Myth #5: Runners should avoid heavy weights and dynamic lifts.

Once we get endurance athletes lifting weights, we always have to deal with the contention that because they’re endurance athletes, they should only do higher-rep sets because they just need to train muscular endurance.  Originally, that works fine, as you’re really just learning the exercises and conditioning the tissues for what is ahead.  Unfortunately, as the athlete gets more experienced with resistance training, it becomes readily apparent that not all reps are created equal.

There are three ways that we can develop tension in our muscles (basically the goal of any resistance training exercise):

1. The Repetition Method – This is the classic approach most gym-goers use.  Do a bunch of reps, and as you fatigue, the muscle tension accumulates; the last few reps are what make the big difference.

2. The Maximal Effort Method – This is an approach where the load utilized is heavier, so the tension is “automatically” applied to the muscles.  You just have to work against it.  This method – which uses rep ranges of 1-6 – is great for building muscular strength and teaching your nervous system to recruit more muscle fibers.

3. The Dynamic Effort Method – This approach uses non-maximal loads, but the focus is on lifting the weight as fast as possible.  Jump squats are a good example of dynamic effort training, which teaches the nervous system to recruit muscles faster.  Additionally, some dynamic effort training can teach your tendons to store more elastic energy (like plyometrics).  If your tendons work more efficiently, your running style is more relaxed, reflexive, and “springy,” as you don’t have to “muscle” every stride.

With all this said, it should become clear that you can’t pursue the maximal or dynamic effort methods with sets of 12-15; you have to use different rep ranges and loading parameters if you want a truly effective resistance training program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Won’t I gain body fat if I cut back my running volume and replace it with resistance training?

A: No!  Contrary to popular belief, resistance training is extremely valuable for burning fat – primarily due to something known as “Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption” (EPOC).  This is just a fancy way of saying that after any exercise session, our metabolisms are elevated significantly.  Research has shown that EPOC directly related to how intense our exercise sessions are; the more intense the effort, the more metabolic “debt” we accumulate.  For this reason, activities like sprinting and weight-training – both of which are much more intense than steady-state jogging – have a ton of merit in “battling the bulge.”  Amazingly, a single bout of resistance training can elevate the metabolism for more than 48 hours – and favorably affect endocrine and immune status in a manner that is conducive to fat loss.  If you want to be lean, you have to lift weights!

Additionally, you rarely see ultra-endurance athletes with very low body fat percentages – and it’s largely because all the mileage they do leads to higher levels of cortisol and lower levels of testosterone in the body.  This endocrine fluctuation leads to a loss of muscle mass (which burns a lot of calories) and an increased tendency to store body fat.  Fortunately, resistance training has been shown to have favorable effect on testosterone levels chronically (good for men and women…trust me).  By keeping your hormonal status in check by including some resistance training, runners can get faster and leaner!

Q: I have limited time to train; wouldn’t I be better off just running if time is limited?

A: Obviously, this would depend on how you define “limited” – but it’s been my experience that runners can always “make” time to run, but will only “try to find” time to resistance-train.  Generally speaking, you can bang out a run here and there without much time preparation, so it’s best to schedule your 2-3 resistance training sessions ahead of time.  Additionally, in some cases, you can incorporate some body weight resistance training exercises as part of your warm-up – but this certainly won’t cover all your needs.

Also, don’t forget the study I cited earlier about the group of endurance athletes who saw appreciable gains in performance by replacing 32% of their running volume with resistance training.  If you run six days a week, try moving to four runs and two lifting sessions – and watch your times improve dramatically.

Anyway, my feeling is that from a body composition, health, and performance standpoint, you need to make time for two lifting sessions per week regardless of how much you run.

Q: Won’t resistance training will interfere with my running?

A: Great question – and the answer is no, provided you schedule your running sessions appropriately.  Ideally, you would lift on days that you don’t run, or pair your lifts up with your tempo (sprint) sessions in order to “consolidate” your most intense training and allow for better recovery.

There is some research to show that running efficiency is impaired slightly for up to eight hours post-exercise, but you should be fine if you lift and run on separate days.  I always prefer that my athletes lift before they run, though; you always want to do your speed and power work before you move on to endurance training.

Q: Won’t resistance training make my muscles bigger?  I don’t want all that weight holding me down!

A: Endurance training by its very nature is not conducive to muscle growth (especially in a female population with lower testosterone levels).  The sheer volume of exercise makes it difficult to get in enough calories to support muscle mass gains, so the effects of resistance training are largely confined to muscle density (tone), strength, and overall efficiency rather than actual increases in muscle size.  If it was so easy to get “bulky,” there would be a lot more bulky people walking around!

Closing Thoughts

All this information won’t be of any use if it isn’t put into action, so now is the time to either modify how you’re lifting, or start lifting in the first place.  At the very least, you need to complement your endurance training with two resistance-training sessions per week – and preferably three. 

Just as running is more fun with a partner, so is lifting, so find a few buddies to hit the gym with you.  In our facility, time and time again, we’ve seen athletes make much better progress when they’re training in small groups and pushing each other to get better.  Plus, for those of you who might be a bit intimidated at the thought of joining a gym, some training partners can do a lot to ease your worries.

At your fingertips, you have an opportunity to dramatically improve performance, overall health, and the way your body looks and feels.  There’s no time like the present to turn that opportunity into a reality.

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