Working on both Strength and Endurance

[Rhovaniel]

Hi, 

Also posted in the Ranger's guildhall, but I figured it couldn't hurt to also ask here. I have been trying to figure out a more solid workout plan that will give me a means of measuring progress and setting myself up to really have a great level of fitness so that I can do all I want to do and not feel like my body is holding me back. Strength is important, but so is endurance. So far, what I've come up with is:

 

Monday: Strength. Lifting session in the gym, and a bodyweight session so I also make progress with the basic movements: push-ups, working towards pull-ups, sit-ups. 

 

Tuesday: BMF class. 

 

Wednesday: Running workout. Sprint intervals, hill sprints, Cardio HIIT, etc. 

 

Thursday: BMF class

 

Friday: Strength. Lifting and bodyweight sessions.

 

Saturday: Running. This will be a steady pace run. Starting at 3.5 miles and gradually adding .5 mile a week or fortnight, hopefully...

 

 

My question is: Does this look workable? Are the days balanced out, or do I need to move stuff around? The BMF classes are the only set in stone days, because they are the only days the classes run that I can get to after work. 

[The Battle Chef]

I'm not fond of 5 day training weeks myself, but everyone has different thresholds for activity.

 

3 books I strongly recommend:

 

Tactical Barbell 1 & 2 by K. Black.  Does a good job at incorporating strength, conditioning & endurance over the course of a year.

 

Fit by Lon Kilgore.  Excellend job explaining how the different strength training methods affect your body,  what the tradeoffs can be if you try to do strength & endurance together, all that stuff.

 

 

 

 

[The Battle Chef]

To expand a bit on my post...

 

Training for strength (typically with barbells or other weights you may not be able to lift more than 5 times) and training for endurance (distance running) are at opposite ends of a spectrum, and one extreme usually suffers at the expense of the other.  Meaning training both at the same time is likely going to stall you, or slow progress.

Have you ever considered training in blocks?  As in, mostly strength training one 4 to 6 week block, strength training & conditioning for 4-6 weeks, endurance focused for 6 weeks, etc?  Many athletes swear by that.  

Tactical barbell also advocates the block training system for similar reasons.  

[Rhovaniel]

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 9:00 AM, Azukmul gro-Dragnar said:

I'm not fond of 5 day training weeks myself, but everyone has different thresholds for activity.

 

3 books I strongly recommend:

 

Tactical Barbell 1 & 2 by K. Black.  Does a good job at incorporating strength, conditioning & endurance over the course of a year.

 

Fit by Lon Kilgore.  Excellend job explaining how the different strength training methods affect your body,  what the tradeoffs can be if you try to do strength & endurance together, all that stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 9:08 AM, Azukmul gro-Dragnar said:

To expand a bit on my post...

 

Training for strength (typically with barbells or other weights you may not be able to lift more than 5 times) and training for endurance (distance running) are at opposite ends of a spectrum, and one extreme usually suffers at the expense of the other.  Meaning training both at the same time is likely going to stall you, or slow progress.

Have you ever considered training in blocks?  As in, mostly strength training one 4 to 6 week block, strength training & conditioning for 4-6 weeks, endurance focused for 6 weeks, etc?  Many athletes swear by that.  

Tactical barbell also advocates the block training system for similar reasons.  

Not sure how I managed to miss these replies, but thanks! I hadn't considered block training, mainly because I feel I need both to be able to do some of the longer challenges I have in mind (things like the 20 mile OCR I have coming up in May) but I am definitely finding it difficult to juggle all the things I want to fit in. Strangely, I'm finding I prefer to be working out 5 - 6 days a week, because it helps me build momentum through the week. If I only train 3 days a week, those 4 rest days tend not to go that well. I take 1 rest day a week, 2 max, and savour them!  I'll definitely check those books out, though  

[Sylvaa]

On 1/14/2018 at 4:36 PM, Rhovaniel said:

My question is: Does this look workable? Are the days balanced out, or do I need to move stuff around? The BMF classes are the only set in stone days, because they are the only days the classes run that I can get to after work.

 

@Machete is my go to for questions like this because he is awesome. 

 

As a fellow OCR'er, I get the whole, "I want to do it all!" mentality and it's super hard to figure out balance. Personally, I think it looks workable, especially if you know that this will help keep you motivated. I'd stress listening to your body though and taking breaks when needed. 

 

My biggest caution would be to be realistic about what you will accomplish with this type of schedule. Make sure your lifting goals are centered around your overall fitness goals more so than PR's. 

[RedStone]

My biggest concern here is recovery. BMF could easily be working the same biz you worked on during your strength days, and seems almost guaranteed to, due to it's full body nature. Have you done these classes before? 

[james452]

Mentally you need to accept that because you had a heavy lifting session one day, your run the next day will be really bad, but that's fine, that's all part of training. In those cases, your run is a recovery workout from your gym workout. 

 

I myself do 2-3 strength and conditioning sessions combined with 2-4 run/bike/swim sessions a week. Yesterday I had a great gym session, my run today I had to cut short because my body wasn't feeling it.

 

Point is, listen to your body and you'll be fine with this type of training.

[Machete]

On 2/6/2018 at 8:32 AM, Sylvaa said:

@Machete is my go to for questions like this because he is awesome. 

 

I have been summoned...

 

On 1/14/2018 at 4:36 PM, Rhovaniel said:

My question is: Does this look workable? Are the days balanced out, or do I need to move stuff around? The BMF classes are the only set in stone days, because they are the only days the classes run that I can get to after work. 

 

Doing #AllTheThings is about managing compromises. If you don't have a specific goal, you won't really know whether something is effective or not (because everything works, you just have to find what it works for). All stress is cumulative. If you want to be a Powerlifting Marathon runner, you're probably going to have to find the exercises with the most carryover and just do those exclusively. Find the actual 20 in your so-called 80/20, and don't try to do 21 (which actually requires tremendous self-discipline and awareness). Like for a regular Spartan Race I would probably have someone do some climbing, vaulting, throwing, jumping, and burpee skill work, a few Powerlifts, and Strongman conditioning; and LSD a few days a week.