Although the weather outside may not look like it, spring is right around the corner. Spring is a great time for people to start to get out and run again, and even begin training for road races in the coming months.
I have recently gained more interest in running which seems surprising to me. Now I would never refer to myself as a seasoned distance runner that runs marathons all the time, but I did run a half marathon (21km) in September 2010 which gave me that "runner's high". I trained for the 'half' for a good portion of summer 2010 which really got me hooked, so I will probably run the 'half' again in 2011!
I have always been a pretty decent runner. As a child, my parents tell me that all I would do is run laps of our street asking them to "time me, time me". I have also played soccer my entire life which, as many of you know, is very running-intensive.
The fascination or attraction to running, as runners will tell you, is that "high" you get after a race where your hormones and endorphins are flowing, giving you a very 'feel good' response in your body. On top of that, running long distances can give an amazing sense of accomplishment when you then think back to the distance that you just conquered!
Running and swimming are great ways to measure your overall fitness as well. I am a terrible swimmer, so alas, I run. It is great to run set distances and see your times come down over time as you get faster, stronger, and fitter.
At the end of the day though, running can become very repetitive, and that is why many people can't stick with it. As with any form of exercise though, I believe that the key to staying interested is variety. I have included a list below of different ways you can train for running, as well as some tips to improve and keep things varied and interesting.
Use an Efficient Stride - Elite runners have much more efficient strides. An efficient stride is great for many reasons including reducing risk of injury, as well as reserving energy for long distance running. First of all, shorten your stride. A long stride, especially with your leading leg landing too far out in front of you creates more of a braking effect of your forward momentum. Also, keep the mindset that you have a plate roughly 2 inches above your head that you do not want to touch. In other words, you want your momentum to be moving you forward, not bouncing up and down. With those in mind, also think of quick feet. You want your foot landing on the ground, and pulling back as quick as possible to propel you forward. Your feet should be touching the ground for as short amount of time as possible!
Speed Training - Marathon runners need speed training as well, not just sprinters! Long-distance runners benefit from strengthening their legs with fast bursts of speed. Not only that, you burn more calories from sprinting as it requires more energy to accelerate and propel your body at a faster pace. Try adding some interval sprints into your longer runs. When I train, I would try and do interval sprints every so often. Try this; jog for 5 minutes at the beginning of your run as a bit of a warmup, then start your intervals. You will sprint (about 80-90% of your fastest speed) for 30 seconds, then jog for a minute. Alternate between these two time intervals until you are done your course. Intervals should not be run for too long of distances though, so I don't recommend anything over 5kms total or so.
Run Downhill - Make sure that at least some of your training is running downhill. Your legs are under more force when running down hill which allows them to better prepare for the load and stress placed on them for long-distance runs. Plus, when you go to run a road race, you will most certainly hit points where you must run downhill so you will be better prepared to handle your speed. Just don't overdo it by running down hill too fast or too often.
Build Explosive Power - Try some cross training such as plyometrics (jump training) to train your muscles on how to be explosive. This is not only a great way to strengthen your legs, but it helps train them to give you much more coordinated and efficient strides when running long distances.
Mix Things Up - Try running on different road courses around your area so you are not always running the same pattern of uphills and downhills. Challenge yourself and choose courses that have more hills to improve strength and also mix up your effort output. For example, one day you may do a flat course and run at 50% pace for an hour, the next run you may want to run a hilly course at 70% pace for half an hour.
Variety is the spice of fitness!
-Tyler Robbins B.Sc. PTS
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Plateau
"I'm eating at a large calorie deficit and exercising really hard, yet the scale isn't moving. What gives?"
Plateau, huh? When most people begin a new workout routine, especially to start a new year, many of them begin to see some pretty good advancements in their muscle strength, cardiovascular strength, and of course, dropping some weight right away from losing some body fat.
Once you start to get a few weeks into your new workout schedule, that is when you begin to plateau. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's one of two things. If you're not dropping pounds, yet your inches are changing for the positive, odds are you are actually losing fat but also gaining muscle. That's what's balancing out the scale.
I know it's a frustrating situation, but if you've been looking in the mirror or putting on clothes, you've probably noticed that you're looking better and your clothes are fitting looser, so it's not all bad.
