By: Nick Nilsson
Knowing how to balance cardio with weight training can be one of the most challenging aspects of putting together your training program. Learn how to do it here.
Training your body is all about balance. A complete exercise program should address not only resistance training but cardiovascular training as well. Proper balance between these two basic forms of exercise is essential to your training success.
Training balance basically boils down to the amount of cardio training you do compared to the amount of weight training you do. You are going to learn exactly what factors affect this training balance and how you can use them to ensure you reach your goals as quickly as possible!
The major issue you will need to take into consideration when balancing your cardio with your weight training is your primary training goal; if you're training to lose fat, your balance is going to be very different than if you're trying to gain muscle or if you're training for a specific sport.
What Are Your Goals?
Your primary goal will give you a general starting point for figuring out exactly how to balance your training, as well as what type of cardio and weight training you should be doing.
In addition to your primary goal, you will also need to take into account two other major factors:
Your Body Type - Are you naturally slim? Do you gain muscle easily? Do you tend to hold onto fat readily?
The Type Of Cardio Training You're Doing - Is it high- intensity or low-intensity? Does it fatigue you for weights? Does your weight training fatigue you for your cardio?
As you read through this article, I want you to write down the points that apply to you. After explaining these factors, I will tell you how to integrate everything you've learned in your personal training program.
In order to successfully balance your training, you need to first identify what your primary goal is. Are you trying to lose fat? Are you focused on gaining muscle? Are trying to improve sports performance?
It's very important to note, you will be far more successful in achieving your goal if you focus on one specific goal only. The training processes involved in losing fat or gaining muscle are very different and do not mix well with each other. If you try to do both at the same time, your results won't be as good as if you focused on one at a time.
Training To Gain Muscle:
If you're training to lose fat, you're going to need to do more cardio than someone who is training to gain muscle. A good starting point is three times per week, 20 to 30 minutes per session. Depending on the other factors we're going to discuss, you may need more or less than this. Weight training three times per week should be sufficient to maintain and even build muscle mass.
Training To Lost Fat:
With fat loss, your primary goal should be burning calories while sparing as much muscle as possible. Since you're most likely eating fewer calories, your body is not going to be eager to add muscle, therefore it's best to focus on keeping what you've got. Any muscle you may add is just ice cream on the cake (bad analogy for this topic!).
If you're training to gain muscle, you will need to do less cardio training. Too much cardio can actually hamper your muscle gain by slowing recovery and burning up calories that your body needs for the process of building muscle.
As a general guideline, one or two cardio sessions per week should be enough to maintain your cardiovascular conditioning and keep your bodyfat gains in check while not slowing muscle growth. You should train with weights at least three times per week, up to even six times if you can recover from it and still make progress.
If you are training for a specific sport, how many cardio sessions you need will depend greatly on the cardiovascular and muscle mass and strength requirements of your sport. Naturally, a long-distance runner is going to have far different requirements than a hockey or football player. The type of cardio training you do will also come into play here (which we will look at below).
As a guideline, the more cardio-oriented your sport is, the more cardio sessions you will need and the greater your focus should be on cardio training. If your sport is more strength-oriented, your focus should be primarily on developing that strength, with fewer cardio sessions. Of course, there are many sports that require both strength and cardiovascular capacity. Training in this case should be more equally balanced.
What Body Type Are You?
Now that you've identified your training focus and the general guidelines for it, we need to take a look at your general body type.
There are three main bodytypes:
Ectomorph
Endomorph
Mesomorph
The catogories operate on a sliding scale - a person may be an ectomorph but have mesomorphic tendencies, for example (we will go more into each type below).
Ectomorph:
The ectomorph is the naturally-slim person. They have a smaller bone-structure and can seem to "eat whatever they want and not gain an ounce."
The ectomorph has a fairly easy time losing fat so they will will generally not need to do as much cardio for fat loss. Two or three times per week should be plenty. An ectomorph trying to gain muscle may need to lay off cardio training completely in order to have enough recovery energy available for their body to even build muscle. Once or twice a week should be the maximum cardio frequency. Even weight training may need to be less frequent (two or three times per week) in order to see results.
Endomorph:
The endomorph type is the heavyset end of the scale. The endomorph typically gains and holds onto fat easily and has a harder time losing it. The endomorph does tend to carry more muscle mass than the ectomorph, however.
Endomorphs will need to do more cardio to see significant fat loss. The minimum would be three times per week but some may require up to five or six sessions per week for best results.
An endomorphic person trying to gain muscle mass should continue to do cardio two or three times per week. Their tendency to accumulate bodyfat when eating excess calories (which is a requirement for muscle gain) can be reduced by keeping a reasonable amount of cardio in their training program. The endomorphic body has plenty of energy in reserve for muscle gain.
Mesomorph:
The mesomorph has all the luck. This is the naturally- muscular person. They are characterized by having broader shoulders and a narrower waist (known as a "V" taper). They gain muscle easily and lose fat easily.
A mesomorphic person training to lose fat can get away with doing only one or two cardio sessions a week while still seeing fairly good results. They will have an easier time holding onto muscle while losing fat, which gives them a calorie-burning advantage (the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn in a day even while doing nothing). Mesomorphs who do more cardio sessions will see greater fat loss results than either of the other two bodytypes - their greater muscle mass helps them burn more calories.
