Marathon preparation is a mix of endurance, speed, flexibility and strength. A marathoner¡¯s routine naturally emphasizes endurance. But, nice legs and a big heart aren¡¯t license to ignore the other training components. Well-rounded training contributes to injury resistance and removes a few more obstacles to performing to our potential. This web issue focuses on strength training.
Health Benefits of Strength Training: ü·Â ÈÆ·ÃÀÌ °Ç°¿¡ ÁÁÀº Á¡
Modest improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness
Reductions in body fat
Modest reductions in blood pressure
Improved glucose tolerance
Improved blood lipid and lipoprotein profiles
Increased bone density.
The force applied when the foot pushes off plays a major role in stride length. A more powerful leg pushes off harder and propels the body further during the airborn or flight phase, hence creating a longer stride.
One investigator estimates expanding stride length by one inch ¡°shortens¡± the marathon by about one kilometer for the average runner. Yes, its perfectly legal! With a longer stride the runner takes fewer steps along the race course. This shaves about 46 seconds from an elite marathoners time and about a minute and a half from a slower runner¡¯s finish time.
An investigator in New England trained a group of runners with a resistance routine. At the end of the 10-week training cycle the runners gained strength yes, but also a four percent improvement in running economy. Running economy is how much oxygen the body uses at a given pace. A four percent improvement translates to - as much as a 100 seconds off a 41:39 10K runner.
Their workout?: squats, knee flexion and extension; straight leg heel raises, seated presses, rear and front lat pull-downs, hammer curls and weighted sit-ups. lunges, bent-leg heel raises, bench presses and seated rows.
Strong muscles reduce injuries by supporting and protecting their respective joints. In addition, with greater strength your muscles are capable of withstanding greater forces without injury.
Training increases fiber size in both muscles and connective tissues. Connective tissue including ligaments, tendons and fascia, provides support and transmits tensions and force for movement throughout the body. Any muscle is only as effective as its connective tissue is strong and flexible. Weight training strengthens many muscles missed by running, including the upper body.
Training makes deposits in the bone bank. Bone is dynamic tissue that changes in density and form to accommodate the stresses placed on it. Weight bearing activites such as running and resistance training increase bone mineral density. This upsurge is subject to hormonal and nutritional influences. Bone strengthens more slowly than muscles, one of the reasons sudden increases in running routines contributes to injuries such as stress fractures. Strong, dense bones resist these injuries.
Maintains Muscle Mass During Aging: ³ëÈ°¡ ÁøÇàµÇµµ ±ÙÀ°·® À¯Áö
Researchers tracked aerobic capacity and body composition of masters track athletes age 50-82 years of age over a 10-year period. These runners kept on running and maintained their cardiorespiratory fitness, but their percent body fat increased significantly. The change in the body fat didn¡¯t come from any changes in the runner¡¯s eating or training habits. The higher percentage was a reduction in fat-free weight also known as muscle mass.
Everyone loses muscle mass as they age - even runners. Well almost everyone, a few athletes in the study held this aspect of aging at bay. They did not add fat to their upper bodies. These athletes supplemented their aerobic training with either weight training or cross country skiing. They were able to maintain their upper body muscle mass with supplemental training of the areas running misses - like the upper body. Moral of the story - use it or lose it.
There are some things running doesn¡¯t strengthen - the upper body is one of those. There are also some things about aging running won¡¯t fix - losing muscle mass in the upper body is one of those. Put them together and you¡¯ve got masters athletes with nice legs and soft arms, backs & chests.
Improves in Lactate Threshold: Á¥»ê ºÐ°èÁ¡(¿ªÄ¡)À» Çâ»ó
Researchers at the University of Maryland divided a group of athletes into two sections. One section trained with low weight / high repetition resistance program three times a week. The other group didn¡¯t weight train. After 12-weeks they compared groups. The strength trained athletes improved their performance at their lactate threshold by 33 %. Fatigue threshold is the point where lactate acid accumlates quickly and slows performance.
What does this mean to marathoners - It mean a runner can run longer at the ultimate race pace -- that very fine red line next the dreaded ¡°too fast¡± edge. Strength training then increases fatigue resistance. It is a fatigue inoculation.
Improves Running Form and Posture: ´Þ¸®´Â ¸ö°ú ¸¶À½ÀÇ ÀÚ¼¼ Çâ»ó
With greater levels of muscular strength and endurance there is less fatigue. Fatigue means inefficient form and posture. shortened stride and slower leg turnover. Upper body fatigue during races contributes to poor weak arm drive. Postural muscles in the abdomen, hips and back need to be strong holding runners erect throughout runs allowing the powerful upper leg muscles - attached to the spine and pelvis - to function smoothly and powerfully. Strength training delays fatigue in calf muscles for a more forceful foot strike.
