@Alan - just wanted to say I've read your posts for years on weightlifting and you are always spot on. As a fellow past distance runner that transitioned to weightlifting I appreciate these posts.
at the end of the day it depends on your age and goals. If you’re primarily a runner looking to get faster, I personally would not be lifting. If it want to, I’d do plyos and some dynamic movements
if you’re just staying fit and looking to add strength, then go ahead but definitely back off. You’re probably going a lot harder than you need to. Like running, it’s about consistency over time. You likely want to periodize your plan over a training block, like 12 weeks. Maybe you get some sort of 3 day split routine (upper, lower, upper/lower mix)
but you can only handle so much. You can’t be your best at lifting AND your best at running at the same time
Our data indicate that women should include heavy-resistance training in their programs, but men should be cautious about using it in season until more research establishes whether certain men are positive or negative responders.
Which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. The second article is recommending
Specifically, they recommend lifting loads at 60%-80% of one-repetition maximum, or the heaviest weight that can be lifted with maximum effort in a single repetition, for three to six sets of 5-15 reps. For distance runners, training to repetition failure is not recommended, they add.
Which is sort of medium weight for medium reps. A lot like the 3x10 of 80s. 🤣
I have never seen a study really pushing high reps.
The numbers I always wanted to see is what happens with the second cycle. It is clear people need to do some strength work as a distance guy. What isn't as clear is if you keep getting noticeable gains after 3 months of training. After I get my squat to say 1.5x BW, should I keep pushing for 2x or should I go into more of a maintenance mode?
Granted this is true of most no one is going to sign up for a 2 year study..
Boo Schexnayder, coordinator and teacher of USTFCCCA's strength programs doesnt see any benefit for sprinters trying to squat more than 2x body weight. Certainly distance runners aren't expected to do the same. He also does not recommend much squatting at all after the first half of a macrocycle. He's also a big advocate of plyos and olympuc lifting starting very early in a cycle. I understand he's not the only voice in this field but he is track and field's strength and power guru.
2x is starting to get up there for a person who doesn't focus on lifting. Most of the people I know get to around 1.5x ( things like doing 3*6 of 185 at 140) pretty quick but then stall out if they are not super serious as a lifter. Is there any benefit for going for more strength or do you take the beginner gains and get back to running? You can have the same discussion about plyos about volume and frequency. As a total am, I do both cause they are fun. If I was some 13:00 guy trying to figure out how to take the next step, it gets a lot harder...
Clayton Murphy has a bunch of videos where he talks about basically not lifting in college or HS. He basically hasn't gotten faster since he added it. For others it appears to be the key.
I have tried lifting heavy since the last few years and it hasn’t worked for me. Even doing it in the way that Alan described, where I just ramp up to one hard set of 5 at ~90% leaves me feeling tired and sore.
Whenever I lift lighter, something like 2-3 exercises, 2-3 reps of 5-8 in the 60-70% range, I feel much better. I don’t get beat-up or sore. I have probably been doing something wrong. Or maybe lifting heavy just doesn’t work for me.
I have tried lifting heavy since the last few years and it hasn’t worked for me. Even doing it in the way that Alan described, where I just ramp up to one hard set of 5 at ~90% leaves me feeling tired and sore.
Whenever I lift lighter, something like 2-3 exercises, 2-3 reps of 5-8 in the 60-70% range, I feel much better. I don’t get beat-up or sore. I have probably been doing something wrong. Or maybe lifting heavy just doesn’t work for me.
Many strength coaches program multiple sets of 1 or 2 reps at that intensity rather than 5 for that very reason. If that doesn't work than lifting heavy just might not work for you.
The Stronglifts site says to do only three workouts per week, but it doesn’t say anything about people such as yourself who run a lot in addition to lifting. Maybe you should limit your lifting to two days per week.
I have tried lifting heavy since the last few years and it hasn’t worked for me. Even doing it in the way that Alan described, where I just ramp up to one hard set of 5 at ~90% leaves me feeling tired and sore.
Whenever I lift lighter, something like 2-3 exercises, 2-3 reps of 5-8 in the 60-70% range, I feel much better. I don’t get beat-up or sore. I have probably been doing something wrong. Or maybe lifting heavy just doesn’t work for me.
Are you consistent? What exercises? What is sore?
What coach describes above....doing multiple sets of 1-2 at a 5RM is a "cluster set" and is probably more taxing than what you are doing.
The Stronglifts site says to do only three workouts per week, but it doesn’t say anything about people such as yourself who run a lot in addition to lifting. Maybe you should limit your lifting to two days per week.
The problem with conventional advice. like from Stronglifts or your typically NSCA CSCS, is the advice is geared towards strength athletes or sports with a lot more strength emphasis than running. Even women's gymnastics has a far great strength demand than running.
You could never lift and be just fine. It could also provide some benefit, especially with female runners.
Also while I am at it....be wary of people who talk at conferences and who talk in absolutes...ie "sprinters should never squat more than 2 x bw"......every athlete is different man.....
I have tried lifting heavy since the last few years and it hasn’t worked for me. Even doing it in the way that Alan described, where I just ramp up to one hard set of 5 at ~90% leaves me feeling tired and sore.
Whenever I lift lighter, something like 2-3 exercises, 2-3 reps of 5-8 in the 60-70% range, I feel much better. I don’t get beat-up or sore. I have probably been doing something wrong. Or maybe lifting heavy just doesn’t work for me.
Are you consistent? What exercises? What is sore?
What coach describes above....doing multiple sets of 1-2 at a 5RM is a "cluster set" and is probably more taxing than what you are doing.
Alan
I wasn't writing about fewer reps in a set to eek out a heavier load ( ie. instead of 5 @ 85% do multiple sets of 1 or 2 @90%), I am speaking about just 1 or 2 reps at the same intensity to make the workload manageable. Similar to doing 3 x 3 x 400 @ 1500 pace rather than 9 @ 1500 pace.
I have tried lifting heavy since the last few years and it hasn’t worked for me. Even doing it in the way that Alan described, where I just ramp up to one hard set of 5 at ~90% leaves me feeling tired and sore.
Whenever I lift lighter, something like 2-3 exercises, 2-3 reps of 5-8 in the 60-70% range, I feel much better. I don’t get beat-up or sore. I have probably been doing something wrong. Or maybe lifting heavy just doesn’t work for me.
Are you consistent? What exercises? What is sore?
What coach describes above....doing multiple sets of 1-2 at a 5RM is a "cluster set" and is probably more taxing than what you are doing.
Alan
In the past, I have given it a 4-6 weeks of heavy lifting. I feel flat and tired the entire block.
I usually do a ramp-up on hex bar deadlift one day and back squat another day. I often pair it with 5 reps of a plyometric exercise, like a box jump. Rest 3 minutes. Go again. In the past I have done a second exercise after the main lift, something like 2x5 Bulgarian split squats of 2x5 single leg RDL. When I did the second exercise it totally wrecked me.
My legs seem to have no pop when I lift heavy. It takes a week or two for things to come back around. Typically hamstrings and flutes are sore. I never have any issues doing something like: 2x8 single leg RDL, 3x6 hex bar dead lift, 3x6 back squat with lighter loads.
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