combining running and strength training

Deedee2012

Hoping for some advice from you knowledgeable people withhow to combine running and strength training to best effect.



My stats are 41 yr female, 53kg, sedentary job



Running has very much been my thing for the last couple ofyears, started off with the C25k and progressed to running the Dublin Marathontwice. It’s my way of dealing withstressful job and home life, keeps me sane. I joined an athletics club and lovethe sessions there. The fly in the ointment is that I was getting injured alot so very hard to make any progress with speeding up.

Physio reckoned weak glutes were the root of myproblems. Well in reality everything wasweak, I’m a complete weakling, upper body and core strength is shockingly bad.

So about three months ago I joined a gym in a bid tostrengthen up and hopefully stay injury free. I did a kind of basic program for a while andthen booked a session with a PT to get a proper program done up. Thing is I’ve discovered I really love thestrength training, was very surprised to find I get the same endorphin hit fromlifting stuff as I do from running. WhenI joined the gym I started looking at this forum to get some info, discoveredyour stickies and went from there. Cleaned up my diet, upped the protein, started logging onmyfitnesspal. I’ve been delighted withthe progress so far, seeing a real change in my body, much leaner and getting abit stronger. (just an aside if anyoneis reading and are thinking running “tones you up” it doesn’t, it does manythings for you but toning isn’t one of them)



I need some advice now on how to proceed as I’m finding whenI’m running I can still feel the gym in my legs and when I’m at the gym to alesser extent I can still feel the running in my legs.

Currently training 6 days a week, 3 gym and 3 running. Was running 5-6 days a week until I hit thegym. I go to the gym on the way to workin the mornings so am limited to about 45mins per workout. Tuesday and Thursday are club runningspeed/hill sessions and would be quite intense. Weekend is either a 5k parkrun or a longer slower run on a Sunday. Would like to fit another run in somewhere.

So gym is Mon/Wed/Fri mornings.

My current goal in running is get faster, reduce 5k time andgo up the distances until I’m faster at all. My goal in the gym was to get stronger for running, now its get a lot stronger. Be able to do a pullup by the end of the year(yes I know very easy for all of you but I’m a weakling) Get much more definition in my arms,currently coming along nicely apart from the flabby triceps. (need advice re flabby triceps)



The program the PT gave me is

Squat 8-12 x 4 25kg

Assisted pullups 8-10 x 4 assisted 30kg

Assisted dips 8-10 x 4 assisted 30kg

Shoulder press with barbell 8-12 x 4 10kg

Leg press 8-12 x 4 60kg

Straight leg deadlift 8-10x 4 30kg

Chest press (machine) 8-12 x 4 15kg then as many as I can doat 20kg

Plank 4 x1 mins



I’ve been doing this about a month and upping the weightswhere I can. I plan on using the PTmaybe once every six weeks or so to get him to show me more exercises.



Yesterday I did

Squat 2x 12 bar

2x 10 25kg

2x 8 30kg

2x8 32.5kg

2x8 35kg(struggled on the last one) (as an asideI see you all talking about your 1RM how do I go about testing this?)

Assisted pullups 10 x 4 assisted 25kg

Assisted dips 10 x 4 assisted 25kg

Shoulder press with barbell 10 x 4 12.5kg

Leg press 12 x 4 60kg

Chest press (machine) 12 x 4 15kg and 1x6 20kg (find this atough one)

Plank 4 x1 mins

Straight leg deadlift 10x 4 30kg (haven’t upped the weighton this as I’m not sure that I’m doing it right, it doesn’t feel like a naturalmovement at all so want to check this out before adding weight)



So is there a better way of structuring my week to get thebest returns out of my running and gym training. How does this program look to you? How to get rid of flabby triceps? And anyother advice/comments would be very welcome. Sorry for the long post I wanted to give as much info as I could.

Thanks a mill, Dee

Alf Veedersane

If you're running on the days off from the gym, you will definitely feel it in your legs.

A big part of recovery and how to 'get rid of the flabby triceps' will be down to diet (and sleep).

But any day you work your legs hard after a run, your legs will be tired going in.

You can restructure your workout but something is going to have to give. You can't work legs hard 3 days a week and run 3 days a week and not feel leggy.

Panda_Turtle

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

You can't work legs hard 3 days a week and run 3 days a week and not feel leggy.

What about a full body routine so your not doing running before/after legs every time?

The programs in this are pretty decent and the ones in "basic training 1 - 4" complement running well I think. If you do the workouts 3x per week the the book will last you a year.

There is about 24 different workouts and you basically alternate two of them for a month (assuming you do it 3 times a week).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Rules-Lifting-Supercharged-Building/dp/1583335366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401970947&sr=8-1&keywords=new+rules+of+lifting

Deedee2012

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

If you're running on the days off from the gym, you will definitely feel it in your legs.

A big part of recovery and how to 'get rid of the flabby triceps' will be down to diet (and sleep).

But any day you work your legs hard after a run, your legs will be tired going in.

You can restructure your workout but something is going to have to give. You can't work legs hard 3 days a week and run 3 days a week and not feel leggy.

Yes thanks, kinda knew I couldn't continue like this and expect nice fresh legs. Tis a pity as enjoying it a lot. Will have to restructure somehow

Deedee2012

Panda_Turtle wrote: »

What about a full body routine so your not doing running before/after legs every time?

The programs in this are pretty decent and the ones in "basic training 1 - 4" complement running well I think. If you do the workouts 3x per week the the book will last you a year.

There is about 24 different workouts and you basically alternate two of them for a month (assuming you do it 3 times a week).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Rules-Lifting-Supercharged-Building/dp/1583335366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401970947&sr=8-1&keywords=new+rules+of+lifting

That looks interesting

Alf Veedersane

Panda_Turtle wrote: »

What about a full body routine so your not doing running before/after legs every time?

Yeah, restructuring it like that would work but I wouldn't be doing leg exercises just once a week so at some point something would probably need to give.

That said, what I want out of the gym is different to the OP who also has different goals so running 3 times a week and gong to the gym 3 times a week is doable but the workout just needs to be properly structured to cater for both.

Panda_Turtle

Deedee2012 wrote: »

That looks interesting

I`ve just noticed that this workout plan has its own thread, seems to be mainly the workout diary of a 41 years female too :

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057141723

Deedee2012

Panda_Turtle wrote: »

I`ve just noticed that this workout plan has its own thread, seems to be mainly the workout diary of a 41 years female too :

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057141723

Well spotted, off to have a read!

pemtca

Deedee2012 wrote: »

Well spotted, off to have a read!

That's my log! Feel free to pm if you have any questions.

Deedee2012

pemtca wrote: »

That's my log! Feel free to pm if you have any questions.

Great thanks will do