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Stretching? Lifting? Yay or Nay for runners? (Read 2772 times)

Bryan Castro


    As a former female competitive bodybuilder and now an endurance athlete, here are my thoughts....weightlifting is extremely advantageous! You don't have to go over board with it but 2-3 days a week will keep your muscles and bones strong. We could go back and forth about what the rep range should be however, this is very dependent on your physique and your goals. I for instance, want to lose muscle mass since it's going to improve my overall performance as I'm a cyclist and a runner. My years of heavy leg training gives me a huge advantage when climbing hills however, the overall mass is just added weight that I have to carry.  Therefore, if you want strength without the bulk consider low reps and heavy weights...similar to powerlifting. The ideal rep range for putting on muscle is 8-12 reps. Anything above this is...well, it depends! High reps may yield gains in particular muscle groups as some muscles respond better to various rep ranges. There's nothing worse then a flabby runner and I see plenty of them.

     

    Stretching is great! Nothing feels better to me then a good stretch halfway through my workout, whether lifting or biking or running.

     

    I have been using more powerlifting type rep ranges for my training, with great results for running and in general. My weight has stayed the same, but my strength has increased incredibly. As I said in an early post, I think it really has helped me to stay injury free during my current running journey. Plus...it feels good to lift heavy stuff!

    2011-2012 Running Goals

    5K under 22:00

    8K under 37:30 (in 2011)

    HM under 1:51:00

    Complete Marathon

     

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