Another possible reason for plateauing could also be undereating, which can force your body into starvation mode.Our early ancestors (who hunted and gathered) didn't have access to grocery stores, Burger King's or McDonalds'. Because of this, people sometimes had to go for days with little or no food. Evolution would tell us that people who survived these times of famine were the people who, well, survived these times of famine so these bodily mechanisms are now programmed into our DNA. In order to do this, their bodies adapted by slowing down their metabolisms and holding onto emergency fuel supplies (aka "fat") during lean times. This is starvation mode.
Finally, I will discuss the idea of "muscle confusion". The idea behind this concept (which has been around for many years) is that you want to be continually changing your workout plan to keep things fresh and exciting. Every few weeks, you are going to want to change up your usual plan somehow. If, for a few weeks you run on the treadmill, do some bicep curls, a few pushups, etc. Shakes things up, try a stairclimber or an elliptical for your cardio. Instead of pushups, try a bench press, etc. Also, change the order in which you do things. If you used to always do a chest and back routine on a Monday, switch it up to a Friday. The idea is that you want to keep your body constantly guessing. The more variety you keep in your fitness, the more you challenge it, and the less likely your body will become accustomed to repetitive actions. The more you do something, the easier it becomes, so why not change things up?
Just like with everything though, everyone is different. Some people come out of the gate on a new exercise/diet regimen and see results fast and plateau later. Some people plateau at first, then see results after a few weeks. The key thing here is to stick with your plan even through tough times like a plateau!
Diet and fitness should become a full-time job for you for the rest of your life. Plateaus will come and go, and that is normal. But when they do hit, it takes a dedicated person to realize and understand the plateau, and then do something to change their course to continually challenge themselves.
If you attend any of my fitness classes, you will notice that I have new moves and new combinations every week. I like to keep things fresh and interesting because I hate boredom. The more I look forward to trying new things and experimenting with new fitness trends, the more likely I am to stick with it!
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Plateau, huh? When most people begin a new workout routine, especially to start a new year, many of them begin to see some pretty good advancements in their muscle strength, cardiovascular strength, and of course, dropping some weight right away from losing some body fat.
Once you start to get a few weeks into your new workout schedule, that is when you begin to plateau. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's one of two things. If you're not dropping pounds, yet your inches are changing for the positive, odds are you are actually losing fat but also gaining muscle. That's what's balancing out the scale.
I know it's a frustrating situation, but if you've been looking in the mirror or putting on clothes, you've probably noticed that you're looking better and your clothes are fitting looser, so it's not all bad.
Another possible reason for plateauing could also be undereating, which can force your body into starvation mode.Our early ancestors (who hunted and gathered) didn't have access to grocery stores, Burger King's or McDonalds'. Because of this, people sometimes had to go for days with little or no food. Evolution would tell us that people who survived these times of famine were the people who, well, survived these times of famine so these bodily mechanisms are now programmed into our DNA. In order to do this, their bodies adapted by slowing down their metabolisms and holding onto emergency fuel supplies (aka "fat") during lean times. This is starvation mode.
Finally, I will discuss the idea of "muscle confusion". The idea behind this concept (which has been around for many years) is that you want to be continually changing your workout plan to keep things fresh and exciting. Every few weeks, you are going to want to change up your usual plan somehow. If, for a few weeks you run on the treadmill, do some bicep curls, a few pushups, etc. Shakes things up, try a stairclimber or an elliptical for your cardio. Instead of pushups, try a bench press, etc. Also, change the order in which you do things. If you used to always do a chest and back routine on a Monday, switch it up to a Friday. The idea is that you want to keep your body constantly guessing. The more variety you keep in your fitness, the more you challenge it, and the less likely your body will become accustomed to repetitive actions. The more you do something, the easier it becomes, so why not change things up?
Just like with everything though, everyone is different. Some people come out of the gate on a new exercise/diet regimen and see results fast and plateau later. Some people plateau at first, then see results after a few weeks. The key thing here is to stick with your plan even through tough times like a plateau!
Diet and fitness should become a full-time job for you for the rest of your life. Plateaus will come and go, and that is normal. But when they do hit, it takes a dedicated person to realize and understand the plateau, and then do something to change their course to continually challenge themselves.
