Weight Lifting and running?

Question

When i lift weights such as squating benching, and so on. How many reps should i do and should I build for muscle or endurance. I heard that if you do 4-6 reps your building for muscle, and 10-12 reps are for endurance. Since I run the 800m i though doing 8reps would be good for me because i heard lots of muscle will slow you down. What do you recommend.

Answer 1

More reps is how you get cut , More weight is how you build mass. I agree with the other answer just make sure to monitor times so if you start to slow down youll know it  right away. The theory behind this is that extra weight has to slow you down, So youll have a period where you lose fat and gain muscle. This period may result in actual weight loss before you start to gain mass. I lifted high reps for 3 months before starting triathlon training and i got faster the whole three months.Now Ive cycled into tri training and out of the weight room. This shocked my body into more definition thatn weights alone,so what ever you do think about finding something new every now and then to keep away from the plateu effect.

Answer 2

"I heard that..." What you heard was half-digested half-truth, which is why I'll never be out of work (I'm an endurance and S&C coach).

Muscle has different properties, which you train in different manners. These properties include size, raw (1RM or "one rep max") strength, power, and fatigue resistance. No one individual can be in the top 10% on all of these scales. (No sport rewards that; maybe decathlon/heptathlon comes closest.) You have to make training choices to enhance those elements most relevant to your event.

As an 800m runner you need to move your body weight maximally fast for 1'51" to 2+'. You need fatigue resistance, power, some raw strength (for injury resistance). Don't need to train for size, specifically. (Even if you did your volume of running training would make that metabolically impossible.)

You can train fatigue resistance (also called Local Muscular Endurance) in the gym through resistance training using sets of 15 reps or more, but *don't bother*--you'll get all you need of that on the track, trails and roads.

You train raw strength in the gym by lifting using 2-5RM sets. Best exercises are standing "compound" or "multi-joint" or "full-body" movements, esp. squats (front squats and overhead squats are particularly good for runners), deadlifts, and presses.

You train power through speed lifting, ideally through Olympic lifting progressions (snatch, clean-and-jerk and their derivatives), and through plyometrics.

These are highly-skilled athletic movements which *must must must* be performed with perfect technique (get coached!), and when fresh, or there's substantial injury risk.

Strength training is absolutely vital for long careers and best performance.

Answer 3

you have to reach an optimum - between power and weight. the reps you heard makes no real difference, each person is different. you want to lift as much as possible and as many reps to start with... as this will build muscle. time yourself on your runs each week, and when your time starts to decrease.. stop lifting weights. as your 800m you need to run long distance, as this will increase slow twitch fibres in your muscles, which is as important as muscle on its self.

all in all, i'd suggest lifting as much as possible and as many reps as you can manage to start with. after a month, analyse your performace, if it's better or the same... keep working, and if it's dropping slow down.

Answer 4

strength doesn't have to require lifting weights you will have strength by training harder than anybody.

Answer 5

u can do weight lifting but more on the legs lifting because gives ur legs more push with more muscle and also more abs could help it is the chest area of muscle that slows u down so dont do so much on chest muscle like benching

Answer 6

Well if your doing the 800M that is kinda in between, it won't hurt you adding some muscle as long as you don't have much fat.  The 2 Mi. distance and on muscle is a little harder to run with but you can still be fast even with it.  What you stated is right.....4-8 reps of 3 sets will build muscle more.....and 10-15 reps of 3 sets will build endurance and get you toned more.  Since your doing the 800M, I think if you want to put on muscle it won't slow you down you'll find...but make sure your not carrying any fat weight or you will.  Good Luck