New workout focus

[Bethany Lannon]

So recently I'd been in a training cycle for a marathon. I ran the Asheville marathon on Sept 28, so up until that point, the bulk of my workouts came from running. Granted, I included strength and running workouts like hill repeats and tempo runs, but for the most part, my workouts were running-based. Since running the race, I have changed the focus of my workouts to more strength, HIIT cardio/weights, functional fitness. It's only been a couple weeks since my race but I feel like I'm having difficulty seeing any change in my body comp. My goal is more fat loss now that the race is off my plate. I know that when I was running, I topped out at 44 miles (give or take a couple) in one week. I know that my workouts now aren't totaling the same calorie burn as my running did, so I feel like I should be eating less.

My question is, should I expect an adjustment period from my body, going from chronic cardio, so to speak, to more strength training, before my body composition starts changing? I'm eating according to the template, however not on a W30 currently. I'm hoping there might be some experienced athletes out there who have made a shift from cardio-focused to strength-focused workouts and have therefore noticed if there was an adjustment period in how their body reacted to the different form of fitness?

Thanks!

[missmary]

you are expecting a big change in body composition in two weeks? sorry, but stuff just takes longer than that.

 

If you keep eating according to the template and stay away from off-plan foods (which at least for me, can mess up hunger and satiey signals terribly), then you should be able to use your own hunger to decide how much food to eat. It might be less, or it might be more, depending on how intense these strength sessions are. Keep in mind that you are also probably still recovering from all that running right now too.

[Fenderbender]

Lift as heavy as you can safely with good form and with very high intensity..... Try to stay away from single joint/muscle movements ,do complex movements (squats,dead lifts,ground to overhead,overhead presses,clean and jerk,etc) and throw in body weight movements like box jumps,pull ups, ring dips,burpees. The key is intensity and safety...

You will burn tons and tons of calories in a short period( relative to endurance work). And your body will be forced to adapt

Of course...ISWF.... So keep your diet tight and you will see results. ( give it about 2-3 months to see real changes)

[Robin D]

I basically just posted something very similar to this, although I am less frustrated with physical changes and more frustrated with a lack of progress on the strength front. 

I didn't feel like I had any idea what I was doing with strength training until I did CrossFit.  If you can't join a CF box, I would suggest checking out some of the workouts in Men's Health (you're going to have to adjust the weights, of course); my husband does them and they sound a lot like CF workouts (i.e. high intensity, heavy weights)  Don't get into the training one muscle group every day unless you a) have a lot of time to research, have lots of time to do lots of sets and c) a degree in physiology.  I tried that and didn't really get anywhere.

I know a while back Melissa and Dallas posted some excellent articles on 5 movements for overall fitness.  Basically they interviewed a series of industry "experts" on the 5 best exercises/movements for overall fitness (do a search for these).  I remember my two favorite exercise, deadlifts and squats (I can do these all day--I LOVE squats), were on there.  As a runner, I bet you'd love squats.

[amberino21]

I basically just posted something very similar to this, although I am less frustrated with physical changes and more frustrated with a lack of progress on the strength front.

I didn't feel like I had any idea what I was doing with strength training until I did CrossFit. If you can't join a CF box, I would suggest checking out some of the workouts in Men's Health (you're going to have to adjust the weights, of course); my husband does them and they sound a lot like CF workouts (i.e. high intensity, heavy weights) Don't get into the training one muscle group every day unless you a) have a lot of time to research, have lots of time to do lots of sets and c) a degree in physiology. I tried that and didn't really get anywhere.

I know a while back Melissa and Dallas posted some excellent articles on 5 movements for overall fitness. Basically they interviewed a series of industry "experts" on the 5 best exercises/movements for overall fitness (do a search for these). I remember my two favorite exercise, deadlifts and squats (I can do these all day--I LOVE squats), were on there. As a runner, I bet you'd love squats.

I do one or two body parts a day, and find it a great way to develop strength and muscle. I've done 4 -6 day splits, currently training everything twice in an 8 day period. I typically do 3-4 exercises per body part, 3-6 sets with varying reps depending on the type of training I'm doing.

Consistency is the key: you really won't see results unless you persevere and stick to something for a decent amount of time. It's unlikely you'll see physical changes in two weeks - they may be there, but as you look at yourself every day they won't be obvious. I'd suggest taking monthly photos as comparison. This will be a huge eye opener and give you insight in to whether your training and nutrition is working to help you achieve your goals.

[Guest Andria]

Definitely stop focusing on body composition specifically, it will drive you crazy. And yes, 2 weeks is absolutely too early to expect noticeable changes. As soon as I stopped focusing on my appearance and focused on my progressions in the weight room is when I saw improvements. Yes, you are looking at months.

Also, it doesn't sound like you gave your body any time off after your marathon and training if it has only been a couple of weeks! Rest! And be sure you are taking adequate rest days when you are weight training. You improve during the recovery and repair process.