The mesomorph has a relatively easy time gaining muscle. Their bodies seem to naturally want to add muscle and keep it. The mesomorph training for muscle gain should keep doing enough cardio training to maintain cardiovascular capacity (about once or twice a week). They can, however, still get away with doing more without compromising results.
What Type Of Cardio?
The type of cardio training you do will have a tremendous impact on the frequency at which you can do it and still get the results you want.
Low-Intensity Cardio:
Low-intensity cardio training, such as walking or slow cycling, can be done practically every single day (even several times a day) for longer periods of time. This type of training is very easy for your body to recover from, regardless of your body type and your goals. It will have very little negative impact on muscle gain and can help you burn calories for fat loss.
Moderate-Intensity Cardio:
Moderate-intensity cardio training, such as jogging or swimming, will need to be done a little less frequently. This type of training requires more energy both to perfom and for your body to recover from. A person trying to lose fat can generally perform four to six moderate-intensity sessions per week at around 20 to 30 minutes each. A person trying to gain muscle should reduce this amount to two to three sessions per week.
High-Intensity Cardio:
High-intensity training is the toughest of the bunch but can actually net you the greatest and fastest results. High- intensity training is exemplified in activities such as sprinting and interval training. If you've ever had a coach make you run up and down hills, you've done high-intensity cardio. Basically, anything that you do as hard as you can for a short period of time could be considered high-intensity training. In fact, intense weight training with short rest periods is very good for cardio capacity.
High-intensity training is extremely effective for fat loss as it not only causes you to burn a lot of calories during the activity, it also raises your metabolism for a long time after the activity is done. This type of hard training should be done less frequently than the more moderate forms of cardio as it is much harder for your body to recover from. If you are training for fat loss, you should do at least two but no more than three high-intensity cardio sessions per week. If you are training for muscle gain, once or, at the most, twice per week should be the limit.
How Much Cardio YOU Need?
The three major factors that determine how much cardio you should do in your program (your primary training goal, your bodytype and the type of cardio training you do) must now all be taken into account when determining how much cardio you should be doing compared to weight training.
Every body is different and every person reacts to training in different ways. To determine how much cardio you should do, you will need to look at each factor on it's own then look at all three factors at once. When you write them all down, you will probably see a pattern develop. Here's an example.
Fat Loss - 3 to 6 times per week
Endomorph - 3 to 6 times per week
High-intensity Training - 2 to 3 times per week
Weight Training - 3 times per week
This would mean an endomorphic person training for fat loss with high-intensity training could do cardio three times per week and weights 3 times per week.
Here's another example:
Muscle Gain - 1 to 2 times per week
Ectomorph - 1 to 2 times per week
Low-intensity Training - 2 to 3 times per week minimum*
Weight Training - 3 to 4 times per week
* But can be done almost every day.
This would mean an ectomorphic person looking for muscle gain and doing low-intensity cardio training could do cardio two days a week at a minimum to maintain cardio capacity while trying to gain muscle.
Conclusion
Every person's situation is wide open to interpretation and, when it all comes right down to it, much of your training schedule is determined by the time you have available to you.
These guidelines should help give you an idea of what frequency of training is most appropriate for your specific goals and situation. Take these recommendations simply as advice, not as rules written in stone and feel free to experiment. You may find out that what actually works for you is exactly the opposite of what is written here!
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Four Miles!!!
Four Miles non-stop, for the first time! Started at the John Glenn Grove and ran to the Navarre water plant and back, then ran north of Warmington for about .25 mile for the total. Was sluggish after the three mile mark, found energy at the four mile mark. Now I remember what a runners high feels like. Could have gone farther, but four miles was my goal. Plenty of time to go five later.
Monday, October 20, 2003
Update
I signed up for the journal on TexasTodd.com but it doesn't seem to be working yet. I doesn't take my posting, so I will continue to post here.
Went to the rec center. It's the last week of phase one. I'll be glad to get on to phase two, something new.
It's day one of the 52 DC and it looks like I make it with clean eats.
Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 2136
Fat: 64 572 27%
Sat: 22 195 9%
Poly: 3 25 1%
Mono: 19 174 8%
Carbs: 277 1011 49%
Fiber: 24 0 0%
Protein: 125 499 24%
Went to the rec center. It's the last week of phase one. I'll be glad to get on to phase two, something new.
It's day one of the 52 DC and it looks like I make it with clean eats.
Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 2136
Fat: 64 572 27%
Sat: 22 195 9%
Poly: 3 25 1%
Mono: 19 174 8%
Carbs: 277 1011 49%
Fiber: 24 0 0%
Protein: 125 499 24%
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Ready for a new 52 day challenge
A new 52DC begins Monday on the Belly Off forum on MH. My goals are as follows:
#1) 90 clean eats
#2) 20 lifting
#3) 20 cardio/HIIT
#4) Get back up to running five miles a day
#5) Find full time employment that I enjoy and challenges me
Sandra and I went to the Wilderness Center and did the 1.75 mile Pioneer Path, part of the fall hiking spree. Just 2 trails left to do.
One week left of phase one of Iron Manual. I have really increased the weights I have been able to lift in these two months. Phase 2, Superset for Super Gains will be started the week after this. Phase one is for losing weight but I have been at 214 lbs for the past two months. I am trying to get past the three miles at running. I tried on Saturday, but did not have the energy.
