running ?

B

bhall07

Active Member
I am going to use treadmill running for my cardio and I was thinking about ordering LIC as my cardio/strength training 2 days a week with maybe 1 day of yoga on the weekend because I really need to burn off fat and then later on may just go to MM or something. Do you think this is too much or have a better idea. My routine would look something like this.

Sun-LIC
Mon-run
Tues-rest/stretch
Wed-run
Thurs-LIC
Fri-run
Sat-rest/stretch

I would appreciate any feedback..thanks

Beth
 
You know, if you really want to burn off fat, doing endless cardio, which is what your rotation displays thus far, will not do the trick as efficiently and as quickly as would a solid combination of some cardio and a lot of weights, much more than is contained in LIC, which is more of a circuit workout.

Basically, what you have here is a cardio week, not a whole bunch of weight training.

If you doubt the wisdom of what I am saying here, go to the first forum on Cathe's site and read the post "you want to lose weight and you think cardio is the answer...". One of the reasons Cathe is currently putting out the STS system is because science and research are recognizing that weight training actually burns off more fat that pure cardio.

Also, developing those muscles will help your running become more profitable and therefore more enjoyable so why not keep your three runs per week, then devote 2 or 3 days to some solid weight training. By all means, start with MM, and then graduate up to the Gym Styles and other, more advanced weight lifting DVDs in Cathe's collection. Your body will thank you.

Clare
 
Do you already have other workouts? Are you a regular runner? How much time do you spend each day exercising?
 
Thanks Clare....I did go and read that post and it does make a lot of sense. I am actually in the process of working up to a steady run and trying to train myself to run. I tried a year ago and worked up to fast and gave myself shin splints, so I am kind of doing intervals adding to my time. I have done the firm for a couple of years and all that is is circuit training with a little bit of weights and I think I need more of something, so I thought cardio was it. I really appreciate your imput and will definitely go that route.

Beth
 
If you aren't used to running and have had problems in the past, I'd say to start with the schedule you've outlined above is too much too fast. You will suffer injury if you don't let your body get used to the new activity, as you have seen.

You need to strengthen your shins and entire legs to try and avoid shin splints. Cathe has some workouts that touch on strengthening the front of your shins; you can also stand against a wall, with your heels about 6 inches away from the wall and then lift and lower your toes. It will burn after a while!

Aside from shin splints, for weight work I'd recommend if you don't have them already: Cathe's High Step workouts; High Step Training Advanced or even High Step Circuit. Supersets and Push/Pull are also great weight workouts that have premixes so you can fit in whatever you have time for.

If you can, tell us what workouts you have and especially if you have any equipment since that will affect what we can suggest! :)
 
Thanks for the input....I do have a lot of Cathe's videos and I have been doing the firm for a couple years now. These are the Cathe videos that i have:

Total body stretching
Low impact Step + total body sculpting
Stretch max
Basic step + body fusion
High step circuit
Supersets + push pull
Pyramid upper body & lower body
Power hour + maximum intensity strength + body max
 
Have you checked out the beginning running programs on runners world.com? As long as you are only increasing your run-to-walk intervals distance by an additional minute per week during each run, this should help you reduce the risk of shin splints recurring, i.e.

Week one: run 1 min, walk 2, do this 10 times = 1 running workout, do this 3 times this week.

Week 2: run 2 mins, walk for 2, repeat 10 times = 1 running workout, do this 3 times this week.

Repeat, increasing running by 1 minute per run per week until running continuously for 20 mins with no pain.

That web site might also suggest specific exercises and stretches you can do to reduce the risk of shin splints also.

As for weight training, I would use both the PP/SS DVD and the PUB/PLB DVD for now. As you get stronger, check out the premixes on SS/PP that allow you to double up, increase sets, increase the challenge.

A strong upper body and strong core help with running.

Have fun!

Clare
 
I am going by the article from smart coach on runner's world. I really dont want to work to fast and injury myself again, so i am going step by step this time. I do have all of Jari Love's dvds also. She is kind of inbetween the firm and Cathe and I love them, so maybe to start off I will incorporate her videos and do my running 3 days a week. I love circuit videos and Jari has one that I still may do once a week. I truely appreciate your input. You have helped me tremendously.

Thanks again-
Beth
 
Everybody is different, and since I am a mesomorph and I tend to be muscular, I lost 25 pounds doing 8 to 10 hours of cardio a week and lightening up on the weight training. My thighs are like rocks, and I don't have any flap under my tricep. I just look for a toned look, and I don't want to overdo weight training because I build muscle so fast. My chiropractor said my muscles were so dense that I was constantly burning calories. I gained weight through eating entire cheesecakes and things like that when I was injured.

Dr. Maghenheim said anybody else would have blown up to more more than I did. I run three days a week, cycle three times, do step two or three times. I do two upper body splits with moderate weights and two lower body splits with moderate weights.

If I feel that I have to, I take an extra day off a week. I find that running burns more calories than any other cardio activity, and I often wear my Polar F6 HRM.

Running also tends to cause the most injuries, and it is true that you have to build up slowly. When I started two and a half months ago, I did one mile in 12 minutes. Now I can do three miles in 28 minutes, and seven miles in 70 minutes. It is true that I used to be as very high mileage runner in the past, so that may be why I progressed so quickly.

If you are a new runner, begin very slowly. I am never again going to run every day; I will always crosstrain.
 
Hi Clare...I hate to bother you again, but I have finally decided what schedule I am going to do and I was wonder what you thought.

M-run (beginning schedule)
T-PUB
W-run
TH-PUB
F-run
S-PUB/PLB
S-Rest

I really can only work my legs once a week at this point due to soreness but maybe in the future I could add another day. How often should a runner work their legs. I know it is good to prevent injuries.

Thanks-
Beth
 
Beth:

this routine seems OK to me: 3 runs per week is ideal, gradually increasing the distance, then later, the pace. A far as working legs is concerned, once a week training with weights seems enough to me. Running already works the muscles hard and if you over strain the legs they will be too fatigued to work for you in your running. See how this goes for you for the first 3-4 months of training, then judge whether you would like to add another day or not. No amount of advice in any publication can replace trial and error on a personal basis, i.e., finding out what works for you.

What I have read before in running magazines is that body-weight only resistance exercises are recommended on daily/thrice weekly basis. I am sorry I do not remember which ones exactly, but any good bookstore and library offers a wide variety of books dedicated to running and these will all contain the info that you need. What you are looking for are those specific exercises that help strenghthen/stretch those muscles that affect the parts of the leg/glutes and surrounding joints where you normally experience injury. For me, this is the knee, so I try and learn exercises that will strengthen the quads/patella attachments.

Does this help?

Good luck with your training!

Clare :)
 
This does help alot and I will do some more research. I actually had thought about purchasing either muscle endurance or muscle max and maybe just try and do those at least 2 to 3 times a week along with running. I really appreciate your input.

Thanks again-
Beth
 
A good way to start/restart a running program is the couch to 5K program at coolrunning.com. My whole family used it last year to run some 5k's in the summer, It's especially good if youre prone to injury.
Sandi
 
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