Last week I described a running injury I developed and asked for your guesses about the cause.
Of course, there were many contributing factors.
I’m not a physical therapist or any kind of medical professional. So this is all opinion based, not medically based.
But one stands out, because
a) it was the most significant
b) even the other factors might have contributed, each of them alone wouldn’t have caused this; in contrast, even without all the other factors the main factor probably would have resulted in injury all by itself.
The Main Cause
The main cause was simply (more…)
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Continue reading about The Cause Of The Problem – The 3 Percent Rule
- Can you guess the cause of my running injury?
I made a stupid exercise mistake last week. One that could impact my fitness routine for months because of the resulting injury. I want to share it with you, because hopefully you won’t repeat it.
Even though injury is no laughing matter, what I’d like to do is make this into a game of sorts. What I’ll do is first, describe the resulting injury. Then I’ll give you various facts about my exercise, eating, and lifestyle leading up to the injury.
Then you guess what the biggest cause of the injury was.
For some of you it will be obvious but for others not so much. In this case, the injury was from running. But lifters could make the same kind of mistake.
Everyone who leaves a reply will get a prize! And the best answer (based solely on my opinion) will get an even bigger prize.
The Prizes
Everyone who posts an answer in the comments section at the end (by Wednesday) , with their guess as to the most direct cause, will get a copy of my ebook called Train Better. This 200 page ebook has some of the best WFN articles consolidated for you.
The best answer, in my opinion, will get Train Better AND will get a copy of my lifting routine Fat Burn Furnace.
Duplicate answers are fine, but if the “best” answer is given by more than one person, then the first person gets the routine.
Ready?
Here’s What Happened (more…)
If I were to say to a roomful of average Americans, “I’ve run 4 times a week, every week, for the past 10 years, without an exception, even when I was sick,” I’d get most of the audience nodding their heads in appreciation and admiration. I’d probably even get some spontaneous applause and a few people would be so impressed they’d be speechless.
If instead, I said to that same room full of average Americans, “I’ve lifted weights 4 times a week, every week, for the past 10 years, without an exception, even when I was sick,” I’d get
- Blank stares (confusion)
- Frowns (disappointment)
- Shaking heads (how could he waste so much of his time?)
- Scoffs (“he must be so vain to be that focused on how he looks”)
- Etc.
You get the picture.
The Average American Is A Running Snob
We’ve been conditioned/taught over decades that runners deserve admiration.
Don’t get me wrong – they certainly do deserve admiration.
But bodybuilders and strength trainers don’t get that same breadth of acceptance. Instead, they get scorn. Sadly, the steroid issue has tainted the whole weight lifting world to some degree, and quite unfairly. I’ll save that diatribe for another day.
When most people think of the term “bodybuilding”, they think of hugely muscular men whose entire exercise routine rests on lifting weights in isolation movements. It’s a shame that the term bodybuilding has been pigeon-holed into a single class of exercise. I love the term “body building” because that’s what all exercise is – building your body.
Of course, bodybuilders and strength trainers are themselves a snobbish lot. Both groups tend to dismiss runners with such phrases as (more…)
Continue reading about Bodybuilding Snobs vs. Strength Training Snobs vs. Running Snobs
Tabata interval training could be credited with kicking off the recent craze towards HIIT – high intensity interval training. This protocol was initiated by the Japanese performance researcher Izumi Tabata in 1996 and 1997 (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, October 1996, Vol 26 and also March 1997, Vol 27).
The basic findings of his research was that in 4 minutes of work, you could get more cardiovascular benefits, and more fat loss, than in 60 minutes of steady state cardio (e.g. jogging). That’s right: 4 minutes vs 60 minutes.
How is this possible?
By doing super high intensity interval training. HIIT.
There are many summary articles available on the web if you don’t want to go back to the original research. Here’s a summary (but this article is about a variation…):
His exact protocol was to stationary bike at your all-out fastest, 100% pace, for 20 seconds. Then rest for 10 seconds. Then go all out for 20 seconds. Repeat, etc. until you’ve done 4 minutes total. That’s it. It’s so simple. But…
Most people can’t do this.
When I say 100%, I mean 100%. Not “hard running/biking”. I mean all out, like a bear is chasing you. Many people puke during this kind of training.
Because of this intensity, most people fall into two categories after they decide to try it:
a) they end up not really doing 100% in the intervals; they do like 80%, which destroys the whole purpose b) they give up
I’m no different. I don’t do Tabata because it’s too hard. I’m not afraid to admit it.
But I have an alternate that I think you will like even better…
The Inverted Tabata
Before I describe this (and it’s pretty easy to describe), I want to say that it’s quite possible that I’m not the only one to come up with this. I’ve been doing it since last year and decided to give it a name.
Maybe someone else has prescribed this before, but I did some web searches for “inverse Tabata” and “inverted Tabata” and even some “Tabata variations” and couldn’t find anything. [If you find something, please share it here so I can give credit.] Anyway, it is my belief that this is the first time “inverted Tabata” is being documented and you get to read it as part of the worldfitnessnetwork.com community! Ok, enough grandstanding.
