Alternatives to Running - Powerlifting

Second in what could very well be my first series, "Alternatives to Running", this one is about moving weight.

It may not be a straight leap from considering one sport such as running to be the primary focus to suddenly following a powerlifting routine instead.

There are a couple reasons why I've chosen powerlifting as a training and health methodology.   First, strength building never goes out of style.  The adaptations the body takes on in tendon, ligament and muscular strength are worth their weight in gold.  Especially when you consider the recovery improvements when you venture back into running.

Secondly, I love it.  I can step into my garage and later walk out having done a comprehensive training session hitting compound movement patterns and knowing confidently that my body was better for it.  Being able to move weight is fantastic.

In order to make the transition from running, even if it's temporary, to something like powerlifting, you need to have a few things lined up.

The first is the access to equipment.  Should be a no brainer, but you need something to pick up, squat, and press.

Next you need a strength training plan.  My first plan was Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" (SS).  It's a linear progression pattern and it gets you strong on a very predictable/stable climb.

Other plans I've tried:

• Jim Wendler's 5-3-1
• This program is simple and effective.  I'd recommend it after a year of SS.
• Smolov Jr Squat Program
• Brutal, but in 6 weeks your squat will be a LOT stronger.  Just eat your way through recovery.
• Westside Barbell
• Conjugate.  I haven't given this a fair shot, but it does appear to work well.  I refocused on running and shelved powerlifting for a while.  This was the program I ended on.
• Minimalist Method
• This program was what brought me back and has been helpful in developing and redeveloping balanced strength.  I like Brian Schwab's approach and for a 20 year veteran in the powerlifting world with ZERO injuries, my ears popped up.

NOTE:  I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH THESE FOLKS IN ANYWAY.  I DO NOT GET ANY KICKBACK FROM SHARING THEIR LINKS.

So for now, I am 6 weeks into the Minimalist Method.  I like it.  It's smart and the patterns on range of motion, weight, and progression make sense and are relatively easy to decipher.  Kind of like a "Duh" moment, but just needed to be articulated.  Brian did just that.  I'll be posting vids of progress as I go along.

As for running, I'm still in PT, but the ankle appears to be healing and the flare-ups in the Achilles are diminishing.

Oh and I'm still doing archery.

PTP Strength Training - Getting Stronger While Building Running Capacity

The deadlift is my favorite lift.  It's also one that I really suck at.  Numerous attempts at video analysis, peers checking form, and trying every kind of deadlift routine I could google, beg, borrow and steal, left me with a lot of information, but none that crystallized quite like Pavel's PTP program.

It's ridiculously simple, and has zero bedazzlement.  If you're looking for muscle confusion, this is not your program.

The idea is that you work on two movements, a press and a pull, and you keep the number of sets and reps low.  Reover, Repeat.

This first cycle I set at 5 lbs of increase every workout with a 2.5lb deload every 4th workout.  It worked, but I think it might have been slightly aggressive as I was dealing with Achilles issues as well as a head cold that lasted for a couple weeks.

This next cycle will be set at 2.5lbs of increase and will keep the same deload pattern.  Hopefully this will be the right level to focus on building ligament, tendon and running strength.

For the press (not pictured in the video clip) I'll be switching to kettlebells for pressing and will work toward pressing the big bell.

The great thing about PTP is that it builds strength without the bulk.  As a runner, this appeals to me as I know lugging around extra weight is slightly detrimental to finishing some of these longer races.   It's not that I'm overly concerned with getting heavier, it's that I want to make sure that if I do, it's weight that has purpose, not necessarily aesthetics.  Although looking better never hurt anyone...

Stay the Course - Boring Be Damned

Tonight's strength workout is the same as it's been for the last 10 workouts:

Deadlift:

• 10 x bar
• 5 x 135lbs
• 5 x heavy
• 5 x less than heavy

Shoulder Press:

• 10 x bar
• 5 x 75 lbs
• 5 x heavy
• 5 x less than heavy

GHD situps with a 15 lb slam ball on the neck

GHD back extensions with a 15 lb slam ball to the chest.

Why the monotony?  Get  the book "Easy Strength" if you really want to know.  But long story short: it works.

Of course, the definition of success is up to you, but here's the deal:

• I'm deadlifting twice a week without pain
• I'm shoulder pressing twice a week and making progress.
• My core(back and abdominals are stronger than ever.
• I can run and continue to add 10% mileage per week for the last 5 weeks and I am NOT INJURED.

As for running, my goal is still the same:  get a sub-10 on the American River 50 miler.  Then.  Finish a 100 miler in the fall.

So far my sights are set on the Kodiak 100.  Granted, it's an extremely tough course and I will be trashed by the end, but I know I can train for it.  Keeping the joints and tendons strong via garage training will be crucial to finishing this thing.  Running the longer weekends will be part and parcel.  Back to backs, carb-fasted, hills, you name it, the strength training I am doing now (PTP-based) is not too heavy to recover from, yet heavy enough to elicit tissue change over time that will contribute to the overall success that will be 2015.  Yeah I said it.  2015 is going to be awesome.