#1) 90 clean eats
#2) 20 lifting
#3) 20 cardio/HIIT
#4) Get back up to running five miles a day
#5) Find full time employment that I enjoy and challenges me
Sandra and I went to the Wilderness Center and did the 1.75 mile Pioneer Path, part of the fall hiking spree. Just 2 trails left to do.
One week left of phase one of Iron Manual. I have really increased the weights I have been able to lift in these two months. Phase 2, Superset for Super Gains will be started the week after this. Phase one is for losing weight but I have been at 214 lbs for the past two months. I am trying to get past the three miles at running. I tried on Saturday, but did not have the energy.
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Capturing the Warrior Spirit
by Todd Thompson
Published August 10, 2003
Mindful of the immediate images which come to one's mind when the word warrior is used, I risk not being able to dispel those in the context of this brief essay.
However, it is worth the effort, if in any way we can, as men, recapture a spirit which in recent years we have been taught to smother in the male psyche, the spirit of the warrior.
What are some adjectives which describe the warrior? Courageous? Certainly. Fierce? Absolutely. Self-sacrificing? Yes. And, here are some other descriptions.
The warrior is driven by an extraordinary sense of Purpose. How many of us struggle mightily with an absence of personal mission? Oh yes, we can articulate easily the expectations of our culture. Here's one: "My mission in life is to be a good husband and father." Or this one, "My goal in life is to be financially secure."
Of course, these are honorable purposes in life. I would never argue otherwise. But, if we take a deeper look at every decision we make, every thought which we entertain, and every response we make to every stimuli we encounter, moment by moment, are these culturally driven statements of purpose truly operative for us? Are these the thoughts which really make us tick? Should they be?
These questions are left for your own self-analysis, but at least in my own observation, the statements of purpose which I articulate for my life operate more as guiding lights in a thick fog rather than as an inner impulse, refusing me an opportunity to consider other options in life but those driven by the impulse.
The warrior's purpose is one which disregards the possibility of being destroyed in battle. He is driven by something larger than his own life, or else he would flee into the opposite direction at the first sign of the approaching enemy. The warrior feeds on the sense of knowing what he must do, so he does the deed.
The warrior is also Smart, Strategically-inclined, and Informed. Though he is willing to sacrifice his life for his purpose, short of cowardice and passivity, the warrior is also committed to self-preservation. But, isn't this contradictory? No, not really.
The warrior instinct is to conquer the enemy, and it cannot be accomplished unless his own life is preserved. In a battlefield analogy, the "warrior thought" might be, "if I die, then these bastards will win, and our purpose is lost." Still, throwing himself into the line of fire is incumbent upon a warrior, not because he wants to die, and not only because he is willing to do so, but also because dying defeats the purpose of conquering the enemy.
Therefore, the warrior develops a keen sense of what it takes to win, to defeat the enemy. And, for men, these enemies often dwell within us.
As warriors, men must be better informed. We must develop strategies for conquering our enemies. We may not have physical enemies with whom we will be called to do hand-to-hand battle, fortunately so, but we really must get smarter about what it is we are fighting against?
The process of conquering the enemy begins with the process of knowing the enemy. If we do not wish to make fools of ourselves by donning our suits of armor, awaiting the cry of "CHARGE!", and racing off into the horizon only to find we are fighting a windmill (poor Don Quixote), then we must do a survey of our lives to find out specifically who, or really what, is our enemy. We may have many!
Typically, men struggle with Stress, Household Task Avoidance, ample Communications with people whom we love, the Impulse to Overeat, the demon of sheer Laziness, Alcohol Abuse, Anger, Depression, and many others. Just take a look at the TexasTodd Forum topics for the enemies which haunt us.
We are better warriors when we are better strategists, and we are best at strategy when we respect our enemies enough to know them thoroughly, better than they know themselves.
The warrior spirit moves within us, maybe just barely, but it is there. Be still for a moment, and you will feel it. He wants to be unbound.
You can unbind it, but you must tame it first. Let it know who is boss, who rules! You do. Use its courage; capture every breath of its ferocity and make it yours, and use this warrior force to do battle with the enemies on your list.
And, as all of you know, who are users of TexasTodd.Com, the battle of the spirit and mind is also a battle of the body. As a warrior you must train your body hard. You are preparing it for battle, nothing less. The warrior's body is fully utilized as a means of accomplishing victory, achievement, and freedom.
Have courage, be fierce, act wisely, and win.
Published August 10, 2003
Mindful of the immediate images which come to one's mind when the word warrior is used, I risk not being able to dispel those in the context of this brief essay.
However, it is worth the effort, if in any way we can, as men, recapture a spirit which in recent years we have been taught to smother in the male psyche, the spirit of the warrior.
What are some adjectives which describe the warrior? Courageous? Certainly. Fierce? Absolutely. Self-sacrificing? Yes. And, here are some other descriptions.
The warrior is driven by an extraordinary sense of Purpose. How many of us struggle mightily with an absence of personal mission? Oh yes, we can articulate easily the expectations of our culture. Here's one: "My mission in life is to be a good husband and father." Or this one, "My goal in life is to be financially secure."
Of course, these are honorable purposes in life. I would never argue otherwise. But, if we take a deeper look at every decision we make, every thought which we entertain, and every response we make to every stimuli we encounter, moment by moment, are these culturally driven statements of purpose truly operative for us? Are these the thoughts which really make us tick? Should they be?
