Strength Training - Not to be Overlooked!

If any of you were following my goal to complete a half-marathon this year, you most likely know that I injured myself around week 12 of my 16 week training schedule. I had an inflamed patellar tendon ("patellar tendonitis") - a not so  uncommon injury to runners. Unfortunately most runners will experience 'runners knee' or 'jumpers knee' at some point in their career. It can be caused by things such as overuse, increasing mileage too quickly, or like my doctor pointed to - a lack of strength training.

I started with good intentions. I religiously woke up at 4:30 am to hit the gym with my hubby, who at the time was training for a body building competition. It was the middle of a Michigan winter, and too dangerous for me to run outside (hello, icy streets!). I would run 4 times a week, and do strength training 2-3 times a week, focusing on lower body one day and my upper body the next time around. And I would do abs! I would always work my abs. Well, my hubby's competition came and went, and with it so did my motivation to get my butt out of bed. I kept up the running, of course. I knew at some point my legs would have to carry my body 13.1 and then 15.5 miles to a finish line. Then, about a month after I had stopped strength training, my knee pain started. I had to take a full 2 weeks off from running, since I couldn't manage more than a walk without unbearable pain. I was frustrated not being able to run with the races so close & frustrated with myself for ignoring this critical piece of training.

Well, thankfully I was able to finish both races strong. I would be lying though if I told you I wasn't paranoid during the entire length of both races that my knee pain would come back at mile 9 and I would find myself walking to the finish line. My doctor confirmed this all could have been avoided if I just had kept up my simple strength training sessions. I decided I couldn't beat myself up about past decisions, and focused on eating healthy & slowly building my mileage back up. I also incorporated yoga-like stretching sessions to my workout routine - low impact exercises that wouldn't irritate my knee pain but would build up some strength into my muscles.

As my races were nearing, I started thinking about what I wanted to do next. I knew I had to put on some muscle (see my wake-up call post), but I also wanted to maintain my cardio level developed by all the running I had been doing. Talking to my fitfam online, a few people mentioned either Les Mills Pump or Combat as a supplement to my running. I settled on Les Mills Combat because it seemed to have the perfect cross-training mix. The 'cardio' days are a mixture of different martial arts style that take me back to my favorite kickboxing gyms I've worked out in the past. And the days focused on improving upper & lower body strength are perfect for runners, in my opinion. Lots of lunges &  lots of squats to scuplt sexy strong legs. Upper body strength is improved by focusing on simple moves using body weight, like pushups and burpees, or doing moves like overhead presses & tricep extensions with 5 to 10 pound weights.

Do not skip these workouts! Press Play!

I'm only 2 weeks into this program, but I can already feel an improvement in my strength. I stink at doing pushups. I hate them! Hate. Them. However, I can get through a set of 16 now without needing a break. And I feel more powerful during my runs, thanks to the hundreds of squats and lunges I've done by now.

I know it can be easy to overlook strength training. It's easy to pass it up for a cardio workout that will give you a higher calorie burn. In the wise words of Chalene Johnson though, let's remember that "Muscle Burns Fat!!" build up some lean muscle and your metabolism & body will both be thanking you! LM Combat can be a perfect fit to your workout regimen, especially if you are a runner. The 30-60 minute cardio routines are great for cross training days, and focus on pylometic training, and will help you in those last stages of your races. The 25-30 minute strength training DVDs I talked about above are a great second workout to do on days you have a run scheduled.

If you're a runner, please don't overlook strength or cross training. Whatever your fitness journey, I want you to be successful! I'm sharing these tips so you don't suffer the same setbacks I have. If you have any questions, or need any help, use me as a resource! I'd love to help!

I want YOU to make it across the finish line!

♥L

LM Combat: Day 2

I woke up today and my arms & shoulders are sore! A great sign that change is already happening :)

Day 2's workout(s) consisted of HIIT: Power and Inner Warrior. HIIT stands for "High Interval Intensity Training" and alternates between strength training and plyometrics to get your heart rate soaring! This workout reminded me a bit of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred workouts that I did with some friends a few months ago. If you like JM's workouts, you would like this!

This sweat is no joke.

The HIIT: Power workout also clued me in to how much I stink at doing burpees! Confession! I despise burpees. I usually avoid them if I'm doing an at-home DVD and use that time for a water break. But I want to change my mindset. I want to get better. So I'm adding something to my 60 day goals:


1. Lose 10-12 lbs (this is a combination of losing fat & putting on some muscle!)
2. Do 15 'real' push-ups in a row (I have zero upper body strength!)