The Training Pattern

Gratuitous Deadlift Picture with Atlas Stones 

Lunch time run:  find/estimate lactate threshold.

• Run 20 minutes pretty hard
• Record average heart rate (~172)
• Record average pace(7:52 min/mile)
• Cool down
• Hydrate
• Recover

Get home.

PTP Deads and Presses:

• Conventional deadlifts 5x275, 5x250
• Shoulder Press 5x125, 5x115

Then, something totally unrelated, 100 arrows at 18yds.  Being a new archer (and hooked) I thought I'd try 100 with the recurve and work on the instinctive shooting aspect.  Getting better.

Run 50 Kilometers - Recover - Get Back to the Deadlift

Last Saturday (5/10) a friend and I ran the Quicksilver 50k.

Great race, first time doing it, and it wasn't too hot.  Not so for this deadlift session 5 days later.  90 degrees in the garage at 6pm...

As for the deadlift, I've left it alone for about 3 months.

Now it's time to focus on clean form, and keeping the back locked, hips down.

Rebuilding My Deadlift

The video above is one of me lifting a moderately heavy weight.  Nothing spectacular.  Maybe it's heavy for most runners, I don't know.  All I know is that I lift with OK form.  I don't know if it's my body leverages, or lack of muscle control in say the hip flexors...  but every time I pull weight off the floor my hips go up and THEN the weight goes up.  Drives me crazy that I can't seem to fix this.

Perhaps it's time to do some chair deadlifts...

Stay tuned.

Strength as a Practice

Little efforts, stacked back to back will add up to a large return.  If you are a musician, the time you spend practicing pays off.  First you get the basic notes down, then you get the timing, then you work on the expression.

Lifting can be very similar to practicing an instrument.  Neglect the practice and you will not sound very good.  Or in this case, strength would be the music you are playing and your weakness (or not) simply a sign of how much work you have put into the practice.

Pick 3 to 5 movements and learn them over the next few months.  Practice them.  Look at your training session as a way to move the weight more efficiently.  Treat your strength and conditioning sessions as practice sessions.  Wave load the weights (lift moderately heavy), and don't worry about a specific number.  Some workouts will be tougher than others, and some you will wonder where your strength came from.

I would recommend the following 5 movements types:

• Deadlift (any variant)
• Squat (any variant)
• Press (bench, log, shoulder)
• Explosive movement (kettlebell snatch, power clean, atlas stone)
• Bodyweight movement (pull-up, leg raise)

Practice these movements at every workout.  Do 2 sets of 5 reps for each movement.  That's it.  Do this for 2 to 3 months and come back playing some awesome strength music.  

This approach is directly inspired by the "Easy Strength" book written by Pavel and Dan John.  Well worth the read.  I've done the program and saw a huge jump in my weighted pull-up strength.  Might be time to do it again!

So practice.  Make noise.  Clang weights.  Get strong.

It's Just What Dad Does

Some things are really hard to do.

Snatch grip deadlifts qualify.  Working the upper back and shoulders in a way I was not expecting.

Make your training a recon mission to find the areas you suck at.  Highlight your weaknesses then work them until they're not.  My deadlift is my weakest area right now.  It's why I've been cycling different motor patterns and using similar weights, reps and sets to get work in.

Here's what the pattern has been for deadlifts:

• Week 1:
• Conventional Deadlift 6 sets of 5 with the last set a max rep
• Week 2
• Deficit Deadlit - 6 sets of 5 with the same weight from last week
• Week 4
• Snatch Grip Deadlift - 6 sets of 5 with the same weight as the first week.
• Week 5
• TBD

Remember to bring your kids out to train with you whenever you can.  They won't be small forever and they won't want to hang out with you forever.  Instill a habit of training that they will carry on and one that will allow you to join in with them when you're trying to find common ground.  (You know it's going to happen)

When they're old enough, have them read this: The Iron Never Lies

Choose Your Gear

The first piece of training equipment I owned (not including my running shoes, bike and swim gear) was a pull-up bar, and a kettlebell.

The first bell size I got was the 16kg kettlebell.

I had NO idea what I was doing.

Thankfully after spending time with people like Jordan Vezina, my swing improved, my mobility improved and I was able to move up to the 24kg kettlebell.

Kettlebells are PERFECT training tools for people with no training space.  You can train in your living room, back patio, or just about anywhere and develop a serious level of strength.

If you have space potential, there are more levels of garage training complexity you can dive into, but if it were me, I'd find a way to get a pull-up bar and a kettlebell as soon as possible.

This week's training included some deadlifting and I go over how and why I approach the deficit deadlift:


 

Get moving! Football season is over. You have no excuse.

Changing the Approach - Conventional to Sumo

Doing the same thing repeatedly can work.  So can changing the approach.  In order to improve a weakness in one area, you can build a strength in another.

This is the heaviest I've ever pulled doing sumo simply because I've never tried.  Looking forward to getting stronger in this lift so that when it comes time to pull heavy in conventional deadlifting, the old heavy will be the new light.