These questions are left for your own self-analysis, but at least in my own observation, the statements of purpose which I articulate for my life operate more as guiding lights in a thick fog rather than as an inner impulse, refusing me an opportunity to consider other options in life but those driven by the impulse.
The warrior's purpose is one which disregards the possibility of being destroyed in battle. He is driven by something larger than his own life, or else he would flee into the opposite direction at the first sign of the approaching enemy. The warrior feeds on the sense of knowing what he must do, so he does the deed.
The warrior is also Smart, Strategically-inclined, and Informed. Though he is willing to sacrifice his life for his purpose, short of cowardice and passivity, the warrior is also committed to self-preservation. But, isn't this contradictory? No, not really.
The warrior instinct is to conquer the enemy, and it cannot be accomplished unless his own life is preserved. In a battlefield analogy, the "warrior thought" might be, "if I die, then these bastards will win, and our purpose is lost." Still, throwing himself into the line of fire is incumbent upon a warrior, not because he wants to die, and not only because he is willing to do so, but also because dying defeats the purpose of conquering the enemy.
Therefore, the warrior develops a keen sense of what it takes to win, to defeat the enemy. And, for men, these enemies often dwell within us.
As warriors, men must be better informed. We must develop strategies for conquering our enemies. We may not have physical enemies with whom we will be called to do hand-to-hand battle, fortunately so, but we really must get smarter about what it is we are fighting against?
The process of conquering the enemy begins with the process of knowing the enemy. If we do not wish to make fools of ourselves by donning our suits of armor, awaiting the cry of "CHARGE!", and racing off into the horizon only to find we are fighting a windmill (poor Don Quixote), then we must do a survey of our lives to find out specifically who, or really what, is our enemy. We may have many!
Typically, men struggle with Stress, Household Task Avoidance, ample Communications with people whom we love, the Impulse to Overeat, the demon of sheer Laziness, Alcohol Abuse, Anger, Depression, and many others. Just take a look at the TexasTodd Forum topics for the enemies which haunt us.
We are better warriors when we are better strategists, and we are best at strategy when we respect our enemies enough to know them thoroughly, better than they know themselves.
The warrior spirit moves within us, maybe just barely, but it is there. Be still for a moment, and you will feel it. He wants to be unbound.
You can unbind it, but you must tame it first. Let it know who is boss, who rules! You do. Use its courage; capture every breath of its ferocity and make it yours, and use this warrior force to do battle with the enemies on your list.
And, as all of you know, who are users of TexasTodd.Com, the battle of the spirit and mind is also a battle of the body. As a warrior you must train your body hard. You are preparing it for battle, nothing less. The warrior's body is fully utilized as a means of accomplishing victory, achievement, and freedom.
Have courage, be fierce, act wisely, and win.
Monday, October 13, 2003
Cheating
I have not been eating healty the past few days. I bought a half pound of cheese at Sunny Slope on Saturday. Had a doughnut tonight. I have been eating about 300 calories over my limit the past several days and I feel it. Doing the Iron Manual workout I should be losing weight, but have been at 214 lbs for the past month or more.
The workout is going well. On the second week of the second month of phase one. Added 20 lbs to the bench press today, up to 135 lbs.
My running is improving. I did 3 miles last night and feel I am ready to move up to four miles this week. I will have to do my running on Tuesday morning. I need to pick up my mother at the hospital about noon tomorrow. And we have care group in the evening.
The workout is going well. On the second week of the second month of phase one. Added 20 lbs to the bench press today, up to 135 lbs.
My running is improving. I did 3 miles last night and feel I am ready to move up to four miles this week. I will have to do my running on Tuesday morning. I need to pick up my mother at the hospital about noon tomorrow. And we have care group in the evening.
Friday, October 3, 2003
8 Habits of Highly Successful People
From Runners World:
The best way to improve your running is to build simple, sustainable training habits. The hard part is knowing which habits work best. So we collected the only eight you'll need to run successfully for a lifetime
In 1989, leadership guru Stephen R. Covey wrote his famous book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, in which he identified traits shared by successful individuals from all walks of life. Great concept. The book sold millions. We decided to do the same with running. We checked in with Olympians, pros, coaches, exercise physiologists, and regular folks with 2 or 3 decades of running under their belts, and we found that there are actually eight habits of highly successful runners (sorry, Mr. Covey).
An important caveat here: By "successful" we don't necessarily mean fast, though following these habits will certainly help you get faster. To us, successful runners are those who are happy and motivated for the long haul. If and when these runners race, they race well, and get the most from their efforts. They are rarely injured, and enjoy total-body strength and fitness. Above all, successful runners are healthy, energized, optimistic individuals.
And they got this way because of their running habits, which you can easily integrate into your own running lifestyle. At which point they become second nature.
In the end, successful running isn't always a matter of luck or genes or even personality. It's about doing the right things. Eight of them, to be exact.
HABIT 1: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
When researchers at the University of South Carolina studied 583 veteran runners recently, they found that the most important predictor for injuries was total mileage. Those who ran 40 miles a week or more were more likely to get hurt. This doesn't mean you should never do more than 40 miles a week in your training; some people handle the high mileage just fine. (Also, most marathon training plans have you doing more than 40, but only for a short period.) However, the research does suggest that, over the long haul, running more quality miles may be the way to go.
Mike Keohane, who competed in the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon and is now a New York City-based running coach, says his ideal training week would look like this: A long run, a tempo run, and a hilly run. "Twenty miles a week of quality running is going to beat 35 miles of plodding, hands down," he says.
