Running and Lifting

FatMoojor

Looking for some advice on what sort of strength programme I should use to go along with my running.

I am currently training for a 100k, so my main focus is on running. I run roughly 5 times a week with my long runs on a Saturday and Sunday. Therefore my strength working days are normally a Monday/Friday as it gives me a chance to recover pre and post long run.

I am currently just doing a body weight circuit. Press ups/ Squats/ Shrugs/ Shoulder Press/ Arnies/Lat raises/bunny hops repeat x3.

Along with this I am also losing weight, around 1800 cal a day, eating back 50% of my MFP exercise calories.

I know that I'm not going to be making any real gains while on a deficit but the core work just doesn't seem to be really doing much.

Is it just a case of work harder on the circuit or should I drop it and do a more standard 5x5 starting strength style work out.

Advise from any ultra runners would be appreciated.

jchite84

Training for a 50K myself, and have done triathlons in the past, I also have a lot of body fat. I did Men's Health Spartacus and Spartacus 2.0. Both are available for free in PDF form online. I didn't bother with paying for the DVDs and the whole program. It's HIIT, and it helped me develop good core and arm/shoulder strength. This year I've started Olympic lifting, usually 1 or 2 days per week. My Oly program basically just consists of deadlifts, snatch, and C&J progressions and full range lifting, plus curls, and OHP. My reasoning is that it helps develop a strong core and back, and helps develop lateral power from the legs - seems good for climbing. In addition I do situps (25-50), planks(1 minute), and pushups (15-20) every day.

dougii

Not an ultra runner (yet) but am training for a marathon 4 days a week. Lift 2 days a week using the SL 5x5 program but have modified it so there are no rest periods between sets. I just move to another lift that is not using the same muscle group (usually) and do another set. I usually get two sets in between each of the SL 5x5 sets. This has worked wonderfully for me.

GiddyupTim

Stick with what you are doing. You are trying to increase your running distances. Lifting heavy really interferes with running. (You lift one day, so you cannot run hard or much. Then, your muscles are tired for two days [if you truly are lifting hard]. That means you only have four days left to work on your running, which it not enough. Then, if you want to lift two days a week, which you need to do -- at least -- with lifting....) You have enough on your plate.

gdyment

Drop the weights, run a 6th day. You won't atrophy into a Kenyan. Lift in the off season if you enjoy it, but doing both at the same time is counter productive. And if you are doing 20-30k runs you need to eat back 70-80% if not 100% including fueling during the run. Try and end with a 500-800 deficit at most.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

gdyment wrote: »

Drop the weights, run a 6th day. You won't atrophy into a Kenyan. Lift in the off season if you enjoy it, but doing both at the same time is counter productive. And if you are doing 20-30k runs you need to eat back 70-80% if not 100% including fueling during the run. Try and end with a 500-800 deficit at most.

What do you mean by that?

gdyment

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »

gdyment wrote: »

Drop the weights, run a 6th day. You won't atrophy into a Kenyan. Lift in the off season if you enjoy it, but doing both at the same time is counter productive. And if you are doing 20-30k runs you need to eat back 70-80% if not 100% including fueling during the run. Try and end with a 500-800 deficit at most.

What do you mean by that?

A lot of guys worry that if they stop lifting and just run more, they'll look like an elite distance runner (ie, 125 lbs of speed with not much upper body). I'm saying that doesn't happen - certainly not over a season. Same thing girls worry about lifting and turning into Arnold.

kjm3579

I mix strength training with running and indoor cycling at the present. I'm using StrongLifts 5x5 for strength training.

FatMoojor

Thank you all for the replys. I see how both Tufel and gdyment are correct in this. I'm just going to stick with my body weight stuff to help on my core and not worry strength training until after this run.

Gdyment, just to clarify what you mean about the 500/800 deficit, that is at the end of a week, after eating back most is not all of my exercise calories?

gdyment

Daily, you want 500 deficit if you want to lose a pound a week. Because people miscount, or aren't precise it's sometimes advised to not eat your exercise cals back either (like a bonus!). This is fine if you are talking 200-300 cal in walking or a 20 min run in a day.

But when you are doing 1500-3000 cal runs multiple times a week you HAVE to eat most of that back or your training will end very quickly. But also be honest about the burn. Running 21km sounds like a lot but it's about a small pizza. You can't pig out, especially since you should be eating gatorade/gels/cliff bars etc on the run as well. Eating on an ultra is one of the hardest tricks. You can seriously damage yourself if you do it wrong.

So clear example: You figure 2200/day is your balanced calories to stay the same. You want 1lb/week so you get 1700/day. You do a 30km run and burn 2600, but eat 4 gels (400) and a cliff bar (200) so the run burned 2000. You get to eat that 2000 and the 1700 over the rest of the day. You already have 500 deficit.