800-mile runner should i bother with lifting?

if you can do the 80mpw AND the lifting, then that'd be even better...otherwise...what phase are you trying to plan out? Base or season?

When coaching during track season, I always like my guys doing weights during their training (along with mileage close to 80mpw according to their experience...)

Do weight lifting twice a week wear you shouldn't be spending more than 45-60min in the weightroom...

Here is how I set up their sets:

Week 1: 5 x 5 (Power) Constant: 80-85% of Max.

Week 2: 10-8-6 (Strenght endurance) Increasing to 70-80%

Week 3: 3 x 3 (Power) Constant: 90% of Max.

Week 4: 5-4-3-2-1 (Maximum) Increasing to Max.

Week 5: Do week 1 again or take a week off

Note: when starting the program do sets of 3 x 10 for the first 2 weeks.

Changing your sets every week keeps your body guessing and prevents peaking. This is a principal known as Multi-tier training.

If you want a good suggestion of what sort of lifting you can do: ask about Olympic lifts (the Clean and jerk and the Snatch), they give a great workout for several body parts at once.

Good luck to you

chacomeback

If your're running 800 miles, damn, I think you better spend all your time running not lifting.

Dude, he's an 800 / Mile runner. You ultras are so far removed any box.

ultramarathon dude wrote:

If your're running 800 miles, damn, I think you better spend all your time running not lifting.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

I'd do plyometrics instead.

I say NO. If you spent the same amount of time you would use lifting to run you would benefit much more from the running than you would lifting.

Gerry the Jogger wrote:

I say NO. If you spent the same amount of time you would use lifting to run you would benefit much more from the running than you would lifting.

wrong. do both, like the first poster said.

If you are naturally strong then plyo and hills are enough [with maybe some weighted arm swings and hamstring curls for local muscular endurance] but if you tend to be weak or prone to injury do the weights.

I'd say it's more a question of how fast you are not how strong you are. The goal of the weights sessions should be to improve maximum strength and ultimately your speed. If you have great natural speed perhaps the time would be better spent on more running (or other speed endurance/ strength endurance sessions)to enable to run close to your top speed for longer. By great natural speed for a middle distance guy we have to be talking round about 48secs 400m or quicker. With aspirations over 800m it is more than likely that some kind of weights program will be necessary although unlike an earlier poster i would tend to ease off these sessions during the track season (unless you are female).

It has been my experience that running faster requires a certain mastery over the basics. Namely, finding the right balance between your scheduled mileage and workouts.

If you can fit more things in while working, studying, living your life, etc. then I suggest drills. Use both A-skip, B-skip and hurdle drills accompanied with some basic Core strength work (a variation of pilates is excellent for this).

Overloading your schedule will serve you up a nice plate of exhaustion. It's difficult to maintain too many things at once while training for competition. Obviously people can handle 100+ mile weeks, lifting heavily, drills, core work, etc. but the net result of these things is not equal to the amount of time and energy put into them.

Look, I've tried to do everything at once and went from a 4:02 miler to a 4:20 guy. Going back to the basics has been rewarding in many ways, especially concerning my times on the track. People get caught up in training and forget why they're doing it. If you're training to race, then do it intelligently and specific to your goals. Roman deadlifts aren't going to translate to 1 or 2 seconds off your mile or even your 400m time. But increasing your mileage by 10mpw or responsibly adding drills into your routine certainly will help you improve.

wow a lot of responses, im happy about that.

I tend to agree with this guy, as i just can't see the direct correlation between upping my squat 45 lbs and my 400m time which in turn helps my 800. The benefit just does not seem tangible for the time, effort, planning, soreness, possible weight gain and increased injury risk.

I believe i will go with hill reps, hill drills and strides, General Strength & Medicine Ball Work, and plyos for my strength/strength endurance.

Speed and strength are both strengths of mine so i hope and believe the above will be enough to maintain and increase those qualities while catching up on the other ones. The only lifting i might do would be extremely low volume.

Any more posts are still greatly appreciated, and thanks for those thus far.

Even if you do lift, I wouldn't recommend doing squats or any kind of leg lifts in addition to your running. It would just take too much energy from your legs that could have been better served in a good workout.

I definitely think you should do some upper body lifting, definitely core work, as it helps a great deal in keeping your form. At the end of the race it's much easier to have a good kick if you're able to maintain posture and pump your arms.