Some of you may have noticed my lack of NROLFW (New Rules of
Lifting for Women) updates. In fact, the last stage recap was at the beginning
of March. Since then I have finished Stage 5 and I’ve decided… I’m going to
take a break.
Since my original plan was to see this program to the end, I
feel like I need to explain myself and my decision. After all, this blogging
thing is a great way to hold myself accountable to you all.
The short of it
The NROLFW program is geared toward high weight/low rep
training and I’m looking for something a little more inline with low
weight/high rep training.
The long of it
David and I recently joined a new gym and with our
membership, we get access to a personal trainer. Having told my trainer I’m a
runner, he immediately put me on a weight circuit routine of relatively low (yet still challenging) weights with high reps (15-20) and very little rest time in between. At first I
was hesitant, wanting to stick with my NROLFW mentality of “the heavier the
better.” But after a few weeks, I’m starting to wonder if maybe he knew what he
was talking about…
So I did what anyone would do and called on the powers of
Google.
I searched heavy weight training and light weight training
and found tons of differing results. Apparently, everyone has an opinion and
they all think they’re right.
According to livestrong.com, “high reps (15-20) should be
used for endurance training such as marathons and cross-country skiing. This is
done at a lower intensity to build muscular endurance and enhance work
capacity.” If you’re training for endurance events, your rest time should only
be between 15-30 seconds between sets. (source)
On the other hand, “explosive movements, such as jumping,
throwing and power lifting… require less repetition in conditioning, which has
a range of 1 to 4 reps.” You should be taking anywhere between 30 seconds to 3
minutes for rest. (source) (this ideology aligns
with the NROLFW mentality)
And then this website says it doesn’t matter which road you
choose, you’ll get the same results. Basically, the point of weight training is
to fatigue the muscles so they can grow stronger (laymen’s terms, ok?). Whether
you do that in 30 seconds (high weight/low rep) or 90 seconds (low weight/high
rep) you’ll get the same results.
Let’s dig deeper.
Muscle twitching- say
wha?
There are two types of muscle fibers- “slow twitch” (aka Type
I) and “fast twitch” (aka Type II). Fast twitch muscles are further separated
into Type IIa and IIb, but for the sake of my little brain, I’m going to forgo
that explanation.
Basically, slow twitch muscles (T I) are more efficient at
using oxygen to create fuel for continuous (yet weaker) muscle contractions
over a long period of time (endurance running). They fire more slowly, so they
can twitch for longer than fast twitch, or Type II, muscle fibers.
 |
| Kara Goucher utilizes the type I muscles while running marathons |
 |
| The Hulk, on the other hand, has done a lot of work with his type II muscles |
(source)
(As a side note: Lou Schuler in his book, New Rules of
Lifting for Women says, “[womens’] type I fibers tend to be bigger than [their]
type IIs; it’s the opposite in men.”)
Getting back to the
whole weight lifting thing
There are a ton of reasons why runners (especially new ones)
would want to weight train.
- Increase your muscular endurance, especially in upper body
- Strengthen “non running muscles” thus reducing risk of injury
- Helps in cardiovascular fitness
- Increase muscle mass and bone density (important for women!)
- Muscles burn more calories than fat, thus making your body leaner and capable of running more efficiently
- “[weight training] will not make you faster, but it can make it easier for you to do the workouts that will make you faster.”
(source)
In the NROLFW, Lou Schuler flat out
says lifting heavier weights will increase the size of your muscle while
lifting lighter (yet still challenging) weights will increase the endurance of
the muscles. He goes on to say that since women lack the length (not size or abundance)
of type II fibers that men have, that they should “develop type II muscle
fibers, which have the greatest potential for growth.”
In response to the “cardio craze” that people feel they have
to go through to lose weight, Schuler firmly believes (and states) that humans
didn’t evolve to excel at long distance runs, rather we’re “made” to walk long distances (I bet he could never run a marathon, but that’s neither here nor there). It’s the activities
that use short bursts of energy (jumping, throwing, and other “plyometrics”)
that we’re made for. Therefor it makes sense that he would dictate a high
weight/low rep as superior to low weight/high rep workouts.
 |
| Road Runner kitty disagrees.... |
So to summarize: the NROLFW program emphasizes heavier
weights at lower repetitions to better develop the type II muscle fibers (which
are the “short bursts of strength” kinds of muscles) thus making muscles
bigger.
But here’s the golden ticket I got from Schuler: “endurance
exercises makes your body more efficient, which is to say better at going
longer distances with less fuel.”
Ding ding ding ding ding!!!!!!
So there you have it folks- I’m taking a break from the
NROLFW to focus on building muscle endurance, which will hopefully make me
better in the marathon distance (and beyond).
Will I go back and complete Schuler’s routine? Probably. I
like the muscle definition that has resulted from his routines, and I’m
sure if I stick with his plan they’ll get even more noticeable. In fact, the
next stage has TEN sets of only TWO repetitions. But that’s not for me. Right
now.
If you’ve made it to the end- thanks! I hope this jibber
jabber was a little helpful to you. I also hope that I’ve got all my facts
straight. If not, please feel free to set me on the path of straight and narrow
;)
If you're interested in learning more about incorporating weight lifting into your running routine, this website is particularly useful.
Where do you stand on the weight lifting issue?
You've definitely done your research I think some of the argument against the heavy weights/low reps is that women are terrified of bulking up. But it's SOOOO hard to really build big muscles. I've worked at it for years and I am far from bulky. High reps also tends to keep your cardio up while you're lifting especially circuit style.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a place for all types of lifting - and I'll include plyometrics here. I think plyo can be awesome for runners too.
I used to lift high reps, did tons of circuits, full-body & plyo. I now lift heavy with low weights. I split out my muscle groups - but I am focussing on building. I will say that I feel like I need to add plyo back into my routine b/c I honestly felt like I had better endurance for speed when I did plyo. But I've had to keep workouts low-impact due to injures. (sorry for the long ramble)
fast twitch slow twitch?? 99 & 9/10 people working out never reach a level where it is relevant. Everyone is different. Just do it!
ReplyDeleteNot from Danielle
I've been doing weights recently too, but haven't blogged about it because I'm only doing it once or twice a week kind of sporadically. Since my left leg got kind of messed up and I was running less again, I thought it would be a good idea to sample another type of workout in the meantime. Basically, I just go to the gym at work with my friend and he orders me to do whatever he thinks I should do that day. Not the most organized plan- but he knows a lot more than I do about weight training. Anyway, it's working- I feel the burn and feel kind of sore the next day, so I continue to let him torture me. Good times :)
ReplyDeleteI dont lift often/ever, but when I do, I like to do low weight/more reps. It's what I was taught to do when I first joined the XC team in high school. And, it just makes more sense. Higher weights can end up adding more bulk, which is not what I want at all. And I think that being as lean as possible would lend itself well to endurance sports.
ReplyDeleteMy experience is weight lifting helps build Strength and prevent injury. Higher reps low weights are best when your doing lots of miles and racing. Lower reps high weights can be helpful in a build up period. Legs extensions, squats, calf raises, all help. Upper body and core are also good. Don't need more than 25 mins in the gym, and I usually stop at gym during my runs. 2 x per week is enough.
ReplyDeleteI really had to stop and admire Kara's legs! No wonder she's so fast! I have been really wimpy, and have done no weight training at all. It looks like you have been keeping up well, and have researched the best way to achieve your goals. Personally, I think I'd like the less weight, more weight approach. You'll have to do a comparison and let us know what you found most beneficial.
ReplyDelete