captainrobbo wrote:
Step 3: strength program
Only get onto this after spending a while on Step 2. (Of course, you will ignore me).
Our main goal here is maximum strength in the running muscles, without any hypertrophy (increase in mass), and with the minimum fatigue possible. We want to put at least 80% of our weekly energy into running, NOT weightlifting.
If you have access to Olympic bars on a regular basis, and are able to drop the weights (as lowering is dangerous), I'd go with the Barry Ross program, or Pavel's "Power to the People" workout, which are well documented elsewhere. Gyms do not like you dropping 100kg weights, and wives like it even less.
If not, and/or you're stuck with working out at home, we go for single-leg or split-leg exercises. The great thing about this approach is that, once again, it only needs a few minutes and they don't have to be continuous.
At some point you may find some resistance useful: a dumbell set, a kettlebell. For a really cheap and really useful alternative, get a few bags of sand from the local DIY (USA="home improvement store"?) and an old day rucksack; you can wear it or hug it in your arms and pop extra bags in for weight.
Sets and reps
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From this point on I am paraphrasing Dan and Pavel.
From now on, on the major exercises, we do no more than ten good reps for each exercise in total. 2 sets of 5 is the 'bread and butter' which you do when you just want to tick a box. On other occasions you can do things like 5 sets of 2 (good when you want to figure out a good working weight), 5-3-2 (if feeling good after 5, go up a weight..) and so on. When feeling lousy, do 10 extra-light reps to just rehearse the movement - think 'recovery jog' for lifters.
Always pick a weight you can handle, and always stop with a rep or two 'in the bank' before you lose form or slow down. The main risk with a runner is that you are more tired than you thought from your runs, so let the warmup provide clues.
Spent at least 5min between sets of like exercises. If not doing the household chores in between sets, use the time to stretch.
Personally I tend to pop out to the garden shed and do set #1 of 3 exercises - all done in 2min - then pop out again half an hour later.
Day-by-day progression
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Go totally by feel. I have given up trying to predict how strong I will be in relation to my harder running sessions. Always do some bodyweight moves first for warmup, go heavier when you feel good, go light when you feel weak. Write it down in the diary - odds are that you will make very rapid progress.
Exercises
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Here are three, there are many others that would work. Stick at the same exercises for most of your sessions for 2-4 weeks, then vary them a bit. The whole point of the daily practice is that your nervous system makes progress.
A. Single leg strength progression: start to work through these levels, moving up a level when you feel ready.
Level 1: Basic split squat as before, but holding a weight to your chest, pack on your back, or holding a dumbell in each hand.
Level 2: Rear-foot elevated split squat: one leg behind you, toes on a bench or wall (also called a Bulgarian Split Squat), drop down until rear knee nearly touches. This also gives you a great hip flexor stretch. Load up as for Level 1.
Level 3: Start progressing towards a genuinely single leg squat. Lots of articles online on this, and several variants (box squat, skater squat, pistol squat). Once you can do one, you are self sufficient and won't need any gym equipment any more!
B. Posterior chain: single leg deadlift
Hold a light counterweight, stand on one leg with it bent 20 degrees, tilt your whole body forwards (and the other leg back), then bring yourself back upright. Google it, great vid on YouTube. Progress by adding weight (dumbells, or bag held to chest).
This one is quite important if you are doing split squats or Bulgarians, but less so if you get as far as deep single-leg squats, which really work the hamstrings as well as quads.
C. Calves: progress to doing raises with only one leg on a step. Slow and deep. If 5 of those gets easy, add pauses at various points. Once you can do these really well, you could try holding a dumbell or wearing a loaded rucksack, or maybe it's time to move on.
For the upper body, your choice as to whether to try for maximum strength, or just maintain your basic push and pull from the maintenance routine. It won't affect your running much. Personally I am working on pullups (easy to do), and one-arm dumbell presses overhead. The last one is great for stability in the torso and needs only a medium dumbell. Trying to progress towards a one-arm push-up is a fun and worthy goal - I'm sure I'll never get there, but it really challenges all kind of stabiliser muscles in hips and torso even trying off a table or wall.
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No doubt I have missed some key exercises, but these should get you a long way.
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Finally, and this is important, we want power and some springiness as well as pure strength.
I highly recommend a few fast strides or sprints on a hill each week. This will give your nervous system a chance to integrate and train all the newly available fibres into your running action. Half a dozen Canova-style hill sprints is WAY more realistic and running-specific than any pseudo-running motions you could devise in the gym. Remember that gyms have treadmills so you can do these back to back with weights if you wish. This would count as one of your 5 running strength sessions.
If that doesn't work for whatever reason, there is the Litvinonv / Barry Ross approach: on a day when you feel good, about a minute after each squatting exercise, when your nervous system is highly activated, do a dozen explosive tuck jumps quickly.
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I started the above routine 3 weeks ago, after an end-of-season break. I cannot believe how efficient it is compared to my previous "full sized sessions" approach, and I have bypassed my old PBs already.
I would love to hear from a few others if it works for them...