If you attend any of my fitness classes, you will notice that I have new moves and new combinations every week. I like to keep things fresh and interesting because I hate boredom. The more I look forward to trying new things and experimenting with new fitness trends, the more likely I am to stick with it!
-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS
Friday, January 14, 2011
"Should I just work through the pain if I'm injured?"
"Should I just work through the pain if I'm injured?"
This is the time of year when many of us have made New Year's resolutions to make this your fittest year yet! Unfortunately, this may also become dangerous in the way of an injury. Often times, people feel as though missing some workouts to heal an injury will just make their road to success take that much longer. Here are my thoughts on this:
Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between a muscle pain that is from exercising, or a pain from an injury. When in doubt, you are better off to err on the side of caution. If you have a sore bicep and wish to still go for a run on the treadmill, you are probably ok as running shouldn't really exacerbate the injury. You are far better off to give an injury several days to rest before getting back to full-blown exercising than to injure yourself longer, or permanently.
When you do in fact begin to get back to full exercise, make sure to warm-up your previously injured body part more than usual and to stretch it out post-exercise, and always remember to ice to reduce swelling. Absolutely 100% of the time, if your pain persists for more than a few days, you should see a doctor and potentially a physiotherapist.
Getting back to the idea that a few days rest may 'derail' any progress should be looked at. Many people go through these cycles of months or even years of inactivity, and then once they get back onto a workout plan, they feel that their 8 or 10 week program is their time to get back into shape. That is when an injury may make them feel depressed or frustrated because they are only now losing their opportunity to get healthy. These are the same people that seem to forget that they neglected their bodies and the health for weeks, months, or years at a time, so staying inactive for a few more days to rest an injury really should not be anything different.
Ideally, if you overhaul your lifestyle and vow to become a healthier person, eating well and exercising regularly, taking a few days off for rest and recovery will not even matter in the larger picture. I used to be the same way, trying to accomplish so much within a short period of time, feeling that I am missing out or compromising my results if I missed even one workout. I quickly began to realize that if I exercised consistently for 5 or 6 days a week, every week of every year, then getting a cold or flu, or having a sore shoulder that sidelines me for a week or two seems so minuscule.
Just some food for thought!
-Tyler Robbins B.Sc. PTS
This is the time of year when many of us have made New Year's resolutions to make this your fittest year yet! Unfortunately, this may also become dangerous in the way of an injury. Often times, people feel as though missing some workouts to heal an injury will just make their road to success take that much longer. Here are my thoughts on this:
Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between a muscle pain that is from exercising, or a pain from an injury. When in doubt, you are better off to err on the side of caution. If you have a sore bicep and wish to still go for a run on the treadmill, you are probably ok as running shouldn't really exacerbate the injury. You are far better off to give an injury several days to rest before getting back to full-blown exercising than to injure yourself longer, or permanently.
When you do in fact begin to get back to full exercise, make sure to warm-up your previously injured body part more than usual and to stretch it out post-exercise, and always remember to ice to reduce swelling. Absolutely 100% of the time, if your pain persists for more than a few days, you should see a doctor and potentially a physiotherapist.
Getting back to the idea that a few days rest may 'derail' any progress should be looked at. Many people go through these cycles of months or even years of inactivity, and then once they get back onto a workout plan, they feel that their 8 or 10 week program is their time to get back into shape. That is when an injury may make them feel depressed or frustrated because they are only now losing their opportunity to get healthy. These are the same people that seem to forget that they neglected their bodies and the health for weeks, months, or years at a time, so staying inactive for a few more days to rest an injury really should not be anything different.
Ideally, if you overhaul your lifestyle and vow to become a healthier person, eating well and exercising regularly, taking a few days off for rest and recovery will not even matter in the larger picture. I used to be the same way, trying to accomplish so much within a short period of time, feeling that I am missing out or compromising my results if I missed even one workout. I quickly began to realize that if I exercised consistently for 5 or 6 days a week, every week of every year, then getting a cold or flu, or having a sore shoulder that sidelines me for a week or two seems so minuscule.
Just some food for thought!
-Tyler Robbins B.Sc. PTS
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