When running more than 70mpw does lifting with the legs help or just wear them out? I would think you could still lift as long as you didn't make your lifting sessions hard, but I have never tried it before.
When running more than 70mpw does lifting with the legs help or just wear them out? I would think you could still lift as long as you didn't make your lifting sessions hard, but I have never tried it before.
bump
For most people, leg lifting would be helpful.* (In my experience, this is particularly true for women.) Work with an experienced lifter/coach, at least at first, so you learn proper form.
Contrary to what many believe/espouse, most people benefit maximally by lifting before, not after, their running workouts. (A few minutes of easy running, as a warmup, is fine.) Distance runners typically have strong (and tight) hamstrings; a good, balanced leg-lifting workout will develop both hams and quads. If the right equipment is available, you should also work on abductors/adductors of the hips/groin. Be sure to stretch (between sets or after the lifting session).
[For shorter-distance types who are experienced lifters, a great routine for speed development is lifting, then plyometrics, then speed/overspeed training. This is a pretty advanced routine, however.]
Bear in mind that any new form of stress is a drain on your reserve of adaptation energy. If you add a lifting routine, then you should hold steady (or back off a bit) on everything else in your training. Give yourself a minimum of six weeks to get adapted to lifting, before looking to progress in any other phase of your training.
*However, abdominal/midsection/core/"pillar"/whatever training is at least as important.