Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/

What strength training do you do?

  • 21-04-2010 08:45PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 960 ✭✭✭


    My main focus is running, coming back after a knee injury, my goal is to run more marathons and half marathons. That's what I enjoy, in fact I love it.
    But I know I should be doing some cross-training and strength training too. I joined a gym recently and asked them to design a programme for me. But I'm kindof regretting it now, the gym just doesn't interest me that much and I wasn't convinced by the gym instructor that the program he gave me is what I need as opposed to what he pulls out of the bag for everyone. What do people do for strength, upper and lower body? There is so much info out there it's hard to know where's a good place to start, nothing too complicated or time consuming.

    All wisdom welcome :D


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,612 ✭✭✭gerard65




  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 16,716 Mod ✭✭✭✭yop


    OP from my own experience and strenght training if you can get in a circuit session in the gym class or even do up your own with a mix of weights, pressups, situps etc.

    I stopped doing these back in the beginning of April and I think this might be a link to my own knee problems and the lack of strenghting. MAYBE I am way off on this but I think the one good session a week was aiding the strenght in my legs, hips, back and core.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 129 ✭✭addictedtoshoes


    Compound movements are great because they work lots of different muscles simultaneously - these would be squats, pull-ups, press ups, bench presses, deadlifts, clean & presses etc - they are all functional, natural movements, kind of old school stuff. They apparently burn more calories and you can do a quicker workout. This is what I focus on anyway.


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,368 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    +1 for compound movements.

    You probably were given a generic programme in your gym, most gym instructors are absolutely rubbish.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭metamorphosis


    Deffo compounds.

    Do make room for - squats, lunges and deadlifts, maybe the leg extension to hit more on the hamstrings

    For upper - military press, rows, pushups and chins(assisted chins if need be).

    Some core too.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 8,085 ✭✭✭plodder


    Strength work on the quads can help prevent some knee problems. I'm heavy and knees are the one bit I've never had trouble with, due to a good bit of gym work from when I started running. I know people say free weights are better than the machines, but I mostly relied on the leg extension machine (and leg curls for a bit of balance with the hammers).

    “Fanaticism is always a sign of repressed doubt” - Carl Jung



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 711 ✭✭✭cwgatling


    Compounds here too. Not a whole lot though. Maybe a bit of the adducter/abducter machine at the gym for the craic :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,793 ✭✭✭Macanri


    What about strength training outside the gym. Any suggestions for what could be done say at home in the house or in the back garden?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 711 ✭✭✭cwgatling


    Most of those compound exercises can be done at home with little or no equipment. Press-ups, lunges, squats, sit-ups, planks etc.
    You can get a chin-up bar for a few quid that goes in a door frame. There's the makings of a great workout in those exercises, especially after a run.

    That said, I've had plenty of runs where the most I can do afterwards is upload the data from my Garmin.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,533 ✭✭✭iceage


    Dips, chins, press ups, curls and core exercises like plank etc. Mostly what I do on my alternate rest days. Aslo do some small hand weights...Kettlebells maybe? know nothing of them but a guy I know swears by them for strength training.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,049 ✭✭✭Brianderunner


    Its hard to beat core exercises with and without a medicine ball, quite difficult for first timers, not for the faint at heart.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 960 ✭✭✭Blueskye


    Thanks. There are squats and lunges, inverted rows, and core work in the programme but none of the other stuff.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,895 ✭✭✭✭average_runner


    Strengthing training is something I always gave a miss, then I got injured and now coming back I think its something I should do.


    I dont really get time to go to a gym and then do runs also, wife wouldnt be too please if i am missing 5 nights a week and both weekend mornings :)


    So has anyone have a program that they used for strengthing maybe after or before a run, ie a simple 15 mins one that I can build on as I go along?

    So far I got a list of the following to do:
    Superman, Bridge, Metronome,Plank lift, Side Plank, should i throw a few squats or lunges in there?


    Thanks


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,623 ✭✭✭dna_leri


    Strengthing training is something I always gave a miss, then I got injured and now coming back I think its something I should do.


    I dont really get time to go to a gym and then do runs also, wife wouldnt be too please if i am missing 5 nights a week and both weekend mornings :)


    So has anyone have a program that they used for strengthing maybe after or before a run, ie a simple 15 mins one that I can build on as I go along?

    So far I got a list of the following to do:
    Superman, Bridge, Metronome,Plank lift, Side Plank, should i throw a few squats or lunges in there?


    Thanks

    The article listed above by Gerard65 is a good 15 minute workout but you could add squats & lunges also (with or without weights), which is exactly what I do for a 20 min workout.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 129 ✭✭addictedtoshoes


    So has anyone have a program that they used for strengthing maybe after or before a run, ie a simple 15 mins one that I can build on as I go along?

    Thanks

    This guy Craig Ballantyne has loads of really quick workouts on his YouTube channel and a lot of them are bodyweight so can be done at home http://www.youtube.com/user/cbathletics


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 51 ✭✭jayok77


    This has all you'll ever need to know!

    http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=16625

    Thank me later when your ripped! ;)


Advertisement