How many of you know the feeling of being deep into a Marathon training block? If you do, you’ll understand that ‘energy’ is a vague memory and something you generally only experience during a taper or a period of forced rest (injury). The inclination for most of us to strength train during a build is, understandably, low.
I’m no different.
I don’t get the buzz I used to from lifting.
But I continue to strength train because I know that, if I don’t, the chance of sustaining an injury will be higher. I actively attempt to stay abreast of the ever-growing body of research into resistance training and it’s benefits. I also have A LOT of anecdotal data from training myself and our clients. I have, in fact (shameless plug) just published a new guide to strength training for runners, which can be purchased in our store and expands greatly on this topic…
We live very close to our gym and, as such, have the option to train as frequently as we like. Because of this (and this is clearly not practical nor necessary for most of you) I like to break my training down into bite-sized chunks. A full body workout can be draining. Typically, we find that 2 gym sessions per week for clients is manageable, but for me, I like to train 4x per week. Less work per session means less overall fatigue, in my experience. So I train somewhat like a bodybuilder, in that I break muscle groups up into sections such as chest & shoulders, back, legs and then core to finish the week. But I don’t train like a bodybuilder. Not even close. My gym sessions also last anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes.
The set up for someone who wishes to use strength work to improve running economy and resistance to injury is quite different to most lifting programs you may have seen or tried, in terms of workout structure, exercise selection, number of reps and total volume.
Let me provide you with a basic outline of my week:
Monday: Rest from running. Chest & Shoulders
Tuesday: 12-mile long run. Back
Wednesday: Speed Session
Thursday: Legs. Recovery run
Friday: 8-10 miles gen aerobic. Core
Saturday: LT/MRP Session or recovery run
Sunday: Long run or Long run with MRP
Leg training starts with unilateral, balance focussed lifting followed by a highly stable compound movement with a focus on producing as much force as possible. Low volume/low rep work with heavy weight to produce the desired result with little to no fatigue accumulation.
Please don’t be put off by the term ‘Heavy Lifting’. I’m not saying you have to tiptoe a 200kg barbell out of the rack like a newborn giraffe trying to walk for the first time; I’m simply saying that, it’s ok to push hard for a few reps on a machine (like a leg press) that removes the need to balance and provides enough support for you to engage in a few reps of some relatively high effort, heavy lifting, safely.
The act of performing too many reps with weights that are far too light, spread over too many sets is, I believe, the biggest mistake made by runners when attempting to strength train.
Want to accumulate soreness that lasts for days and adds a whole lot of fatigue to the fatigue you’re already experiencing from Marathon training? Go ahead and do 5 sets of 15 lunges on each leg followed by 5 sets of 15 Leg Extensions and then tell me how well your 8x1k went the day after.
It is more than possible to build strength, without bulk, without soreness and without eating too much into your time, if a few fundamental principles are followed. If you’re interested in learning more, check out eGuides and programs for more info.