How to Maximize Your Off-Season
Are you ready for that big race that’s right around the corner? Chances are, you don’t have any races or big events within the next few weeks to months. Welcome…
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When to Lift |
| Many of you reading this are already in some habit of doing some sort of cardio regularly Whether it be walking, running, cycling, or swimming, most of us find enough time to do something daily For those who are really trying to do the best for their bodies, there is also a need to make time for weight lifting and cross training So when you have 2 different workouts to fit in a day, which comes first? There is one main thing to consider: fatigue Whichever workout comes second during the day, you’ll be doing in some degree of a fatigued state For most of us, the priority is a good performance in running, cycling, or swimming So it would be preferred to perform those activities when you’re fresh and energized Saving the lift or cross training for afterwards Also, doing weight training in a fatigued state, improves your ability to recruit more muscle fibers while fatigued However, this concept of training in a pre-fatigued state can go both ways You can lift or even perform another type of exercise before your run and train your run in a pre-fatigued state Helping you practice running on tired legs Running pre-fatigued is common in triathlon training A ‘brick run’ is a run that occurs immediately after you ride your bike This gives you practice running with tired legs Just like you’d be doing for a triathlon race So, frustratingly, the answer of whether or not you should lift or run first is: it depends on your goals Typically, when I answer this question for my patients, the running is king and performing well on the run is most important That’s why, in general, I advise my people to lift AFTER they run Happy runnin then lifting Dr. MichaelUpcoming EventsRace Against Hate  I always tell beginner runners and on-the-fencers that a great place to start in any running journey is signing up for and training for a 5K5Ks are great for beginners because you can walk/run them and there isn’t any serious pressure to perform There is a deliberate degree of training you must complete and it simply motivates you enough to get out there and run 5Ks are all over the place and the best one in Evanston is the Ricky Byrdsong Race Against Hate 5K walk/run and 10K which are on Sunday June 16th (Father’s Day) Race details and sign up HERE! |