Make it stick: Try the "7-8-10-Go" plan this winter. In the first stage of this program, you run three times a week: 7 miles on Tuesday, 8 on Thursday, and 10 on Saturday or Sunday. You'll still get 25 miles a week, while giving your body a full day's rest between runs.
After 4 to 6 weeks, begin to add a little quality to this regimen. Throw in some hills on the Tuesday run, and pick up the pace on Thursday--even by just 10 to 15 seconds per mile.
Then, as you get into the racing preseason (March and April), it's time to go...fast, that is. Now, you add a fourth day of training: interval repeats. There are lots of ways to do that, of course. One way to ease into it is to do 60-second pick-ups, alternating 60 seconds of hard running with 60 seconds of jogging. Do five sets of those (a total of 10 minutes), then cool down for a mile. Build up to 90-second pick-ups, then 2-minute pick-ups, and so on.
The beauty of this program is that you're getting three or four quality runs in per week, which minimizes total mileage while maximizing fitness. This also keeps injury risk low.
HABIT 2: Pump Iron
Alan Jung, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, recently reviewed the existing scientific literature on the effects of strength training on runners. His conclusion: "Distance runners of all levels can benefit from a resistance-training program." Why? Because it helps prevent injuries. Because it improves your running economy (the amount of oxygen you use when you run), and thus race performance. Because it can offset the loss of muscle that occurs as you age. And because it strengthens the tendons, ligaments, and bones that enable you to run smoothly and effectively.
Make it stick: A program using free weights or resistance machines is the best way to build strength, and you only need to lift twice a week (after running or on a rest day) to see serious strength gains. But you can begin at home with three basic strength-building exercises. If done properly, these exercises--which require only your body weight as resistance--will boost your total-body fitness in just 3 weeks.
1. Pushups: Keep your back straight and your palms flat, slightly wider than shoulder width. Descend slowly, until your chest and hips are inches from the floor. Push up faster than you came down, pause at the top, and repeat.
2. Crunches: Lie on your back with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and feet flat on the floor. Cross your hands over your chest, then raise your shoulders, keeping your lower back on the floor. Feel the tension in the stomach muscles, then lower your shoulders slowly, and repeat.
3. Squats: Keeping your back straight, your head up, and your hands out in front for balance, slowly descend into a seated position, with legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Then push up from your heels to a straight-standing position, keeping your feet on the floor. Depending on your current strength, try doing two sets of 10 to 20 repetitions of each exercise, and work up from there.
HABIT 3: Get Off The Roads
Physical therapist and ultradistance runner David Balsley has been taking broken runners and putting them back together again for 30 years. His advice: Get on the treadmill, find a trail, hit the rubberized track--whatever it takes to decrease your time on the pavement. "The surface is just too hard," says Balsley. At the very least, he says, "Avoid concrete roads; asphalt is softer. Better yet, try to stay on the soft shoulder."
This doesn't mean you should stay off the roads altogether, as they're still the most available surface for most of us. But there are many other more forgiving surfaces.
Make it stick: Make 1 day a week your "off-road day." This week, try running on a treadmill. Next week, scout out a local trail and run there. If you live near a boardwalk, hit the boards the third week, or find an even, grassy surface in a park. (To find a trail near you, visit the All American Trail Running Association's Web site at trailrunner.com. For a comprehensive treadmill review, plus treadmill training tips, go to runnersworld.com, and click on "Shoes and Gear," then "Treadmills.")
HABIT 4: Take Care of Your Body
You won't be a runner for long--certainly not a happy one--if you're constantly injured or feeling burned out. To help keep you energized and raring to go, Clint Verran, an elite marathoner and physical therapist in Rochester Hills, Michigan, offers this checklist for preventive maintenance of the runner's body:
Change your shoes every 300 to 500 miles.
Stretch after every run.
Get a weekly massage, with emphasis on the legs.
Get sufficient, regular sleep (most people need 7 to 8 hours).
Consider taking a glucosamine supplement to keep your joints healthy.
Seek medical attention for chronic problems, both physical and mental.
Make it stick: Along with the checklist above, try this: After your next run, take a walk. When former U.S. Olympic marathoner and ultradistance champion Ted Corbitt ran regular 30-mile training runs in New York City's Central Park, he noticed that what he did immediately afterward had a huge impact on how he felt. "When I took the subway home, I'd be stiff and sore for days," says Corbitt, now 84 and still running strong. "But when I walked home, which took me about an hour, I'd never have any muscle soreness." Okay, we're not saying you need to walk an hour after all your runs, but even 5 minutes is a great way to cool down, mentally regroup, and help those leg muscles recover more quickly.
HABIT 5: Keep It Fresh, Keep It Fun
We runners can be creatures of habit, which is fine. That's what this article is all about, after all. But we can take our running habits too far, in which case they become ruts. To keep your running from getting stale, make a habit of shaking things up on occasion--by changing your running route, your training program, and your races.
"One way to do this is to plan one new running adventure a year," says Gale Bernhardt of Boulder, Colorado, an endurance coach for Active.com. "Maybe it's a relay race you do with your training buddies, maybe it's exploring a new trail, or maybe it's a marathon in an interesting place. Whatever it is, make it something different and interesting."
This advice can also extend to what you wear. While ours is not an accessory-driven sport, there have been tremendous innovations in running gadgets and apparel in the last 10 years. Keep your mind open to these things.
