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Lead Stories: Monday, December 1, 2008

Hill Repeats vs. Weight Training: Which training workout is more important?

Posted March 16th, 2007 at 11:30 AM by Jim Fortner

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips

Jim Fortner is a weekly, guest contributor to TFS. Also check out his own personal running and advice site: “Jim2’s Running Page”.

I wholeheartedly agree with the value of hill repeats. Too many runners overlook them and focus almost entirely on intervals and tempo runs. Hard hill repeats provide both strength and cardio-respiratory development; making them an essential ingredient of any serious runner’s regimen. In addition, as many easy and long runs as possible should include some hills, rather than being completely flat.

Hills are a great resistance training tool for strength development … and not just in the form of structured hill repeats. Let me explain:
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Eating carbohydrates and protein for muscle growth

Posted January 6th, 2007 at 6:02 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Exercise

If you want to become very strong, you should lift heavy weights, eat carbohydrates before you lift and eat plenty of protein afterwards.

Normal amounts of insulin help muscles grow, and eating carbohydrates causes your blood sugar to rise, which, in turn, causes your pancreas to release insulin. Taking in large amounts of protein after a workout helps muscles to recover faster from hard exercise, so you can do more hard work and grow larger and stronger muscles (Journal of Physiology).
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You don’t know “SQUAT”: Part 2

Posted November 6th, 2006 at 4:00 PM by Jonathan Faccone

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Cross Training

machine squat.gif This is the second and final part of my series on beginner strength training for endurance athletes. Make sure to also go back and read Part 1.

We understand WHY strength training is important for runners, but now we’re left wondering HOW to start a program.

There are so many variables and concerns in commencing a weight training regimen. Unfortunately, many people choose not to properly research what they are doing; nor do they have the money to spend on personal trainer. The good news is training programs do not have to be complicated, nor they should they (especially for beginners). When starting a training program it is best to keep it simple because, that way, it will allow you to focus on the fundamentals and make it easier for you to stick with it.

For endurance runners, one great exercise to start with is the one-leg squat. Owen Anderson, of Peak Performance Online, believes this exercise is great for runners because it:

Mimics the basic biomechanics of the footstrike portion of the running gait cycle, and therefore can dramatically improve running-specific strength and coordination.

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Exercise for weight loss

Posted November 5th, 2006 at 7:00 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Running & Training, Health & Fitness, Exercise, Weight Loss

When people start an exercise program, some lose a lot of weight, while others lose nothing.

An effective exercise program for weight loss should be 1) continuous, 2) use all of your major muscle groups, 3) include one intense workout a week for each muscle group, and 4) be done on land, rather than in the water.

Stop-and-start exercises, such as lifting weights, do not require that you use your muscles continuously enough to burn a lot of calories. Those that use just one muscle group, such as doing situps or pushups, won’t help you to lose a lot of weight because the stressed muscle groups tire quickly so you can’t exercise very long. Read the rest of this entry »

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You don’t know “SQUAT”: Part 1

Posted November 3rd, 2006 at 9:00 AM by Jonathan Faccone

Section: Running & Training, Training Tips, Cross Training

machine squat.gif I’d like to begin by clearing up the misconceptions concerning the importance of strength training in an endurance runner’s training regimen. Some runner’s feel that strength training is not as important as their endurance training. Others, fearful of putting on additional mass, believe that it may hurt running performance.

However, both notions are far from the truth. Several studies have shown that strength training can be incredibly beneficial to performance and help with injury prevention.

According to Owen Anderson of Peak Performance:

Recent scientific research has linked strength training with a 4 percent improvement in running economy, reduced heart rates while running, and improved race times at distances ranging from the 5K to marathon.

In addition, Wayne L Westcott, Ph.D. and fitness research director, believes that injury prevention might be the most benefit of weight training. Read the rest of this entry »

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