giving up strength training for marathon prep

RachelRuns9
RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am considering a marathon in 2014, but would need to give up essentially all strength training for 3-6 months in favor of running. I know I can always pick it back up, but that makes me kinda sad because I love doing heavy lifting. However, if I'm gonna do this at all, I'm thinking I'd like to do it at this point in life.

My main question is this (and sorry if it's lame, I'm still a fitness newbie)... what happens to your muscles if you give up strength training for that long and instead run for 4 days a week and cross train the 5th day?

Note, I'll still be trying to lose the last 10 -15 lbs during those months of marathon training, so I won't be eating at maintenance yet.

thanks in advance for guidance!
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Replies

  • gmthisfeller
    gmthisfeller Posts: 779 Member
    Rachel, are you just trying to run, and finish(!), a marathon, or do you have a particular time in mind to finish under?
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    I'm doing the same thing right now for a marathon in April but I'm not giving up on strength training, just carefully planning out/taking it easy on lower body days. Who knows though, Im 19 weeks until D day and plan is to keep going but nix lower body workouts the month before.

    But yeah, I'm pretty sure your longer runs will start eating away at ya unless you are giving your body a reason to keep it.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    While I am all for running as much as possible safely and smartly to remain injury free, I can't see the need to give up all strength training for that long.
    Running 4x a week leaves plenty of time to maintain your strength so that you can maintain or at the very least minimize any loss. Even doing a qucik basic full body plan 2x a week will be enough to keep you going.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I was going to say...a Starting Strength workout 2x a week doesn't take much time and, done at less-than-Ahnold intensity, won't detract from your running training.

    You can do both...
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
    Well, the several training schedules that I've seen typically have 5 running days, a CT day, and then 2 for rest. So I got the impression that most people don't keep their gym days. In addition, the one person that I actually know who has run a marathon said that keeping ST in his schedule did slow down his marathon training and his final run time as a result - but of course he got to maintain his muscular shape.

    I'd LIKE to keep strength training, but I figured I'd just go all in for the marathon... thoughts? I'm starting to realize this is more about my personal preference, but I'd really rather hear from you all before I pick a path!
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
    Is there anyone out there who did give up ST during their hard marathon training months and either was glad they did, or regretted it?
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
    Rachel, are you just trying to run, and finish(!), a marathon, or do you have a particular time in mind to finish under?

    Run & finish. :) No time goal.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    In general, yes you do have to pick one or the other to focus on, but you can do both. I would never give up strength sessions entirely during marathon training. Usually I go to light weight or body weight, but its 5 days running, 2 days strength and one rest/active recovery day (I do a strength session on one of my shorter run days). Strength sessions are important in keeping your core, quads, hamstrings, and glutes strong. Keeping strength sessions during intense training has made me a much better runner.
  • lknjohnson
    lknjohnson Posts: 351 Member
    Articles I saw....

    RUNNERS NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR SPEED, and one of the best ways to do that is with strength training, so claims Cathy Vasto, a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier from Jacksonville, Florida. "The benefits are amazing," says Vasto.

    Look at Vasto, and you would not mistake her for a bodybuilder, yet she has bench-pressed 180 pounds. She uses her strength to compliment her speed. "Strength helps at the end of a race when your form starts deteriorating," advises Vasto. "The faster you can move your arms at the end, the faster you can move your legs and the higher you can lift your knees, propelling yourself toward the finish line."

    Vasto recommends:

    Go High/Low: If you’re training for a running race, you don’t want to bulk up. Extra weight will slow you down. To avoid putting on pounds, keep the pounds of the weights you lift low and the repetitions high. Vasto recommends lifting 50 to 60 percent of the maximum weight you can lift in a set of 12 repetitions. Two sets of 12 work well for most lifts. For maximum benefits, without wasting a lot of time, do your strength training two or three times a week, after you run, not before.

    Look Good Lifting: Keep your form—not for vanity, but to prevent injury. Think 90-degrees. Most seated lifts work best if your body parts are at right angles: legs straight, feet flat against the floor, trunk erect, chin up, eyes forward. Practice the pelvic tilt where you press your torso back against the chair, or floor, to keep your back from slumping. "Good form works in lifting as much as it does in running," says Vasto.

    Breathe Right: The worst mistake you can make while lifting is to hold your breath. That simply tightens the muscles that you want to keep loose. Inhale while you prepare to lift the weight, then exhale while lifting it, inhaling again while lowering it. "The best way to breathe is naturally," says Vasto, "so that you’re not even aware you’re doing it."

    Rest by Stretching: When moving from exercise to exercise, don’t rush and don’t waste time chit-chatting with friends. Stay focused on your workout by stretching in between. "It’s very important while strength training to have a stretching routine," warns Vasto. "You don’t want to lose your flexibility, which can happen if you forget to stretch. Eccentric contractions (which occur when lowering the weights) actually can tighten the muscles." Stretching while strength training provides a double dose of conditioning in a minimum of time.

