Hi! - and a few questions ...

dannyd20

Firstly - big thanks to all the good people on this forum who contribute to make it such a valuable resource to so many. +1 for all the good work!

I certainly keep a close eye on the threads for the great advice, tips, motivation and everything else. Although I don't post very often, those that know me consider me something of a fitness freak so I feel right at home here! I don't drink or smoke and I eat pretty clean approx 2500 cals per day 50/30/20, some exercise everyday burning approx 3000 cals daily. I know I need to get more protein in, I'm working on it believe me!

By way of introduction here are some vital stats:

Age: 26
Height: 175cm (5ft 9)
Weight: 68kg (150lb)
BF: ~11%

Bench: 60kg
Deadlift: 100kg
Squat: 50kg

Goals: To be as lean, fast, fit and strong as I can be.

So onto my questions! (I've been saving them up!):rolleyes:

Running - I currently run 8k in approx 32mins, and haven't been getting any faster over the last few months. Any tips to help get this under the 30 mark?

Weight training - I'm trying to pay more attention to my squat but finding it hard to progress. I think its a question of form, balance and confidence so again, any tips to improve? I can do 140kg on the Leg Press machine. What are the pros and cons of this machine?

I generally hit the sauna/jacuzzi to relax after a session (of training!). What are your thoughts on the effects of 10mins in 95-100°C @ 10-12% humidity? And 5-10 mins in the jacuzzi? Sauna increases HR and decreases BP, right? I've heard it being described as equivalent to a brisk walk - does it burn cals?

Thanks in advance,

Danny

Hanley

The best way to progess with your squat is to squat. Just keep hammering away on it. Form etc can be a bitch to get down (I'm squatting 2 years and I still haven't come close to having perfect form) but hte slightest things can make vast improvements. Videos are VERY helpful...

As for leg press pro/cons, I has a discussion about it earlier in the week that I think you should give a read because it explains it fairly well http://teamtestforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1842

hunnymonster

dannyd20 wrote:

Running - I currently run 8k in approx 32mins, and haven't been getting any faster over the last few months. Any tips to help get this under the 30 mark?

the short answer is that to paraphrase Hanley, the best way to run faster is to run faster.

What do you do at the moment? The same 8km route every time? This article discusses 10 km training but I think it's similar enough to your needs linkey

dannyd20

Thanks for the links guys. Some good info there.

I can't look at the squat videos at the moment but I will take a look this evening. Will try to video myself soon. I think this will help identify if there are problems with my form.

I've got three different 8k routes and I mix these up/go round in reverse etc. I usually run twice a week, I guess to see improvement I should be doing more?

quozl

If you want to improve your time at a particular distance then you should regularly be running longer than your goal distance. Up to a certain point anyway, quite a few Japanese marathon runners do over-distance training but I think it's pretty rare in the west.

Eg if you want to have a decent 8k time then you could run 15k once a week. Run it a bit slower than your normal run, it's endurance you're trying to build up, not speed.