Make it stick: Give yourself a running makeover this year--and every year thereafter. Here's how:
Try a new brand of shoes.
Buy a new winter (and summer) running outfit.
Tweak your running schedule: Do one of your weekly runs on a different day than you normally do, or at a different time than you normally do.
Run a different course each month--with someone you haven't run with in a while. Plan a running adventure for you, your family, or your training friends. Check runnersworld.com, runtheplanet.com, or marathonguide.com for interesting new places and events to try.
HABIT 6: Run To The Peaks, Rest In The Valleys
Elite runners train hard, but not all year long. After peaking for major races, Deena (Drossin) Kastor, Sonia O'Sullivan, and Joseph Chebet take time off. So should you. A week or two--maybe twice a year--will enable you to rest and recharge. Use the time to do some cycling, begin a home project, or take a vacation. You'll come back to running stronger than ever. And don't worry: You won't lose conditioning during this relatively short break. If you're worried about gaining weight, this is the time to explore the gym, start a strength-training program (see Habit 2), or simply get out for a brisk 20-minute walk each day.
Make it stick: Take a holiday from running, but stay active with a health club "six pack." That is, over a 12-day period, try six different activities spread out every other day. For example, take a spin class 1 day, do a circuit of free weights next time, hop on the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes, do a circuit of resistance machines, walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and take a yoga class. The stretching and strengthening will be good for your body, you'll burn plenty of calories thanks to the cardio work, and you'll return to running fit, happy, and energized. Also, you may just find a favorite new cross-training activity or two you'll want to continue with. (If you don't belong to a gym, most clubs sell weekly or monthly memberships.)
HABIT 7: Build An Extended Running Family
When then 42-year-old Dick Murphy started running in 1977, he hooked up with a group of runners who trained near the bucolic Nissequogue River in the New York City suburb of Smithtown. They called themselves the River Road Rats. A year after he started running with the group, Murphy qualified for the Boston Marathon, and he's done it every year since. Murphy, now 68, attributes his consistency and longevity in the sport to the Rats. "They're a great bunch of people," says Murphy. "We run together, solve the world's problems, then go out and have breakfast together every Sunday."
While the solitude of a solo run will always remain one of the great joys of our sport, chances are you'll stay more motivated if you plug into a "running family." That could be a local club or training group like the River Road Rats, an online runner's forum, or simply a group of training partners and friends. Together, you'll help each other stay in the game for many years to come.
Make it stick: Visit rrca.org to find a running club in your area, or go to runnersworld.com and visit one of our popular forums. Or just make a point to start getting together with a running friend or two each week at the same scenic locale.
HABIT 8: Run For Others
Ask yourself this question: Why do I run? To feel better, sure. To stay fit, definitely. Still, as our running lives progress, we sometimes need more than this to get ourselves out the door. Ruth Anne Bortz started running at age 48. That was back in 1978, and she's still at it. In fact, she completed the Boston Marathon in 2002 with her husband, Walter, making them the oldest married couple ever to do so.
But her motivation has changed during that time. "Early on, I ran for competition," says Bortz. "Then I ran as an example to my children. Now, I'm running to get others started. I see myself as an apostle of running."
Make it stick: Make this the year to join thousands of other charity runners who run and race while raising funds for worthy causes, through such programs as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training (teamintraining.org), the Arthritis Found-ation's Joints in Motion (arthritis.org/events), or Team Diabetes (diabetes.org/teamdiabetes). Or do like Ruth Anne Bortz does. Be an apostle. Spread the good word about our sport. Each year, try to get at least one friend, co-worker, or family member to start running. Again, the idea here is to incorporate each of these eight training habits into your exercise program. This will take conscious effort at first, and you'll need to sift through what works and what doesn't. But if you're diligent, and stick with the program for a few weeks, these strategies will become standard operating procedure.
The best way to improve your running is to build simple, sustainable training habits. The hard part is knowing which habits work best. So we collected the only eight you'll need to run successfully for a lifetime
In 1989, leadership guru Stephen R. Covey wrote his famous book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, in which he identified traits shared by successful individuals from all walks of life. Great concept. The book sold millions. We decided to do the same with running. We checked in with Olympians, pros, coaches, exercise physiologists, and regular folks with 2 or 3 decades of running under their belts, and we found that there are actually eight habits of highly successful runners (sorry, Mr. Covey).
An important caveat here: By "successful" we don't necessarily mean fast, though following these habits will certainly help you get faster. To us, successful runners are those who are happy and motivated for the long haul. If and when these runners race, they race well, and get the most from their efforts. They are rarely injured, and enjoy total-body strength and fitness. Above all, successful runners are healthy, energized, optimistic individuals.
And they got this way because of their running habits, which you can easily integrate into your own running lifestyle. At which point they become second nature.
In the end, successful running isn't always a matter of luck or genes or even personality. It's about doing the right things. Eight of them, to be exact.
HABIT 1: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
When researchers at the University of South Carolina studied 583 veteran runners recently, they found that the most important predictor for injuries was total mileage. Those who ran 40 miles a week or more were more likely to get hurt. This doesn't mean you should never do more than 40 miles a week in your training; some people handle the high mileage just fine. (Also, most marathon training plans have you doing more than 40, but only for a short period.) However, the research does suggest that, over the long haul, running more quality miles may be the way to go.
