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Weight Training Plans for Runners? (Read 5186 times)

TedsHead


Team Me, Myself & I

    For what it's worth, I am a firm believer in cross training which includes weights- I gotta admit I like the benefits to my appearance! Wink
    Let me second, third and fourth that , you look awesome, eh! Sorry Mr TriGuy your wife is somkin' hot, lucky bastard.
    DoppleBock


      DON'T BE DAFT- RUNNING IS SIMPLE TO TRAIN FOR. RUN. THE MORE TIME SPENT IN THE GYM THE MORE TIME YOU WASTE NOT RUNNING. IF YOUR HUNG UP ABOUT YOUR ARM STRENGTH USE A ROWING MACHINE THAT WAY YOU GET ENDURANCE AND CARDIO.
      Funny - I quit lifting weights, 3 years ago, who wants that extra upper body weight - For 2 years my times started decreasing, then bam! injured. I took 6 months off - didn't help the injury (Hip / groin / Core muscle weakness) - started lifting weights again and almost immediately the injury was gone. I lift at least 4x a week - 30 minutes each time - Nothing hard core - Chest - Shoulders and Tris one day then biceps - Lats and Legs the other - 3 sets - 45 seconds between. Plus as much as I like to run (24,000 miles in the last 5.5 years) I really enjoy lifting weights. And since I will never be a professional runner - Who cares.

      Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

       

       

      Trigirl


        Let me second, third and fourth that , you look awesome, eh! Sorry Mr TriGuy your wife is somkin' hot, lucky bastard.
        Thanks for the compliments TedsHead....I think!lol...!I spend a lot of time trying to get/stay fit and more importantly race well.... lol..... Mr. TriGuy is actually Mr.Weightroom guy/TriGirl supporter guy and he does know he's lucky!!! LOL!!! Wink

        2010 results: Muskoka long course: 2km-55km-15km- 1st in age group (qualified for Ironman Canada), 4th female amateur overall; Smith Falls triathlon- first female overall; 5 km Canada Day running race- 20:42 (fourth female overall). My first pure running race! Quinte triathlon 1.5-40km-10km Second female overall; Ktown triathlon -first female overall (2km-55km-15km) Mt Forest triathlon (500-20km-5km) 1st female overall; Brockville triathlon (750-20-5km) 1st place female overall

        2011 results: (Racing with Piriformis syndrome-ouch)  Sydenham Triathlon- 1st female overall; Peterborough Triathlon-4th female (out of 185)and 1st in age group.....

        runnerSGV


          I'm new to this forum but what I've seen so far is that its great. Now alittle bit about myself for the past 25 years I was extremely obese 280 lbs to say the least and after I took a good look at myself in the mirror and saw what my friends and family have been telling me for years went out and bought me a pair of running shoes and that was when my running addiction began, Im now at about 45 miles a week and weighing at 180 lbs. I dont plan to ever run a race Im running for the endurance and mileage. But after reading a few of the comments on this post I looked at myself in the mirror again and I was starting to look like a "stick figure" which I dont want. So I started on my weight training venture which included doing my running in the early AM and my weight training in the PM hours, when I ran a day after my first weight training session I felt really sore especially in my shoulders? I would like to continue running and putting in the miles and weight train because I think they could compliment each other but not like your typical runner I would say to build muscle because my ultimate goal now is to have that ripped body which I can see now wont be that long away. But I definetely don't wanna look like a skeleton. Could pushups, dips and or chin ups accomplish this also? I wanna be able to find the middle way they say you cant weight train and run but I've heard a few stories where they do? I wanna be able to weight train, pushups and long distance running these are my goals? any suggestions and or tips would be greatly appreciated? I have read articles that discuss weight training for runners and running for body builders but I have not yet found an actual plan. Many runners look like (long and skinny) which is cool. but for myself I want more strengh and overall body fitness I wanna be able to get that ripped body.
          runnerSGV


            What about Body weight exercises like pushups, dips and chin ups?


            SMART Approach

              These exercises are fine and you can do them various ways, various grips, different speeds, different rep schemes etc. You can find a way to add resistance and sometimes going very slow is a way to add resistance or progression to the routine. I used to instruct a class called BODYTIGHT which only was bodyweight exercises or using things you would find in your home like a chair, steps etc. Geez, I became very creative to do different things and keep the variety and of course make it fun. It was the most popular class in the gym. In addition to push ups, dips, chin ups, add bench dips, one leg squats, walking and standing lunges, planks etc. Get a Swiss ball and more variety - add some dumbbells and more variety and resistance. If you are running regularly and decent miles, it will be difficult to build muscle mass but when the bodyfat goes away, you will have a nice, lean, sleek look without bulk. You will like it!!!

              Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery

              Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training

              Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique

              www.smartapproachtraining.com

                "People say you can't do both running and muscle building at the same time but I don't find that to be true. It is a matter of the right diet to support both." This is true depending on how you look at it. Some low-weight high-rep type training is certainly going to help running because strength training in general improves connective tissues allowing you to take a higher training volume and obviously having extra stength in and of itself is not going to hurt your running. What doesn't go together however is really trying to bulk up, lets face it if you're 5'8 and a lean what...125? If you were to add 20 pounds of lean mass to be 145 (yes, that is a TON of muscle) that IS going to slow you down, no way around it. A little bit of muscle/strength training to improve strength and connective tissue will help, but at some point you're simply adding too much weight. That said, golf is still my primary sport and as such my goal is to gain bulk and explosive power, if it detracts from my running - so be it. I'm not trying to become a 15:00 5k racer and have no reason to doubt that I will be able run under 18:00 even if I have a bunch of "excess" lean mass.

