Trailer Trash

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Light Bulb Moment(s) (Read 50 times)

dpc3


    Every have one? Yeah me either, mine are rare and futile!

     

    I want to pose a question to you and get some feedback from all who care to join the conversation. I have an archaic gym about 200 feet from my office. I think with the limited equipment I could create a circuit of exercises to do on a daily/weekly basis. I'm looking to spend 15-20 minutes tops in this place. Do you think it would be best to do a circuit hitting all the major muscle groups or a circuit focused on one major muscle group at a time?

     

    Thoughts, pontification, and waxing are more then welcome. I've never been a big gym guy so don't get to crazy, HA!

     

    Thanks in advance.

    NorthernHarrier


      OK, I'll offer my thoughts as someone who has lifted for over 30 years FWIW. I don't take it real serious and my plan was always just to generally maintain.  If you were really gonna be doing this daily then I would rotate the focus on different muscle groups each time. If you were planning on building or bulking I would focus daily as I mentioned but really start pushing the big weights to muscle failure and then repeat sets.

       

      If you followed a more sane level (like me,LOL) you would lift 3x per week working all muscle groups and do 1-2 sets with appr. 8-12 reps. Enough weight to challenge yourself but not totally beat you down.  Work on your flexibility as you refine your muscle mass.

       

      You can gain flexibility in just a few days and notice a real strength increase in just a few weeks with a consistent program.

       

      I am sure someone with more knowledge and a scientific approach will be able to offer a lot more for you but that has been my approach for a long time.


      some call me Tim

        I guess it depends upon what you want to get out of it. NH, I like your approach a *lot* better than training to failure but also don't have enough background to recommend against it. Considering the time limit I would keep it simple and use exercises that incorporate as many muscle groups as possible. Pullups, pushups, dips, rows, squats and presses. If you want to get big I'm no help, but you can go pretty far even just getting creative with bodyweight circuits. For a while I did a thing called 'simplefit' which was no more than a 3 day a week regimen of push, pull and bodyweight squat and got decent results, considering,


        Occasional Runner

          I think Harrier is on the right track, but it boils down to what you're trying to accomplish. You have limited time, so it's best to probably focus on a couple of muscle groups, alternating with each visit to the gym. But for endurance athletes, it's best for you to focus on big weight and low reps. 3 or 4 sets of 4 or 5 reps. This workout is intended to be contrary to your style of training for running and compliments how you work your muscles when you're conditioning for ultras. A high number of reps works your muscles in the same manner as ultra running. You want to engage the muscles that don't get worked in endurance training.

          XtremeTaper


            I have been slacking on the gym and weights but tend to do an all muscle group circuit but then again when I go it's at most twice a week and usually the circuit takes 30-45 minutes with some time on the mat for stretches/planks. I am not trying to build mass, just maintain strength and not look like a girly man.

            In dog beers, I've only had one.

            LB2


              I think it is a good question. And, basically, it depends on what you want to do. Because you are a runner, I would recommend the circuit workout. I imagine that you want to strengthen and tone, not bulk up and get "strong". When I was in high school, the Marines, and college, my focus was being big and strong. I had no desire to run at all. Back then, I would focus on large muscle groups and try to lift heavy weights with low reps. I am doing a circuit workout a time or two each week for about 30 minutes at a time, and it has made a huge difference in my running.

               

              I would notice, especially in the Marines, a few guys who were pretty skinny doing these circuits. I always wondered what the point was. Those guys had a much better understanding of fitness than I did. They were in much better shape and condition than I was. I was forced to run and do a whole lot of "hiking". When you are in the Marines, you are in the infantry no matter what your actual MOS might be. So, I was in pretty good shape, aerobically, as well as being strong. But I can run 3 miles much faster at 45 years old than I could at 20 years old. But, I can no longer bench press over 400 pounds, which is perfectly fine with me.

              LB2

              mtwarden


              running under the BigSky

                I think Lace is on to something, it goes against the conventional thinking that if you're endurance athlete you should be hitting the high reps/low weights.  If you've never strength trained, you will build muscle and gain strength no matter what route you go.  To start, I would definitely begin w/ higher reps/lower weights, but I would consider eventually mixing in some lower rep/higher weight stuff.  I think it's good to mix things up and keep the body guessing (adapting).

                 

                Try to incorporate compound lifts-exercises that hit multiple muscles/groups vs lifts that really isolate a single muscle or group- ie bench press, squats, dead lifts and others.  I also like to throw in bodyweight exercises- pullups, pushups, dips, planks, etc

                 

                I think strength training is in important aspect of overall fitness and compliments running (and all sports).

                 

                 

                2023 goal 2023 miles  √

                2022 goal- 2022 miles √

                2021 goal- 2021 miles √

                 

                FTYC


                Faster Than Your Couch!

                  Just one more thing to consider:

                  High strength training also strengthens the bones, because their strength is directly proportional to the maximum strength of the muscles which attach to them. Bone strength is not specifically enhanced with endurance training or running, but you need strong bones to avoid bone injuries like stress fractures on very long distances or high-mileage training.

                   

                  In my opinion, if you spend just 15-20 minutes in the gym, high-strength training would complement your endurance running, and won't do much harm in terms of excessive muscle buildup because of the time limit.

                  Run for fun.