Mike Keohane, who competed in the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon and is now a New York City-based running coach, says his ideal training week would look like this: A long run, a tempo run, and a hilly run. "Twenty miles a week of quality running is going to beat 35 miles of plodding, hands down," he says.
Make it stick: Try the "7-8-10-Go" plan this winter. In the first stage of this program, you run three times a week: 7 miles on Tuesday, 8 on Thursday, and 10 on Saturday or Sunday. You'll still get 25 miles a week, while giving your body a full day's rest between runs.
After 4 to 6 weeks, begin to add a little quality to this regimen. Throw in some hills on the Tuesday run, and pick up the pace on Thursday--even by just 10 to 15 seconds per mile.
Then, as you get into the racing preseason (March and April), it's time to go...fast, that is. Now, you add a fourth day of training: interval repeats. There are lots of ways to do that, of course. One way to ease into it is to do 60-second pick-ups, alternating 60 seconds of hard running with 60 seconds of jogging. Do five sets of those (a total of 10 minutes), then cool down for a mile. Build up to 90-second pick-ups, then 2-minute pick-ups, and so on.
The beauty of this program is that you're getting three or four quality runs in per week, which minimizes total mileage while maximizing fitness. This also keeps injury risk low.
HABIT 2: Pump Iron
Alan Jung, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, recently reviewed the existing scientific literature on the effects of strength training on runners. His conclusion: "Distance runners of all levels can benefit from a resistance-training program." Why? Because it helps prevent injuries. Because it improves your running economy (the amount of oxygen you use when you run), and thus race performance. Because it can offset the loss of muscle that occurs as you age. And because it strengthens the tendons, ligaments, and bones that enable you to run smoothly and effectively.
Make it stick: A program using free weights or resistance machines is the best way to build strength, and you only need to lift twice a week (after running or on a rest day) to see serious strength gains. But you can begin at home with three basic strength-building exercises. If done properly, these exercises--which require only your body weight as resistance--will boost your total-body fitness in just 3 weeks.
1. Pushups: Keep your back straight and your palms flat, slightly wider than shoulder width. Descend slowly, until your chest and hips are inches from the floor. Push up faster than you came down, pause at the top, and repeat.
2. Crunches: Lie on your back with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle and feet flat on the floor. Cross your hands over your chest, then raise your shoulders, keeping your lower back on the floor. Feel the tension in the stomach muscles, then lower your shoulders slowly, and repeat.
3. Squats: Keeping your back straight, your head up, and your hands out in front for balance, slowly descend into a seated position, with legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Then push up from your heels to a straight-standing position, keeping your feet on the floor. Depending on your current strength, try doing two sets of 10 to 20 repetitions of each exercise, and work up from there.
HABIT 3: Get Off The Roads
Physical therapist and ultradistance runner David Balsley has been taking broken runners and putting them back together again for 30 years. His advice: Get on the treadmill, find a trail, hit the rubberized track--whatever it takes to decrease your time on the pavement. "The surface is just too hard," says Balsley. At the very least, he says, "Avoid concrete roads; asphalt is softer. Better yet, try to stay on the soft shoulder."
This doesn't mean you should stay off the roads altogether, as they're still the most available surface for most of us. But there are many other more forgiving surfaces.
Make it stick: Make 1 day a week your "off-road day." This week, try running on a treadmill. Next week, scout out a local trail and run there. If you live near a boardwalk, hit the boards the third week, or find an even, grassy surface in a park. (To find a trail near you, visit the All American Trail Running Association's Web site at trailrunner.com. For a comprehensive treadmill review, plus treadmill training tips, go to runnersworld.com, and click on "Shoes and Gear," then "Treadmills.")
HABIT 4: Take Care of Your Body
You won't be a runner for long--certainly not a happy one--if you're constantly injured or feeling burned out. To help keep you energized and raring to go, Clint Verran, an elite marathoner and physical therapist in Rochester Hills, Michigan, offers this checklist for preventive maintenance of the runner's body:
Change your shoes every 300 to 500 miles.
Stretch after every run.
Get a weekly massage, with emphasis on the legs.
Get sufficient, regular sleep (most people need 7 to 8 hours).
Consider taking a glucosamine supplement to keep your joints healthy.
Seek medical attention for chronic problems, both physical and mental.
Make it stick: Along with the checklist above, try this: After your next run, take a walk. When former U.S. Olympic marathoner and ultradistance champion Ted Corbitt ran regular 30-mile training runs in New York City's Central Park, he noticed that what he did immediately afterward had a huge impact on how he felt. "When I took the subway home, I'd be stiff and sore for days," says Corbitt, now 84 and still running strong. "But when I walked home, which took me about an hour, I'd never have any muscle soreness." Okay, we're not saying you need to walk an hour after all your runs, but even 5 minutes is a great way to cool down, mentally regroup, and help those leg muscles recover more quickly.
HABIT 5: Keep It Fresh, Keep It Fun
We runners can be creatures of habit, which is fine. That's what this article is all about, after all. But we can take our running habits too far, in which case they become ruts. To keep your running from getting stale, make a habit of shaking things up on occasion--by changing your running route, your training program, and your races.
"One way to do this is to plan one new running adventure a year," says Gale Bernhardt of Boulder, Colorado, an endurance coach for Active.com. "Maybe it's a relay race you do with your training buddies, maybe it's exploring a new trail, or maybe it's a marathon in an interesting place. Whatever it is, make it something different and interesting."