    Finally, the key to the exercises presented below is to go slow and remain in control. "You’re not trying to see how fast you can get in and out of the weight room," says Vasto. "You’re trying to win your race on the road." Vasto’s six spectacular strength exercises follow.

    1. Bench Press
    2. Rowing
    3. Overhead Pull
    4. The Curl
    5. The Crunch
    6. The Lunge


    Strength is important, says Vasto, not only to improve your speed for running races, but it will make you feel good and look good and improve the quality of your life, throughout your lifetime.

    http://www.halhigdon.com/writing/50942/Strength Training

    Also:
    http://www.mensfitness.com/training/endurance/strength-training-for-marathon-runners
    http://www.jazzhalf.com/?q=strength_training

    Hope this helps!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I'd LIKE to keep strength training, but I figured I'd just go all in for the marathon... thoughts? I'm starting to realize this is more about my personal preference, but I'd really rather hear from you all before I pick a path!

    Well, that's it, ultimately. There is no wrong answer here - it's your body, your goals. And frankly, you're in a win-win situation here, whatever you do you're coming out the other end being very very fit! :smile:
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    I am heading for a half in the spring, and a full in the fall. I have no intention of giving up my heavy lifting. I am following Jeff Galloway's plan...and he allows for several days of cross training. I am realistic about though...I know I'm probably not going to be setting PR's left and right since I'll be running so much. But I'm more concerned about retaining my LBM as I continue to eat at a deficit to lose the rest of my weight.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    If you give up lifting for 4 months, you will see a temporary decrease in strength and muscle mass. How much depends partly on your current levels. You won't lose everything. Studies have suggested that even after 10-15 years of no lifting, those who once lifted a lot are still stronger than those who never lifted at all.

    Meaning that, should you choose to give up lifting, you shouldn't have much trouble getting back to former levels. It might take 4-6 mos to get there, but it's not like you will be wasting away.

    That being said, I agree with those who recommend that you not cut out your lifting entirely. Resistance training can enhance your marathon training. You don't have to follow a full-scale heavy lifting routine. Even 3 workouts every 2 weeks will be helpful. Choose lifts that are recommended for runners; keep total volume low, stick to 6-8 basic exercises (at most). You will have to deal with some heavy legs at first, but I think it's very doable.
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
    Really invaluable information here - I'm very excited to implement it and continue strength training while marathon training. I think I can handle the best of both worlds.

    thanks so much!!
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    You already got good info but I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

    I've run a few marathons and never completely gave up strength training. I would tend to do it on cross training days or days where my runs were not very long. I would NOT recommend doing it the day before or after a long run. Also be aware of when you work your back and legs as you don't want them sore or over tired for your long runs.

    I wasn't able to focus on strengh training while training at 60 miles a week but I made sure to lift 2x a week - even if it was only for 15 minutes at a crack. At the time, I didn't like lifting like I do now so that was like torture. Now, my next marathon I plan on two intense lift sessions with high mileage weeks.

    make sure you listen to your body though!!
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    If you give up lifting for 4 months, you will see a temporary decrease in strength and muscle mass. How much depends partly on your current levels. You won't lose everything. Studies have suggested that even after 10-15 years of no lifting, those who once lifted a lot are still stronger than those who never lifted at all.

    Meaning that, should you choose to give up lifting, you shouldn't have much trouble getting back to former levels. It might take 4-6 mos to get there, but it's not like you will be wasting away.

    That being said, I agree with those who recommend that you not cut out your lifting entirely. Resistance training can enhance your marathon training. You don't have to follow a full-scale heavy lifting routine. Even 3 workouts every 2 weeks will be helpful. Choose lifts that are recommended for runners; keep total volume low, stick to 6-8 basic exercises (at most). You will have to deal with some heavy legs at first, but I think it's very doable.

    I agree with this -- 3 workouts every 2 weeks. I was going to suggest strength training once a week. You can lift heavy those days for your cross-training.
    But, where some people have suggested lifting twice a week, i would not recommend that. It's too much. You don't need that. You will be doing 15, 18 and 20 mile runs on some of your training weeks. That's taxing enough.
    I am no expert. But I do lift and run, and I am quite familiar with marathon training regimens.
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    Is there anyone out there who did give up ST during their hard marathon training months and either was glad they did, or regretted it?

