Keeping that muscle with big cardio

A

Aetom

0
I couldn't decide if this was the right spot, but I don't think I'm that off.

I'm in Cross Country this year, and despite all my assurances to myself that I "won't let myself get soft", I've started to feel it.

I doing about 40 miles a week, and have been hitting the weights every day as well as running every day this summer. But school starts in about 8 days, and there isn't going to be enough time for me to run AND lift on the same day. After I get home from XC practice, shower, homework, and dinner, it's about 9:00. Plus I'm taking the ACT in October, so I'll be studying for that everyday too. I'm looking to get into academic all-state XC this year, so taking days off arn't really an option for me.

What can you recommend for me to do in order to keep my strength? I understand that running will naturally cause my muscles to decrease and become more lean/streak in order to decrease weight, but I can always bulk back up in the winter. But I've worked too hard on my strength to let that go.

I was thinking I could add maybe 20 minutes 3x a week of intense strength exercise. Weighted with mixed high-rep pull-ups, plyo push-ups, and heavy weight benches.
 
Hi Aetom,

I would do strength training 3x a week so that your schedule doesn't get too packed. Try working on chest and back one day, arms another day, and legs another (probably before or after your rest day since you are running alot). You can throw in some abs on each of these days.

I would go for high weight and not high reps. Since you want to do body weight exercises like push-ups and pull-ups, if you are able, try boosting the intensity by trying more advanced moves such as inclined push-ups or one armed push ups, or corn cob pull-ups.

The increased intensity will help you with your strength training will why cross train. Doing anything plyometrically inclined will be great for you cross-country training. So high knee jumps, jump squats, leg hops, etc.
 
Firstly id drop the routine above. Chest and back separate from arms? So no arms are used for rows and benches? Classic nonsense.

Stick to whatever has worked before. Train for strength, eat what you need to do this. You're right in saying that all that XC will affect your muscle - best i can suggest is make sure you're eating enough to keep you training hard enough in all areas.

You are going to need days off, especially with an increased workload. You dont need to train every day to minimise your muscle loss - in fact overtraining will soon kick in and your body will feel and look rough for it.
 
Alright, sounds good. Thanks for the advice. I think the strength training will help in any way possible. I mean, my body at least responds to best performance if I'm mixing everything together (running, weights, endurance, stretching, etc.).

laurinsane: is that some P90X talkin' there?:cool:
 
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