Help with Essential Strength Training

wolverine2006
wolverine2006 Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
I would love some advice from those more experienced than I am. I am spending about an hour doing walking/running intervals 4-5 days a week. I am targeting 55lbs of weight loss, and I am already down 13lbs from the start of the year. This cardio is helping me get back in running form where I hope to run more half marathons and eventually break my PR for that distance.

I know that I need to mix some strength training into this as well. If you only had 20-30 mins at the end of a long cardio workout, and you were to split the exercises into upper & lower body, which 3-4 would you consider essential for upper and which 3-4 for lower? Keep in mind that I am looking to maintain lean muscle and increase the burn of my cardio, but not to focus (yet) on definition. Just fat reduction and better burn during cardio.

Thanks for any advice!

Replies

  • jhc7324
    jhc7324 Posts: 200 Member
    If you're looking for 3-4 exercises I'd focus on :

    Low Bar Back Squats
    Flat Bench Press
    Deadlifts
    Overhead Press

    Depending on how many reps-sets you do, you probably will have time to do a couple of other lifts in there, but those are the big 4 IMO.
  • jerzypeach
    jerzypeach Posts: 176 Member
    If you want to preserve lean muscle, try doing your strength training first thing in your workout, then add some cardio intervals for a finisher. to burn off that last bit of glycogen. Refuel with a nice starchy-carb and protein meal after your weights. Keep your lifting and finishers to their own days so that you have good recovery. Do your endurance running on separate days. Good luck!!
  • leviclampitt
    leviclampitt Posts: 67
    Pushups
    Pullups
    Planks
  • hearthemelody
    hearthemelody Posts: 1,025 Member
    I do this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary
  • Mustgetbuff
    Mustgetbuff Posts: 267 Member
    I'd pick compound exercises to work as much as possible in a short period of time, such as:

    Thrusters
    Clean and Press
    Lunge with side raise
    Plank with upward row
    Wall squat with bicep curl
    Any variation of push up
  • GradatimFerociter
    GradatimFerociter Posts: 296 Member
    The problem with choosing to do your strength training when you are already fatigued is that your risk of injury is considerably increased when performing technically difficult lifts.

    That being said, I broadly agree with jhc but would suggest you do your strength training first (and be sure to add some sort of regular progression).

    If it were me I might be tempted to just do a feck load of clean and press or something. But that isn't advice.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    If you're looking for 3-4 exercises I'd focus on :

    Low Bar Back Squats
    Flat Bench Press
    Deadlifts
    Overhead Press

    Depending on how many reps-sets you do, you probably will have time to do a couple of other lifts in there, but those are the big 4 IMO.

    this.

    except I'd do away with the preface of "low bar"

    low bar high bar- whatever- doesn't make that much of a difference honestly unless you're getting REALLY nitty gritty about which leg muscles you want to target- or where the focus should be.

    squat to depth- which means hip crease at the knee for parallel or lower with some weight- get your form and then start adding weight.

    go forth- be fabulous.
  • wolverine2006
    wolverine2006 Posts: 5
    This is all fantastic! Thanks for all of the advice. I will read up on these and let you know how it goes!

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