Running 3X, Full Body Weights 3X per week

umfan85

I am 28, 6'5, 224 lbs. I have been running regularly for nearly a year now. I love it. I am currently training for my first half marathon. Here is my routine, and I would appreciate any thoughts.

I have searched the internet high and low, and the amount of information about running and weight lighting is limited. It seems most runners are in the "no weights needed" camp and that most body builders are in the "cardio is evil" camp.

My weight workouts include dead lifts and squats, as well as multiple upper body exercises. I do this MWF early AM. I currently do my easy run on Tues, medium rum on Thur, then Long run on Sunday.

M - Full Body Weights
T - Easy Run
W - Full Body Weights
Thur- Easy/Medium Run
Fri - Full Body Weights
Sat - Total Rest
Sun - Long Run

I do realize that I am working my legs an awful lot, and that is what I am mainly worried about. I am considering making Tues another complete rest day, and then fit my run in evening Wednesday.

Any suggestions, tips, motivation, is GREATLY appreciated.

julesassid

I honestly think that your workout schedule sounds good. I also like to do both strength and cardio. I like the mix. I currently do:
Monday: Circuit - light cardio mixed with plyo and strength
Tuesday: run
Wednesday: Circuit again
Thursday: cardio - I pick whatever I feel like for the day
Friday: Strength and Cycle - spin class mixed with strength and plyo type stuff.
Saturday: something, it can be anything from playing with my kid to running or swimming
Sunday: off

As long as your not pushing yourself to extremes, I feel like you're doing good things!

bigbrownkid

hey i am in a similar program to you. I will be running my first marathon this weekend. and here has been my weekly workout

m- chest/tri
t- back/bi short run( a couple miles)
w- a bit longer run then tuesday
thurs- shoulders/traps/abs
fri- rest
sat- long run
sun- legs if possible ( dont go to heavy because you can injure yourself)

lifting and running is great for you physically and will help you in the long run. Just make sure that you rest enough, eat enough, and dont over train to much.

JenMc14

I was on a similar schedule, I am currently dropping heavy deadlifts and possibly replacing them with SDLD or one legged DL for not very heavy, and one day of squats will be dropped for awhile. I was also doing extra Pilates, and my glutes and legs were getting very sore during runs, and I found myself bingeing since I've been eating at a deficit, too. Since I'm training for races, I'm going to focus on my running now, and re-introduce heavier lifting (lower body, I'm keeping my upper body heavier lifting and upper body Pilates) possibly gradually once my runs feel really good, or after my July race. I'd say just go with what you feel is ok. I'm scaling back for now because I've been a bit burnt out, and I'm worried the extra is contributing to me bingeing. Obviously, that's my issue, but this is just my $.02 based on what I've got going on right now.

jacksonpt

It all depends on how quickly you recover, which is influenced by your genetics and the intensity of your workouts. I could never do that much, but others may.

Regardless, your legs get 1 rest day per week. Considering most of your gains happen on rest days, think about the impact this may have on long term progress.

rward007

Right now I do alternating strength and cardio days. Strength is typically full body. Squats and bench press pretty much every workout for sure, a little variation on the other exercises, but typically deadlifts are in there as well.
Cardio days are running or spinning, so my legs don't get much rest.

I took sometime off from running before I got back into my current routine because after my half marathon I had some knee pain. My next race is a 10k though and although I had a bunch of time off from running, I'm much faster on short runs. Maybe it's the strength training?

Anyway, I'm thinking that instead of doing squats and DLs every time, I might do: squats only, cardio, DLs only, cardio, squats+DLs, then cardio, and day of rest. Cardio is either running or spinning now, I might mix in a cardio class, but my goal is to work towards a tri, so I want to focus on running/biking/swimming on cardio days.

Also, I want to fit yoga somewhere in there each week, I think it helps with overall fitness. One last thing, from own experience, I didn't run every cardio day building up to my half. I mixed it up quite a bit and my longest run prior to my half was 9 miles.

umfan85

Thanks for all of the advice and it is nice to know that some are following a similar plan. I guess it all comes down to what our bodies tell us and how we adjust from there.