Weight Workouts

[SH Raiders Coach]

I would like to hear some coach's or experienced runner's opinions about weight training. How often, what muscles to work, when (during the summer or during the season or both). I am mainly interested in weight training for XC but could use some advice for winter training for track as well. Be as specific as possible: # of reps, which equipment you use, # of days per week...

Thanks,
Bill F

Tennessee

[xcworldchamp]

i have found that core training, including situps, and pushups work just as well if not better

[SH Raiders Coach]

i have found that core training, including situps, and pushups work just as well if not better

I have always thought that as well.

Thanks

[bantazmo]

Doin push ups alone will not enhance your abilities in running distance. It can a be a small part of what you do as a runner. Distance runners can not be afriad of wieght training. When the proper energy systems are targeted, load, intensity, and rest are considered wieght training should then be a large part of your program. Yes, core is important and should be worked up to four times a week. However, just siting on your back and doing some crunches will not do the trick alone. You also have to strength your lower back. This can be done by back extensions or dead lifts of many different varients.

Also the reps must be considerable. Example, many people look to the 3 sets of 15-20 as the holy grail of distance wieght lifting. However, in much research about the subject that wieght training should be a constantly changing process through out the season. Starting with sets being done in circut format. Then combined sets with based of time. E.G. 3x45 sec 50% max squats medium speed. Then as the season progresses you up the load from 50% lower the time and then eventually lower the load again and increase the speed of the reps. You may also limit your number of lifts to focus on the most important. For example, squats will never be replaced out of your workout while others may be removed. Instead you can focus on different types of squats such as front squats, hack squats, single leg squats, iso squats, essentric squats, jump squats. Get the idea. Squating can become a workout to itself. Tell me what you think about this and then I will communicate more thoughts.

[SH Raiders Coach]

Doin push ups alone will not enhance your abilities in running distance. It can a be a small part of what you do as a runner. Distance runners can not be afriad of wieght training. When the proper energy systems are targeted, load, intensity, and rest are considered wieght training should then be a large part of your program. Yes, core is important and should be worked up to four times a week. However, just siting on your back and doing some crunches will not do the trick alone. You also have to strength your lower back. This can be done by back extensions or dead lifts of many different varients.

Also the reps must be considerable. Example, many people look to the 3 sets of 15-20 as the holy grail of distance wieght lifting. However, in much research about the subject that wieght training should be a constantly changing process through out the season. Starting with sets being done in circut format. Then combined sets with based of time. E.G. 3x45 sec 50% max squats medium speed. Then as the season progresses you up the load from 50% lower the time and then eventually lower the load again and increase the speed of the reps. You may also limit your number of lifts to focus on the most important. For example, squats will never be replaced out of your workout while others may be removed. Instead you can focus on different types of squats such as front squats, hack squats, single leg squats, iso squats, essentric squats, jump squats. Get the idea. Squating can become a workout to itself. Tell me what you think about this and then I will communicate more thoughts.

This is what I was looking for. Thanks.

Please explain the differences in squats :confused: .

[tuquer]

I would like to hear some coach's or experienced runner's opinions about weight training. How often, what muscles to work, when (during the summer or during the season or both). I am mainly interested in weight training for XC but could use some advice for winter training for track as well. Be as specific as possible: # of reps, which equipment you use, # of days per week...

Thanks,
Bill F

Tennessee

one of the biggest issues in distance runners is the swinging of the arms across the chest rather than parallel to the chest. this shortens one's stride length. so, in front of a full length mirror, take 2# weights in each hand and watch yourself do an arm drive as if you were running a 200. you do this for 200 drives (equal to about a 400) and then rest for three minutes. then repeat for a total of three times. do this every other day for a month. by then the problem is gone. also, you see runners holding their arms close or tight. this is an indication of "weak shoulders" and do the same drill.

suggest a video camera and review with each runner their form at the one, two and three mile.

all for now

[watchout]

Disclaimer: I'm not an "experienced" runner as you are looking for, but I thought I would share my opinions regardless. Take and leave what you want.

For the most part, I think that it is ok to just do workouts not involving weights ... such as bench dips to work your back and triceps, pushups to work your chest and biceps, and crunches to work your abdominal muscles.

Some athletes may not have strong enough muscles, which could cause those muscles to hurt before others ... myself, for example, I have always had this nagging pain in my anterior deltoid in the late stages of some of my races/hard runs. In order to help correct this, my coach told me to do a workout that strengthens my anterior deltiods ... shown here: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBFrontRaise.html This worked just fine, I worked on that all throughout our winter training, and I didn't have the problem again until recently ... 2 years later.

[andycorremucho]

pushups to work your chest and biceps, and crunches to work your abdominal muscles.


how the heck did you figure that? :confused:
pushups IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER work the biceps

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Pushups

Pushups

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Chest
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Compound

[wsgeneral]

While I feel that low intensity circuit-like training has its place, I feel that strength development needs to come from moving very high loads. I mean 90%+ 1RM for 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps, then take a long (4+ minutes) and hit it again. I like a deadlift or squat, an olympic lift of some kind, and a pressing movement (jerks or bench). The purpose for such training is to teach the CNS to move bigger weigths without adding too much extra bulk. Running economy has been shown to improve with such training.

[ngchaska]

how the heck did you figure that? :confused:
pushups IN NO WAY WHATSOEVER work the biceps

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Pushups

Pushups

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Chest
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Shoulders
Equipment: BodyOnly
Mechanics Type: Compound

Take it easy, he meant TRiceps. You have to admit, biceps and triceps are pretty dang similar in spelling and location, and are easily mistaken.

Besides, to say biceps are not worked at all is a false claim. They are a dynamic stabilizier during the downward motion of a pushup, they are not hit that hard, but biceps are still used.

[Maverick22]

it does a runner no good to work muscles that we dont use to run, but in the same breath, we need to keep muscle groups balanced. doing a full body workout twice a week will make you stronger. include lunges with weights where the count is 3 seconds down and explode up. this provide strength and control. do calf raises on stairs or some elevated surface, you can use weights if you want but just lifting your own body weight is effective. do pull ups where you explode up then take six seconds to go back down, when you think you are on your last rep do a thirty second negative. do bench press with a 4 second negative then explode up. do some shoulder presses with dumbells with a 3 second negative then explode up. i think that you are starting to see the pattern. do lifts with counts to gain more strength and muscle control. stay away from curls and tricep lifts, the bench and pull ups are more than enough.