Long distance running and weight training

Written by thedoc on March 17, 2011 in Chiropractic, Health Tips

   Dr. Monti Sorem here in the Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater area.  In my career as a Strength and Conditioning Coach I still run into cross-country and track coaches who refuse to look at the current research promote resistance training into their coaching philosophy. It has been shown that weight training does not improve your VO2 max, but the speed at which you reach VO2 max is significantly improved! Even my patients who like to run often times forget how important weight training is.  With the Capitol City Marathon approaching I thought some might enjoy some research and recommendations regarding this topic.  Look out for some of my friends who I have trained with, if they both win that will give my favorite running couple 8 combined wins! 

   Even distance races (yes, even marathon) have a 5-7% contribution of anaerobic (power and strength) activity

  • It makes sense to add in some sort of anaerobic training.
  • (Green & Patla, 1992; Hausswirth & Lehénaff, 2001)

-          Techniques to develop muscle strength and power

  • Standard Resistance Exercises
    • Closed kinetic chain
    • Movement specificity
    • Multi-joint movements
  • Olympic Lifts
    • Focus is on velocity-specific training and maximal muscle power
    • Requires/trains whole-body coordination
  • Plyometrics
    • Exaggerates eccentric, isometric, and concentric contractions to stimulate muscle development
    • Utilize stretch-shortening cycle (SSC)
    • Focus is on speed of movement and minimal contact times
    • Running is plyos! 

CONCLUSIONS

-          Supplementing a distance running program with an appropriate strength and power program appears to:

  • Not improve or decrease VO2max
  • Improve RE, LT, and vVO2max, and race time
  • Improve 3K-5K race time in a variety of individuals
  • Improve short-distance sprinting speed
  • Improve muscular strength and power

-          Disclaimer

  • Although the research presented is convincing, many studies have small sample sizes, untrained populations, and methodological factors that make interpretation and generalizability of the findings difficult. 
  • Anecdotal methods drive research in this area, so I encourage professionals to experiment with new techniques based on evidence- and theory-based principles, then share what you find with the rest of the world.

 Try some of this out and get me some feedback! Good luck.

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    • 2 Responses to "Long distance running and weight training"

    Rob | Carpet Cleaning Olympia

    March 20, 2011

    Monti,

    Great article! I can attest to this theory myself. I played four years of varsity soccer and basketball in high school and was very into running in my free time and in the off-season. I had always been very athletic but never stepped foot in the weight room. I graduated four years ago and I still play a lot of basketball and soccer. However, I also started bodybuilding about four years ago. Adding the combination of regular weight training, plyometrics, and meticulous attention to nutrition has taken my game(s) to a whole other level. I am so much more explosive now and I have significantly more power in my kicks. About two years ago I dunked for the first time which was pretty exciting. To date, I have put on about 26-30lbs of lean mass and added significant strength. My cardiovascular endurance still feels great during long, competitive soccer and basketball; it always did. The difference now is that my muscles have a higher strength and endurance and are able to withstand each game much better. Plus, the recovery time of my muscles is much shorter because they are conditioned much better and I FEED them correctly…..Just thought I would share that with you and others….Keep those articles coming!

    -Robert

    Chiropractor Lacey

    May 17, 2011

    Nice to know. True health is optimum physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Drinking more water, eating nutritious foods, regular exercise and virtually every other healthy habit produces even bigger dividends when you have a properly working nervous system. So I thinks i’ll start doing more running,.

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