                They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that. "If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a Board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough" If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they'd starve to death. "Don't fear moving slowly forward...fear standing still."

                  So does this plan sound like it covers everything? 1. Full squat 2. dead lift 3. barbell lunge - not right now w/ my knees 4. good morning (glutes, hamstrings) 5. Wall squat 6. heel raises 7. shoulder shrug 8. elevated pushup 9. dumbbell row (back) 10. superman & plank 11. curls 12. tricep kickback I have a bunch of free weights to use and want to do something to work legs back arms chest...Are these exercises adequate?
                    Hmm, it seems to have an excersise for most of the major muscle groups. I only see one chest and one back thing so depending on goals you might want to add another one to each. Maybe Lat-Pulls and something like bench, or dips, or flys. Also, if your goal is to add bulk, push-ups aren't the way to go unless 8 or 10 push-ups is all you can do at a time; if you're looking for muscle endurance then push-ups should be fine. The only other thing I'd recommend for running is adding a little more core-work, I think the superman/plank is a core excersise (not positive as to what those are), and deadlift hits the lower back some but other than that there isn't much for the core which is vitally important to a total body sport like running.

                    They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that. "If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a Board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough" If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they'd starve to death. "Don't fear moving slowly forward...fear standing still."

                      L-master, I do a ton of pushups because I'm in the army, and I have to lol. I will add bench pressing because I can do that with free weights. My problem is, I don't go to the gym, I just do free weights that I have in my apt. I don't really want to add bulk because that is not going to help me get faster, I basically want to do leg work to help with my knee problems and get a bit more upper body strength. Thanks, I will add those you mentioned to my routine though!


                      "older but not dead yet"

                        I've been lifting and running most of my life. I'm 60 now and can tell you without a doubt that extra muscle seriously impedes making any kind of running progress. Here's what I look like now: Alex
                        Seeking the interface between the cerebral and the visceral.
                        Al F


                          I know that this is nearly two years after the original post plus... I did not read all of the responses. I would highly suggest Crossfit. (WWW.Crossfit.com) If you decide to try this "program" read all info that is supplied in the "Getting Started' section (over in the left margin) and don't be afraid to 1. Scale the workouts and 2. If you have questions, check the FAQ section or Exercise Demo sectionfirst before you ask the question on the forum. My experience is that it will challenge your fitness level without substantially increasing bulk. I am not typically one who "gushes" about the latest and greatest "X" that comes along but... you will dramatically increase your fitness rapidly which will improve your running. If you try it, at least give it a month or so before passing judgement on it. Unless you go to a Crossfit gym, it is likely that your local gym will either not have all the equipment that is shown or they will frown on the typical routine where you will use a couple (or more) pieces of equipment exclusively for the 20 or so minutes for the workout. Many of the workouts can be easily adapted to use what you do have on hand i.e. dumbells can be subbed for Kettlebells, etc. Don't get too overly caught up in the "exact" exercise but the concept of variation and intensity are more of the keys. One last thought, if you decide to try this and the workout includes the Olympic lifts (Deadlift, Clean and Jerk, Snatch) use very light weights at first and have someone who really knows their stuff help with your form as improper form with the heavier weights can injure you. Good Luck on whatever program you choose.
                          Purdey


                          Self anointed title

                            Cardio alone does not assist with muscle definition and although I do find that working out with weights improves my performance, even if it didn't, I gotta admit I like the benefits to my appearance! Wink
                            Without wishing to state the obvious.... your appearance bears testament to this. Wow. If only Mrs Purdey could get herself into that sort of shape. Again.... wow.

                             

                             

                              I agree - weight lifting is a good supplement for running. I have been lifting weights fairly seriously for 10 years or so, just focused more on running more recently. Someone (much) earlier mentioned balance - I have come to agree. It depends on your individual goals where your balance lies, and every person has to find their own. You will, however, lose some speed if you bulk up on the weights too much...you'll have to carry that extra weight around. Trust me. I have a routine of 6 days I do in order no matter where the off days fall, I run and lift the same number of times per week. Days 1-4 work out different muscle groups, Day 5 is Day 1 and 2 combined but back off the weight and add reps - Day 6 is the same concept but combines Day 3 + 4. I've found this to be very successful. In most of my exercises now I do 11-14 reps and am not pushing the power anymore. Instead of benching sets of 245 like I did a few years ago I stick with 195-205. (I'm 6-3 and 194 right now). I've stuck to this and since upping my mileage back into the 20s/week this year I've felt very good and lost 12 pounds since New Years :-) I don't recommend anything for legs - I play ice hockey once/week. But whenever I am asked I can leg press the rack; just the way I'm built. Hockey is my interval workout - I won't touch the track anymore. In college I felt doing anything with legs was contributing to how sore I was and increased injury risk....that and running 10 mile "mountain loops" while being my size. In terms of how it affects speed, my friend Brian's the same height as me but weighs 150 and cannot bench 135. But he's done a mile in 4:12 and a 5K in 14:40...he has his balance too.
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