    I ran a half marthon and still did my strength training. Unless you are too sore to run after lifting weights, than it won't hurt you. I think you should still do some strength training!
  • KatrinaWilke
    KatrinaWilke Posts: 372 Member
    Oh and just to add, I only ran 3x a week...I could never fit in 5 days of running!
  • crumbtinies
    crumbtinies Posts: 29 Member
    I would not give up strength training entirely. This is purely anecdotal on my part, but I've run eight full marathons in the last six years and whenever I trained by simply running, I always ended up with an injury. Continuing your strength training will make you a better runner and can help prevent injuries from the high volume of running you will be doing. You just have to find the right balance. Perhaps heavy lifting might be a bit much, but you can always do less intense forms, such as body weight strength exercises. There are lots of strength training workouts geared towards runners available online and such. The key is to listen to your body. If your legs are constantly heavy, and you always feel run down, you are doing too much. Otherwise, keep at it.
  • tuckerrj
    tuckerrj Posts: 1,453 Member
    I trained for a half marathon and still strength trained 2-3 times a week. Or look into this:

    http://www.marathon-training-program.com/three-day.html
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    I just have to mention: Running a half marathon is MUCH different from running a full marathon.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I pretty new to running, just started back in March.

    I haven't ran a marathon as of yet, but I've run five or six weekend back to back day halfs-marathons and I never gave up strength training. I also never took a rest day til a couple weeks ago.

    I do think its not an easy task to do both since I deal with a disease that attacks my joints and causes pain 24/7, but I think the strength training helped out considerably with my running.
  • Docmahi
    Docmahi Posts: 1,603 Member
    while i support your goals and think you should pursue any fitness related 'bucket list' type challenges that you desire - the title of this post made me cringe
  • Reptileszz
    Reptileszz Posts: 47 Member
    I've run 3 marathons and have never given up strength training. In my opinion you should do some strength training to keep your core strong.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    you can kiss most of your lean body mass good bye….

    and expect that when you return to lifting you will have regressed on all of your lifts..

    is there a reason you are giving up lifting to run a marathon?
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    maybe keep the weight training but dont be so aggressive with progressively overloading the muscle
  • czardastx
    czardastx Posts: 127 Member
    I just ran 2 half marathons, a sprint duathlon and a 5 mile race all in the last month. I was pushing my running out to 17 miles before I went to tempo runs (10 miles) for my 1/2 marathon training. All this time I was strength training 4 days a week.

    So, I don't understand why you think you need to give it up. Having a good base of overall muscle tone will help you in your run training. Your strength of your arms, core, back, etc will all help you when you're pushing that marathon distance because you'll be able to have the muscle tone there to help you maintain form as you run those longer distances. Not only that but strength in your legs from gym work will help you on hills, or so I've been told.

    If you want to tone it down and feel that's the right thing to do, then by all means, do that. But I don't know that it's completely necessary.

    Oh, and I plan to train for at least 2 marathons next year, and have already signed up for one of them for next December. I also want to run a 50K run in the Big Bend National Park in January of 2015. I don't plan to give up my strength training for any of the marathon training I'll be doing.
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
    thanks everyone for the input! I have been ST while training for a half which has been easy to do, but I recognize that's nothing like prepping for a full. I hadn't SEEN any training schedules online which made room for 1-2 ST days/week, so I highly appreciate the suggestions! I'm still at a point where I believe things I read on the internet... and slowly starting to implement my own critical thinking into my fitness plans :)

    Anyone doing something similar in 2014, please feel free to friend me!
  • DR2501
    DR2501 Posts: 661 Member
    you can kiss most of your lean body mass good bye….

    and expect that when you return to lifting you will have regressed on all of your lifts..

    is there a reason you are giving up lifting to run a marathon?

    This.
    A good quote to consider is "Train like the athlete you want to look like" - do you want to look like a skinny marathon runner? Lol
  • RachelRuns9
    RachelRuns9 Posts: 585 Member
    The subject line was an inquiry rather than a statement, really; no need to cringe! :)

    Although I HAD seen articles and journals about strength training benefiting runners, on the contrary I had not seen that implemented into the actual several months of pre-race prep. For some reason I thought it would be too exhausting to do on CT days, but I think I can make it work based on some great ideas here.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Although I HAD seen articles and journals about strength training benefiting runners, on the contrary I had not seen that implemented into the actual several months of pre-race prep.

    That's cause there is no proof ;) . Would make a good article or thesis.

    If your goal was to win, then yes, drop the lifting. Any time spent in the gym won't make you as fast as if you spent it running instead. i.e. if your options are 1 hour running and 1 hour lifting vs. 2 hours running, just running will make you faster.

    That's not your goal though. You don't want to break 3:00:00, or BQ. You want to finish a marathon while keeping most of your muscle mass. Gonna be hard, but doable. Every pound of unnecessary muscle will slow you down and you've got to carry it. So keep that in mind. Also, it's going to take quite a few calories to fuel running and lifting ;)

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