Extra Baggage - Strength training helps runners -- up to a point. After that point, the returns diminish. For example, body builders tend not to make very fast marathoners. Its just not easy to run with all their bulk. It hurts performance. Any muscle not involved in propulsion, must be carried. Excess muscle is baggage just like extra body fat and can slow a marathoner causing cumbersome movements and a reduced running economy.
Muscles that are chewing up energy and not pushing you forward are parasites sapping your reserves. Have a plan. Lift for marathon performance and not beach poses.
Weight Training Injuries -- The take home scoop for runners is approach weight training with caution. Its useful, for sure, but requires skill and equipment. Be safe and keep your eyes on the weights and not the body across the room.
Soreness -- Weight training has its own brand of soreness, but it doesn¡¯t have to leave you moving like Oz¡¯s Tinman. Getting stronger is a combination of muscle fiber and nerve adaptation. Soreness isn¡¯t proof you¡¯ve had a good workout. Build gradually in resistance and repetitions otherwise weight training soreness impairs your running workouts.
On the flip side don¡¯t lift when your legs are sore from a hard race, speed session or long run. Use a little common sense. Sore muscles need rest or a light workout, not a weight training session.
Time Time Time Time -- Weight training can be time consuming. If your schedule is already tight it may cut out essential running workouts. If the choice is between strength training and a long run or weekly mileage ... go running. Nothing makes good runners like running. (P.S. at least try and fit in a few crunches and push ups.)
Women runners generally do not obtain the definition of our sister athlete body builders. Even with weight training, women usually don¡¯t bulk up like men. Our lack of certain male anabolic hormones, including testosterone, inhibits muscle bulk development. Anabolic steroids are used illegally by some women to increase muscle mass. Without them, females won¡¯t obtain added muscle girth. Just because women don¡¯t get bulky doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t increase strength with training. If muscles mass was the major determinant of strength, then women have a distinct disadvantage. Consider then the following landmark study.
Legendary researcher Dr. Jack Wilmore compared strength gains in 47 women and 26 men volunteers lifting in identical weight training programs. They lifted twice a week for 40 minutes for 10 weeks. Women gained more strength then men, but less muscle girth. In the upper body the women gained 29% compared to the men¡¯s 17%. In the lower body women gained 30% and the males 26%.
The message is muscle size doesn¡¯t indicate strength. Mechanisms of men¡¯s and women¡¯s muscles (histological and biomechanical) work the same irrespective of gender.
Women who strength train can increase strength by 20-40 percent. The strength gains are more likely to come from neural responses, because the increase in muscles mass is generally small.
Traditional strength exercises are usually done with 8-10 repetitions in one or two sets with about a minute rest between sets. Use resistence weighting about 50 percent to 75 percent the max weight you can move. These moves include:
Leg Presses
Leg Extensions & Leg Curls
Rows & Seated Lat Pulls
Chest Press
Seated shoulder press
Biceps and Triceps Curls
Abdominals & Back Extensions
Hip Adduction & Abduction
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Getting stronger and more fit might slightly improve running performance. For dramatic changes do exercises that mimic what occurs in the running stride. Endurance running specific moves begin using weights of about 30% of max one can lift. Do up to 20 repetitions in 2 to 3 set with 30 seconds rest inbetween sets. Exercises include include:
Descriptions of many of these exercises are included in The Runner¡¯s Handbook by Bob Glover & Shelly-lynn Florence. A nice supplemental source is Bill Pearl¡¯s Getting Stronger.
Weight train on your easy and moderate run days. Avoid aggressive strength workouts the days before and after speed workouts, long runs and races. Cut back on weight training during tapers including the BIG TAPER two weeks before the marathon. Weight training before or after running is a matter of personal preference.
Resistance workouts require a few skills. Gyms have weight training lore almost as deep as the myths and traditions of marathoning...so you can¡¯t ask just anyone what to do. I worked in gyms training clients long enough to watch scads of athletes hurt themselves with bastardized weight training routines. Most workouts were compilations of hearsay and copy catting. Do your own research, then do yourself a favor. Hire a certified trainer for a few sessions to make sure your movements are safe and effective.
P.S. Don¡¯t worry about looking like a scrawny geek next to the gym¡¯s more muscular bodies. Most don¡¯t look down on runners. Body builders and weight training enthusiasts appreciate the amount of work that goes into perfecting a sport. Besides -- everyone loves a New York City Marathoner !!
These tips are based on the American College of Sports.