It’s so simple, I was surprised nobody else talks about it.
Here’s all Inverted Tabata is:
Continue reading about Introducing Inverted Tabata – Interval Training
The other day my ipod shuffle wasn’t working so I did my run in “silence”. The good news is that it didn’t affect my motivation or speed or anything. The bad news is that I figured out I’m a pretty weird guy…
You see, without my audio, my brain simply started thinking (I hear that’s what brain’s do when left to themselves).
And…
oh my God…
I’m insane.
I kept thinking the same things over and over. Literally. It wasn’t a “worry thought” either – just a random thought about how my office is set up. So I kept repeating the same phrases over and over. “What if I moved my desk to the south side…. What (more…)
Continue reading about What Do You Think About When You Run? – 11 Thinking Types
Runners need to lift weights. And I mean heavy weights. Even if you don’t want to be a bodybuilder, you need weights for strength training and for maintaining muscle mass.
1. Improve Run Speed
You’ll notice your pace increasing when you add heavy weight training to your routine. I’m not talking about a few casual sets of leg machines. I’m talking about all-out squats with good form and maximum weight for sets of 6 to 8. And fast deadlifts and squats will give you some extra power for your shorter runs.
2. Improve Run Endurance
Doing 45 minutes of hard-core weight training, without too large a rest between sets, is really tiring. Assuming your are lifting with intensity. And I don’t know about you, but multiple sets of deadlifts leave me quivering and wanting to curl up in a dark room. But I don’t stop – I keep going. And that endurance, plus the added muscle fibers, increase your running endurance too.
3. Burn More Calories
Yeah, 1 hr of running burns more immediate calories than 1 hr of lifting. But adding 10 lbs of muscle will burn an extra 45 calories EVERY DAY EVEN AT REST.
4. Running Erodes Muscle
If all you do is run, especially steady-state, long-distance running, your body will pull energy from your muscles. This leaves you with less lean body mass. Yet more muscle has been linked to reduced rates of cancer, increased done density, and a number of other important age-related health benefits. And don’t forget that sarcopenia (the natural loss of muscle mass) starts in the your 30s and progresses rapidly after 50. If you are only running, you are going to waste away.
5. Prevent Injury
It should be obvious that stronger muscles prevent injury.
6. Normal Life
Doesn’t involve a lot of running around unless you are under 12 yrs old. And even then, it’s quick bursts of running, which is more strength than endurance. Normal life does involve lifting things all day long. To be sure, normal life likely involves sprinting, but how many of you are really sprinting as part of your runs, rather than jogging? You should.
7. It’s Raining
If it’s cold and snowy or rainy, I hate running. And I can’t stand treadmills. So if you are serious about running but have to miss a run because of weather, head for the weight room.
8. It’s Fun/Breaks Up Monotony
I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but weight lifting is fun! I can’t imagine the monotony of running being all that I do.
8.5 You’ll Look Better
I guess this is subjective, but I hate the skinny-fat look you see on so many runners. You know, where a 5’10” guy is 130 lbs but still looks somewhat flabby? Weight training intensely with heavy weights will put some meat on them thar bones!
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Looking for a good training program for runners getting into weight training? You’ll love Mike Geary’s The Truth About Six Pack Abs. This is so much more than just a “6-pack abs” book. He’s got top-notch sections on diet, weight training, and bodyweight exercises. Order now from http://budurl.com/wfnabtruth . He has a full refund policy so you (more…)
Continue reading about 8.5 Reasons Runners Need To Lift Heavy Stuff
I love running. I love weight training and bodybuilding. By trying to do both, am I destined to be ineffective at both?
Many of you are runners too. And if you subscribe to this blog, you are no doubt into weight training. I keep hearing and reading on other blogs that you can’t do both. That’s bull. Here’s their theory: pumping iron builds muscle mass that will add weight to your body; that added weight will slow you down and add stress to your knees and other soft tissue ultimately leading to injuries if you run. And on the other hand, steady-state cardio (medium or long distance running) will burn more muscle than it burns fat. [Some experts even go so far as to say "give up cardio totally". I've got an upcoming post to dismiss that, but back to today's post...]
Bottom Line: They’re partially right – yes, it presents big challenges to try to do both, and their theory is correct. But their conclusion is wrong – of course you CAN do both! I say – forget the science. Do what you love!
Did He Just Say To Ignore Science?
Well, sort of. I’m not saying ignore it – I’m just saying that life is too short to live in fear. So a more pragmatic (but less pithy) way of saying is: learn the science so that you can compensate for the hard realities and still do what you love.
What is “Running”?
For simplicity, let’s break running into two categories (yes, I know there are a million ways to slice it, but stay with me here for my point):
a) steady-state, medium- to long-distance (like jogging or at the high end, marathons); in this running you are keeping your pace and heart rate pretty constant
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