I have been lifting a lot more recently, and really have increased me strength on several big lifts. I haven’t ran more than 2 miles at a time since the NYC Marathon. I wanted a break from schedule runs, and now run by doing hill sprints 1-2x a week.
During marathon training, I didn’t lift a lot or lift heavy, so it was no surprise that my first day back to lifting I felt pretty weak and was extremely sore the next day.
I have been lifting with my brother, and we are following this 16 week program from BodyBuilding.com. His goal was to gain muscle and mass, and he needed a spotter, so I figured I’d join. My current goal is to gain muscle and strength.
The first day we lifted was tough! I used to be way stronger but was struggling to bench press just the bar (45 lbs). In 4 weeks (“Phase 1″), however, I increased my strength in all the lifts! Here are some examples:
The program is 4 phases of 4 weeks. Currently we are in Phase 2 which is Pyramid Training. We start an exercise at 20-15 reps, then decrease reps while increasing weight. It is certainly challenging!
Here is how our week is broken up:
- Monday- Chest & Back
- Tuesday- Legs
- Wednesday- Off
- Thursday- Shoulders
- Friday- Full body HIIT/strength
- Saturday- HIIT/Hill sprints
- Sunday- Off
My mom started the program 3 weeks ago and has also seen similar results. I’m really liking it so far, and like to do muscle group splits as opposed to full-body. It’s a great way to lift heavy multiple days in a row but give other muscles a break. I love going to the gym each week and increasing the weight in order to challenge myself.
I plan to finish out the program, and then see what my running goals are. For now, I’d like to focus on getting stronger and leaner. I just needed a mental and physical break from a running training plan…I’m sure you’ve all been there! I’ll keep you posted on results after 16 weeks 
Do you follow a lifting plan/routine?
Are you able to lift regularly while also marathon training?
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