front crawl and it made a difference to me. Think about pulling a weight on cable pull down with your arm held straight. If your arm is straight out in front then you're mostly using your shoulders; if you turn sideways on then you can use the big muscles in your back a lot more and pull a much bigger weight. So it goes with swimming.

              MrNamtor



                 

                Swimming, when done properly, should feel effortless. It doesn't matter how "dense" your body is, how tall you are, or your body fat. 

                 


                 

                 

                I am definitely not an expert on swimming so in no way am i insisting that I'm right, but by "dense' I mean weight as a ratio to volume, which is the standard definition of density in physics.

                 

                My observation is that muscular people with low body fat tend to be poor swimmers (not sure how michael phelps fits into this but in seeing other swimmers it's obvious that they are "softer" than some other athletes). I've always attributed this to a lack of buoyancy, all other things being equal.

                Birdwell


                  I am definitely not an expert on swimming so in no way am i insisting that I'm right, but by "dense' I mean weight as a ratio to volume, which is the standard definition of density in physics.

                   

                  My observation is that muscular people with low body fat tend to be poor swimmers (not sure how michael phelps fits into this but in seeing other swimmers it's obvious that they are "softer" than some other athletes). I've always attributed this to a lack of buoyancy, all other things being equal.

                   I can see your point on this. I would argue though, that Michael phelps and other swimmers of his class, have a much lower body fat percentage than you would think. swimming builds a lot of muscle, but not the kind that is noticeable by the average joe, I.e., no giant biceps, no huge calves. 

                  but take a look at their lats and shoulders when they're doing the butterfly.

                   

                  I wonder if someone coming from a  strict muscle building background wouldn't do well in the pool because of the bulk in certain areas. I would think that having huge biceps, a giant chest etc. might inhibit the great range of motion swimming requires. 

                  swimming fast or efficiently requires length, being able to stretch your arms and hands as far in front of you as possible, staying as flat in the water as you can. 

                   

                  Another thing I see a lot in the pool that really holds people back is just plain old fear of sticking their faces in the water. there's a lot of people trying to keep there heads above water, literally.  When you start looking up, it throws off your whole body in the water, your hips start to sinks, and you start pushing water, instead of gliding through it. 

                   

                  Youll never "bulk up" by swimming, but you sure will lean out. 

                  zoom-zoom


                  rectumdamnnearkilledem

                    And I sympathize with the butt-hurt. My ass always hurts when i bike because of the seat.

                     

                    Ride more and on a firm saddle and eventually the butthurt goes away if you keep riding consistently.  I've done a couple of 150ih mile rides and my butt wasn't what hurt by the end...more my neck and shoulders.  I'm not on a POS spin bike or squishy saddle, though.

                    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                         ~ Sarah Kay

                    zoom-zoom


                    rectumdamnnearkilledem

                      Used to be I rode a road bike as X-training for running.  Then I gave myself a grade 2 ankle sprain and couldn't run at all for about 6 weeks.  In that time the balance shifted towards the bike and never shifted back.  Now I have a road bike, a cyclocross bike, a mountain bike, and soon DS and I will be sharing a fat bike for a couple of years (until he outgrows it, then it will be 100% mine).  Were it not for the fact that I like running and enjoy meeting RA friends at races I'd probably just bike to the exclusion of everything else.

                      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                           ~ Sarah Kay

                      MrNamtor


                         I can see your point on this. I would argue though, that Michael phelps and other swimmers of his class, have a much lower body fat percentage than you would think. swimming builds a lot of muscle, but not the kind that is noticeable by the average joe, I.e., no giant biceps, no huge calves. 

                        but take a look at their lats and shoulders when they're doing the butterfly.

                         

                        I wonder if someone coming from a  strict muscle building background wouldn't do well in the pool because of the bulk in certain areas. I would think that having huge biceps, a giant chest etc. might inhibit the great range of motion swimming requires. 

                        swimming fast or efficiently requires length, being able to stretch your arms and hands as far in front of you as possible, staying as flat in the water as you can. 

                         

                        Another thing I see a lot in the pool that really holds people back is just plain old fear of sticking their faces in the water. there's a lot of people trying to keep there heads above water, literally.  When you start looking up, it throws off your whole body in the water, your hips start to sinks, and you start pushing water, instead of gliding through it. 

                         

                        Youll never "bulk up" by swimming, but you sure will lean out. 

                         Also, I agree with your general sentiment, which is "learn good technique, don't decide you're a bad swimmer because of your body type". This has a lot of validity.

                        MrNamtor


                          Ride more and on a firm saddle and eventually the butthurt goes away if you keep riding consistently.  I've done a couple of 150ih mile rides and my butt wasn't what hurt by the end...more my neck and shoulders.  I'm not on a POS spin bike or squishy saddle, though.

                           That's good to hear because I thought i might be drifting into the condition of "old man ass". When I was younger I rode alot and never remember any butthurt.

                          RandomRun


                            Weight training, core workout, walking, yoga, inline skating, bicycling, kayaking (salt water).  The last one is my favorite, but I don't do it nearly as often as I'd like to.  

                            runnerclay


                            Consistently Slow

                              I hate cross training.....I only like to run (you'd think I'd be better at it)...

                               

                               

                              OK, I am heading to the gym. Just hope the motivation last more than a day.

                               

                              PS: 50 minute workout and I actually broke a sweat!

                              Run until the trail runs out.

                               SCHEDULE 2016--

                               The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                              unsolicited chatter

                              http://bkclay.blogspot.com/


                              sugnim

                                I don't really think of what I do as cross training, but rather just doing other things & having fun.  I do yoga.  I bike when there isn't ice on the ground.  I like to hike, and many days I walk to work.  I swim when I can, and on Christmas I did a few hours of snowshoeing.  I guess I probably should have a formal cross training plan with weights, but I like to just do whatever seems like fun at the moment.

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