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Medicine guidelines muscular endurance is best developed by lighter weights and greater repetitions. To elicit improvement in both strength and endurance the ACSM recommends 8-12 repetitions of each exercise performed to fatigue.
Repetitions are the number of times you lift a weight before resting. Sets are groups of repetitions with rest periods in between. One set is effective, two or three offer additional benefits, but the most conditioning takes place in the first set.
Muscular strength, power and endurance are developed by the overload principle. Periodically increase the weight, number of sets or repetitions to improve.
Weight training is progressive like running. Start with low weights and few repetitions and sets. Increase as you become stronger. Decrease the weights on days you feel tired or just ¡°down¡±. Better to lower the weight, than decrease the reps.
Strength exercises should be performed in a rhythmical, moderate to slow speed, involving a full range of motion and not interfere with normal breathing. Exhale on the exertion and inhale upon returing the weights to the starting position.
Runners have a lot to gain from a comprehensive outlook on fitness and performance. Complement your running workouts with weight training. Pump a little iron. Protect yourself from injury, become smoother and stronger, collect some extra density for your bones and hey - - while you are at it keep the muscle mass you¡¯ve got from eroding with age.
You can do the marathon without weight training. But why not top off those gorgeous marathoners legs with an matching upper body. A few trips to the gym each week may be the miles with highest payback for marathoners.
Strength training supplements, but doesn¡¯t replace, running workouts. Nothing trains a runner better than running. But running can be counter-productive if some of your muscle strength is impaired, unbalanced or below median fitness standards.
Click on topics below for strength tests and norms for legs, upper body, and abdominals. These tests show a rating in the general population. Scoring in the 90th percentile doesn¡¯t mean you are necessarily Olympic quality material. It just means you are probably more fit than most of the people in your office, assuming of course you don¡¯t work at the New York Road Runners Club.
Use a partner for safety. Lay on a weight bench with hands shoulder width apart. Grab the barbell with elbows flexed 90 degrees and palms up. Press the barbell up extending the elbows fully. After each extension return the barbell to the original position. Have your partner count the seconds. Push up on the odd numbered seconds and return on the even numbered. A beeping watch will help keep the exact rhythm. Its important to keep the beat. Stop the test when you can no longer keep the rhythm or cannot fully extend the arms. Breathe regularly and do not strain. The score is the number of successful repetitions.
Push Ups -- Men: Start in the up position with hands shoulder width apart, back straight, head up, Women: Use modified position with ankles crossed, knees bent at 90 degree angle, back straight, hands shoulder-width apart and head up.
Men lower the torso to within a fist height of the floor. No criteria has been established for females on how much the torso must be lowered to count as a proper push up. Ah -- the occasional advantage of gender specific body fat :-)
Sit Ups -- Abdominals are the posture muscles helping hold the body erect, especially in running over long distances. Weakness contributes to back problems. A tight lower back coupled with weak abdominal muscles gives runners that pot belly of protruding paunch. That encourages inefficient form, wasted energy, and injuries to the hamstrings, hips and back
These full sit-ups place strain on the lower back. Half sit-ups or crunches exercise the abs better and save the lower back. However, to test abdominal strength and endurance, reliability can be obtained only if the test is done as explained with the feet held and the body raised to a full sit-up position.
Lie on a mat face up with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Heels should be about 18 inches from the buttocks. Finger tips are placed behind the ears with the elbows extended to the sides. A partner holds the ankles firmly.
Start by raising up and touching the elbows alternately to the opposite knee. Your partner keeps count. After each movement return to the supine position before rising again. Shoulders must touch the mat, but not the head. Score the number of repetitions completed in one minute. Breathe normally and do not hold the breath.
Leg Press/Bench Press/Military Press -- Although these test strength for different muscles groups the procedure is the same. Measuring dynamic strength involves 1-repetition maximum (RM) or the heaviest weight that can be lifted only once. Be careful here. A high test score isn¡¯t worth an injury. Use standard weight lifting techniques.
Always use at least one spotter. After a warm-up and familiarization with equipment , the runner is allowed up to five trials with a rest period in between to lift the 1-RM. Divide the weight pushed by your body weight in pounds for a score.
Marathon training is not a good time to diet. Instead, sharpen your nutrition knowledge. Wise food choices make marathon training an enjoyable experience. For further guidelines consult The Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover and Shelly Glover or Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHELLY GLOVER has a master's degree in exercise physiology from Columbia University. She co-authored The Runner's Handbook and The Competitive Runner¡¯s Handbook [both available in the online bookstore] and is a veteran road runner and marathoner. She also coaches Mercury Masters and The Greater New York Racing Team. Shelly-lynn can be reached with specific questions by e-mail.