As I've said countless times...trap bar is the way to for runners and most athletes. There's not anywhere close to the low back fatigue you experience with a straight bar. You can also do very effective explosive movements with a trap bar.
Alan
Blew out my lower back using a trap bar to lift too much weight. Just because part of the body like the quads can do a particular lift doesn’t mean the whole chain can handle it.
Light weight dumb bells and higher reps for me, and probably for any distance runner who doesn’t have an expert guiding their lifting decisions.
You said it yourself that you were lifting too much weight. If the weight is too much for your back to handle, then lift lighter.
There is value in almost all strength movements if done properly and during the right time of the training period. But to the original poster's point, most strength coaches are not prescribing the proper lifting regimen for distance runners. Exercise selection is not the issue, it is the number of exercises and the structure of the program. 99% of the gains a runner will make in the weight room are neuromuscular. Hypertrophy will not happen, muscular endurance probably will not increase and the acidosis from these types of sessions can be damaging if an athlete is in season. Strength coaches also generally measure progress by the amount of weight lifted, instead of the quality of movement. If the head XC coach is not aware of the volume of exercises or if they are uninformed about strength training in general, lifting can be extremely detrimental to an athlete's health and progress. The weight room will never be what makes a runner, but it can absolutely be what breaks a runner.
My apologies for not being very clear, I meant I disagree with biomechanics guy. Specifically about the posts up to that point being "misinformation" or bad information.
I liked both of your posts because I thought you brought up valid points that people should consider and keep in mind, both in their training and their coaching of others.
They are definitely runner's first and strength training should be considered ancillary. They aren't "hybrid athletes." They are highly specialized for one thing so they shouldn't put in strenuous efforts in the weight room while in-season, as you say. I agree, running hard and lifting hard at the same time will likely break someone down or at least affect their running negatively.
Agreed. Many non-distance coaches insist that deadlifts/power lifting for a distance athlete is a must. As I distance coach (and someone who actually ran competitively & someone who did exactly zero powerlifting in my career) it's obvious to me that the actual running is way more important than the power lift/ strength training.... sure strength training can help, for some more than others, but it ain't the end all be all.
I have concluded the opposite to my satisfaction. I have concluded the slight marginal potential benefit from deadlifting is not worth the risk of injury directly correlated to deadlifting. Most likely I would agree the other weight training you do most likely contributes to faster running performances 100m to 800m. Weight training may contribute to faster running performances 1500m through 10000m. 1/2 Marathoners and Marathoners need to be strong but I don't know if I would say weight lifting and injury risk directly correlated to weight lifting is worth the risk for 1/2 Marathoners and Marathoners.
I have had far more running injuries compared to zero weightlifting injuries. probably because I started with just the bar and worked on my form.
The bar? Might as well stick to Jane Fonda &/or Kathy Smith workouts with 1 or 2 pound dumbbells. You have no business discussing weight lifting. The bar!
Six months later, no evidence deadlifts are necessary for distance runners. I used to be open to the idea of shot putters deadlifting. They don't need to deadlift either.
The only individuals for whom the risk of injury justifies the possible benefit of deadlifting: power lifters, most college and professional American football players.
Bent knee backrow gives most people the benefits of deadlift without the risks.
In general (n unless you are injured), weight lifting is overrated for runners. Sure, do the prehab exercises with bodyweight n rubber bands 3x a week. But leave the other stuff to the pros. You are better off just running. Hill reps are the best strength training exercise for the legs.
In general (n unless you are injured), weight lifting is overrated for runners. Sure, do the prehab exercises with bodyweight n rubber bands 3x a week. But leave the other stuff to the pros. You are better off just running. Hill reps are the best strength training exercise for the legs.
I think lifting is just as beneficial, if not more, to hobby joggers as it is to pros. Whether it makes us faster or not, it will keep us healthier in the long run and perhaps help us look better. A 5'10" and 110 pound distance runner is concerned with performance and staying lean, most of us want to be strong, have good posture look more athletic and healthy.
Yes. You have to use perfect form and work up the weight but heavy compound lifts are great for many things. Hex bar deadlifts and single leg presses are my 2 favorite leg exercises.
Deadlift is to power lifting as jogging is to racing. It’s a foundation lift that uses the body physicallly and metabolically in a way that prepares the body for a more explosive version of the activity. A good running lift is a 1/4 squat and RDL
The athlete special comes to mind, sorry if Spencer’s is reading this but he looks way too weak to be competitive in a 1500m. Weight training would take him a long way. his natural build seems more suited for the marathon. Then you see powerful runners like grant fisher, just a real powerhouse l, all horsepower. I wonder if you spends much time in the gym or if he’s just building upon what was genetically given to him a strong engine and strong legs. These are too 1 percent examples though. like I said lots of you hobby joggers and age groupers look like misfit toys from a haunted factory the way y’all run, far from spencer or grant fisher. so yeah correcting those muscle imbalances might be a good thing. but trying to over perfect it in the case of fisher might be a bad thing
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