Strength Training

Once I started participating in races, I found it hard to keep up with a routine once the race was over. The beauty of having a training plan was that it took the work out of having to decide on the distance I was going to run or the body part I was going to strength train. This led me to take a freestyle approach to training which, to be quite frank, was causing me to lose strength, stamina, and speed. I had to go to the drawing board and figure out a plan, because this couldn’t go on much longer.

The must-haves for my “not training-training plan” were:

-a short (5k), mid (7.5k), and long (10k) run

-an upper body day (at least once a week)

-a lower body day (at least once a week)

-within the upper body and lower body days, I wanted to use compound exercises to cut down on time and be more efficient

-also within the upper body day, I wanted to hit each muscle group at least twice

-with the leg day, I figured hitting each muscle group once was sufficient since I was running three days a week

Here‘s what a typical week would like. Keep in mind; I don’t have a set day that I use for rest days, so that day could very well change from week to week:

Day 1: 5k Run – goal: sub 11:00/mi

Day 2: Upper Body – 5 min warm up on cardio machine of my choice

– Pec Fly

– Tricep Extension

– Lat Pulldown

– Bicep Curls

– 5 min cool down on cardio machine of my choice

Day 3: 7.5k Run – same goal as 5k run

Day 4: Lower Body – 5 min warm up on cardio machine of my choice

– Close-Stance Leg Press

– Seated Calf Press

– Body-Weight Squats

Day 5: 10k Run – same goal as 5/7.5k

There’s a few things I should note here. I use the gym that’s attached to my condo, so the equipment is definitely lacking. Secondly, I rotate through the schedule so day 1 might not be a 5k run by the second cycle. I like having one day for strength training and one day for running, so the day after day 5 is the next strength training session I have lined up. Thirdly, I stick to a 10-15 rep, 3 set structure for strength training; with a rest time of 30 seconds between sets. Lastly, if I max out on an exercise, (meaning I hit 15 reps for all three sets), I’ll move up the weight by 10lbs.

What I love about this schedule is that it’s something that I can stick to easily with some goals in mind.

-Running Fast, Lifting Heavy

Happy Holidays guys! I hope that you guys are having a great time surrounded by the ones you love most.

On Tuesday while I was at the gym, (leg day), it occurred to me that there’s rituals that I carry out once I’m done. Anybody else do this? Here’s what goes down when I’m done strength training:

-I stretch! I stretch as soon as I possibly can (a.k.a. while my muscles are still warm)

-I roll out: If it’s a leg day, I can clearly roll my legs out on my own, but if I did an upper body day, I usually get Daniel to take the roller and roll out my back and traps. Sometimes if my quads and/or calves are super sore, I’ll get Daniel to roll them out for me since he can apply more pressure than I can. I’ve made a post about my TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller two months ago, and I have nothing but good things to say about it.

Price: $59.99 CAD

-I drink a protein shake (or smoothie): once I’ve finished stretching, I like to get my protein fix in quickly. If I’m planning on having lunch shortly after a workout, I won’t have a protein shake and I’ll just use a meat protein in its place. If I feel like having a smoothie, I’ll throw in half a scoop-a scoop of vanilla protein. This particular brand is SUPER creamy in smoothies. I’m also partial to this shaker cup. The jack really breaks up the powder for a more even mix.

Price: $49.99 USD

Price: $9.99 USD

-This step is more so for the day after, but I love RUB-A535. It smells horrendous but works wonders on sore muscles. It also absorbs pretty quickly which is a bonus.