I'm contemplating taking up running once I'm done the routine I'm currently following. I figure I might as well take advantage of the only 2 warm months we get here and I want to run outside for a few weeks.
However, I don't want to give up lifting weights(nor should I, since it's an important aspect of any fitness routine), so I've always heard a 3 day full body routine is best if I would want to run 3 days a week.
But I would want to have separate days for running and weights. I've never enjoyed doing 2 things in the same day and I wouldn't be able to put my best effort into either a run or a lifting session if I had to do in the same day.
I've heard of people doing 3 days of running, and then on the off days, doing weights. How would this allow for enough recovery time for the legs though? How would you set this up? Thoughts?
a) I'm a noob, have your grain of salt ready
b) I often do cardio on days in between my weights days (also total body). However, my cardio sessions are like 20min, 30min tops.
If you're doing serious endurance running, it might get tougher to run before, or after, a leg day. And every weight day is a leg day!
And you could also just give it a shot and see what happens.
If you're running for endurance, you don't have to have leg days anymore since you're training them already while running.
If you're training for speed, well, you would just have to do your legs on the last day of the week, where the next 2 days are off days for weight training.
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I also like to run and have been doing it off and on for a few years, but a little more seriously for about a year now. I came to the point where I had to decide if I wanted to train for and run a marathon, or concentrate on faster shorter runs like 5K and 10K and keep my weight training. I didn't think I could become really good at both, I had to choose one or the other. I have chosen the weights and shorter distance running. As far as lifting, I was doing body part split routines, but never did a lot of legs because I fell for that same myth about running being a replacement for weight training on the legs. So it wasn't until I started with the total-body weight lifting, 3x per week, sometimes 4, and I can tell you that my supposedly "strong runners legs" couldn't keep up at first. The kind of workout you get running versus the kind your whole lower body gets with 'proper' weight training is totally different. I was doing the NRoL programs, and have also started some Huge-I-A-Hurry too. The squats, deadlifts, lunges were all tough. I would NOT recommend skipping legs or only doing them 1 time per week. Several things to consider: The total body workouts use those exercises like dead and squats because they work not just the front of your legs, they work hamstrings, calves, core, lower back, abs, obliques, glutes, etc like no running will do. Running is an endurance exercise, whereas weightlifting is a strength exercise. It would be like doing 300 curls with a 5lb barbell compared to doing sets of 5x5 or 25 total reps going 'heavy'. Totally different. Also, the total body routines like NRoL work that core/legs because those are some of the largest muscle areas on your body, and working them triggers your body to adapt and react, i.e. weight loss, muscle gain, metabolism, etc. I have moved away from back/biceps day and "tris and delts day" and instead use the total body workouts and have seen much better results as far as my strength, fat loss, muscle gain. I am also seeing my times on everything from 1-mile runs up to 4 miles runs getting faster as my legs get stronger.
fwiw, I usually run intervals, or fartleks, sprints, etc. I do one 'long' day per week, as much as 5-6 miles, sometimes just 4-5.
*I'm not reading spartans post due to lack of paragraph structure so please overlook any repeated advice*
Most of it depends on how much volume\intensity you're doing with each. Right now I'm doing a fairly low volume lifting approach and running pretty easy for 30min either right after the lifting session or just later in the day, doing both 4x a week on the same day.
If you're not really killing yourself with either (running\lifting) then you can probably do both without a whole lot of thinking. If you plan on pushing one hard then just keep in mind that you're not going to be able to do the other one as hard. If you do a hard leg workout...running is going to suck balls. If you do a hard leg workout then you're probably not going to be running (well) for any real distance.
My advice is to just try it. If you want to run after you lift...do it. If you want to do it on your off day...do it. Just keep in mind that you can do them both moderate\easy. You can do them both one hard, one easy. You can't do them both hard.
I'm contemplating taking up running once I'm done the routine I'm currently following. I figure I might as well take advantage of the only 2 warm months we get here and I want to run outside for a few weeks.
However, I don't want to give up lifting weights(nor should I, since it's an important aspect of any fitness routine), so I've always heard a 3 day full body routine is best if I would want to run 3 days a week.
But I would want to have separate days for running and weights. I've never enjoyed doing 2 things in the same day and I wouldn't be able to put my best effort into either a run or a lifting session if I had to do in the same day.
I've heard of people doing 3 days of running, and then on the off days, doing weights. How would this allow for enough recovery time for the legs though? How would you set this up? Thoughts?
Lifting: Are you still trying to PR on the lower body lifts each workout?
Running: Sprints? SS? How long?
Another thing to consider: It is easier to overtrain when undereating than overeating...
How to structure cardio with 3 day full body
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