3. Do 2 sets of 8 Burpees in a row! No cheats!

Inner Warrior is described in the fitness guide as a "Martial Arts-based strength and flexibility training to enhance your balance, coordination, and strength". I was thinking yoga. Les Mills was thinking "I'm going to make your legs shake until you want to cry".The last 6-7 minutes of the program was pure stretching however and that felt great!

I've ordered a heart rate monitor to get a true read on how many calories I am burning during these sessions. It should arrive later this week & is supposed to hook up with my Nike Sportswatch. I also have a friend coming over Thursday to workout with me. Working out is always more fun with a buddy. So grab someone - your mom, your brother, your spouse, or your neighbor - and get out!

♥L

Les Mills Combat: The Battle Begins Monday!

I think everytime I get a package from Beachbody in the mail its like Christmas for me. No, really, it is! I guess I just get excited to start something new, especially when it comes to working out, so I was happy to get my Les Mills Combat package in the mail this week!

I ordered the "Ultimate Warrior" package which came with 4 additional workouts above what you would get in the base package. It also comes with training gloves, and a bonus workout because I ordered through a Beachbody coach (me - haha).

I had decided to give myself a week off from working out after my last race. There is no real rationale behind this other than the fact my body was super tired. So I used this past week to take a lot of walks, do some stretching, and get prepped for LM Combat!

I went over the workout schedule and decided that Sunday will be my day off from LM Combat. I still want to keep my running up as well, so I will be running 3 days a week, most likely Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. Lastly, I went over the meal plan so I could get things prepped for the week.

Instead of giving several recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Snacks, the LM Combat nutrition guide defines portion sizes for food groups like starches, legumes, veggies, fruits, proteins & fat. The nutrition guide also lays out how many servings of each you need to eat for the day as well as a estimated calorie goal you should hit by eating the correct amount of each food group. This is a different approach than other Beachbody programs I've done, but I think it will give me more flexibility. The nutrition guide did include some sample recipes to give you some ideas.

Here is my mix:

Week 1 is a 7-day "Metabolic Jump-Start" where you eat a lower-calorie diet than for the remainder of the program. I took some time to organize my meal plan for the week. I believe that I mentioned this before, but I often repeat meals & snacks. Because I work & go to school, I'm short on time and it is just easier for me to cook in bulk & repeat meals!

Here is a snapshot of my Week 1 eating plan. I alternate between the two days to fill out the week:
Day 1
Breakfast - Tofu Scramble w/an orange
Snack 1 - Shakeology
Lunch - Brown Rice Bowl
Snack 2 - Ricecake w/Tofurkey slices and Strawberries
Dinner - Spicy Tomato & Lentil Soup

Day 2
Breakfast - Quinoa & Broccoli pilaf w/Toast & an orange
Snack 1 - Shakeology
Lunch - Avocado, Tempeh & Almond Salad
Snack 2 - Ricecake w/Tofurkey slices and Strawberries
Dinner - Southwestern Chick'n Salad

I think that is it for now. I will check in tomorrow with a report on how the first workout goes!

♥L

Workout: Leg Day!

I have had a few people ask what the heck I do when I go to the gym. To be honest, some days I would rather stay home & workout, but getting to the gym gets me FOCUSED and INSPIRED to give my all. As I say that, I try to design my workouts using minimal equipment, so that if I am stuck at home I have NO EXCUSES to not work out!

Here is a Leg Day workout that should take ~40 minutes!

Obviously if you are doing this at home, you may not have access to an elliptical or stair stepper. But I bet you have access to some sidewalk and some real stairs! Improvise :)

Description
Walking lunges - 20, holding 8-10lb weights
Sumo Squat - Spread your feet wide, with toes facing out at 3 and 9 o'clock. Squat. Raise up on your tippy toes to flex your calves. Release. Stand up. Do 10-15.
Straight Leg Deadlift - The most important thing here is to keep your back flat! Reach to the floor (like you are stretching your hammies) and pick up a barbell or 2 dumbells weighing 20-30lb total. Lift, keeping your back flat, until the weights reach mid-calf to knee. Lower & repeat. 10-15 reps
Lunges on Bosu - Step foward onto a bosu and lunge. Great for core stability! Do 20, holding 8-10lb weights
Bridge on medicine ball - Place your heels on a medicine ball and raise your hips to be flat. Lower, keeping abs contracted. Do 20 reps.
Goblet squat - Hold a 8-10lb weight in front of your chest. Squat, keeping weight at chest level, and rise up. Do 10-15 reps.

Repeat 2-3 times!

So, let me know, is this helpful to you? Would you like me to post more of my workouts? Tell me what you're thinking in the comments!