This advice can also extend to what you wear. While ours is not an accessory-driven sport, there have been tremendous innovations in running gadgets and apparel in the last 10 years. Keep your mind open to these things.
Make it stick: Give yourself a running makeover this year--and every year thereafter. Here's how:
Try a new brand of shoes.
Buy a new winter (and summer) running outfit.
Tweak your running schedule: Do one of your weekly runs on a different day than you normally do, or at a different time than you normally do.
Run a different course each month--with someone you haven't run with in a while. Plan a running adventure for you, your family, or your training friends. Check runnersworld.com, runtheplanet.com, or marathonguide.com for interesting new places and events to try.
HABIT 6: Run To The Peaks, Rest In The Valleys
Elite runners train hard, but not all year long. After peaking for major races, Deena (Drossin) Kastor, Sonia O'Sullivan, and Joseph Chebet take time off. So should you. A week or two--maybe twice a year--will enable you to rest and recharge. Use the time to do some cycling, begin a home project, or take a vacation. You'll come back to running stronger than ever. And don't worry: You won't lose conditioning during this relatively short break. If you're worried about gaining weight, this is the time to explore the gym, start a strength-training program (see Habit 2), or simply get out for a brisk 20-minute walk each day.
Make it stick: Take a holiday from running, but stay active with a health club "six pack." That is, over a 12-day period, try six different activities spread out every other day. For example, take a spin class 1 day, do a circuit of free weights next time, hop on the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes, do a circuit of resistance machines, walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and take a yoga class. The stretching and strengthening will be good for your body, you'll burn plenty of calories thanks to the cardio work, and you'll return to running fit, happy, and energized. Also, you may just find a favorite new cross-training activity or two you'll want to continue with. (If you don't belong to a gym, most clubs sell weekly or monthly memberships.)
HABIT 7: Build An Extended Running Family
When then 42-year-old Dick Murphy started running in 1977, he hooked up with a group of runners who trained near the bucolic Nissequogue River in the New York City suburb of Smithtown. They called themselves the River Road Rats. A year after he started running with the group, Murphy qualified for the Boston Marathon, and he's done it every year since. Murphy, now 68, attributes his consistency and longevity in the sport to the Rats. "They're a great bunch of people," says Murphy. "We run together, solve the world's problems, then go out and have breakfast together every Sunday."
While the solitude of a solo run will always remain one of the great joys of our sport, chances are you'll stay more motivated if you plug into a "running family." That could be a local club or training group like the River Road Rats, an online runner's forum, or simply a group of training partners and friends. Together, you'll help each other stay in the game for many years to come.
Make it stick: Visit rrca.org to find a running club in your area, or go to runnersworld.com and visit one of our popular forums. Or just make a point to start getting together with a running friend or two each week at the same scenic locale.
HABIT 8: Run For Others
Ask yourself this question: Why do I run? To feel better, sure. To stay fit, definitely. Still, as our running lives progress, we sometimes need more than this to get ourselves out the door. Ruth Anne Bortz started running at age 48. That was back in 1978, and she's still at it. In fact, she completed the Boston Marathon in 2002 with her husband, Walter, making them the oldest married couple ever to do so.
But her motivation has changed during that time. "Early on, I ran for competition," says Bortz. "Then I ran as an example to my children. Now, I'm running to get others started. I see myself as an apostle of running."
Make it stick: Make this the year to join thousands of other charity runners who run and race while raising funds for worthy causes, through such programs as the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training (teamintraining.org), the Arthritis Found-ation's Joints in Motion (arthritis.org/events), or Team Diabetes (diabetes.org/teamdiabetes). Or do like Ruth Anne Bortz does. Be an apostle. Spread the good word about our sport. Each year, try to get at least one friend, co-worker, or family member to start running. Again, the idea here is to incorporate each of these eight training habits into your exercise program. This will take conscious effort at first, and you'll need to sift through what works and what doesn't. But if you're diligent, and stick with the program for a few weeks, these strategies will become standard operating procedure.
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
52 DC Complete
The 52 Day Challenge on the Belly-Off forum on MH is complete.
Goal 1: 80 clean eats / did 94. will set higher goal for next one.
Goal 2: 20 RT / just got back from #20
Goal 3: 20 cardio / did 20
Goal 4: 208 lbs / only dropped 4 to 214. The scale in my gym said I added four lbs in one day! Not likely!
3 out of 4 - I take the GOLD!
My wife won a $30 gift certificate for a restaurant and we used it yesterday. Not sure quite what it was, but it was pasta something and seemed quite healthy. (and no, it was not four lbs worth!)
Note: signing off as GAEbie, taking the new name of ChallengeMe. (and losing 135 posts in my quest of 1000)
Goal 1: 80 clean eats / did 94. will set higher goal for next one.
Goal 2: 20 RT / just got back from #20
Goal 3: 20 cardio / did 20
Goal 4: 208 lbs / only dropped 4 to 214. The scale in my gym said I added four lbs in one day! Not likely!
3 out of 4 - I take the GOLD!
My wife won a $30 gift certificate for a restaurant and we used it yesterday. Not sure quite what it was, but it was pasta something and seemed quite healthy. (and no, it was not four lbs worth!)
Note: signing off as GAEbie, taking the new name of ChallengeMe. (and losing 135 posts in my quest of 1000)
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