First Time At The Gym

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by blankall

The science doesn't say that. If you take a random group of coach potatoes and put them in an exercise program they can build both strength and endurance easily. I disagree with the absolute assertion that putting on muscle mass will not negatively affect your ability to run long distances.

If you want to seriously train for a long distance run, you can't carry significant weight. It's just simple physics.

Feel free to link a study backing your assertion.

Besides, like you mentioned we're talking about an untrained population where doing anything will be beneficial. And elite runners are only supplementing with strengthening due to both time and injury management rather than a fear of negatively affecting their times.

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Can you explain this science? The ncbi study you noted does not say what you think it says. It talks about naturally losing muscle as you age...over 50. And runners tend to keep more muscle than non runners and therefore run faster. That's a lot different from what you seem to be implying....more muscle equals faster running.

The study was looking at fat free mass as a predictor of running performance in runners over the age of 35 and found no correlation.

Edit: ignoring fat free mass and instead discussing strength training, here is the review I was looking for https://www.researchgate.net/publica...tematic_review

Some improvements in running economy in some studies, no change in others. But no 'harmful' effects on performance.

[OMG!WTF!]

Yeah the thing about that is the study did not correlate strength with weight gain...

Such improvements were not accompanied by a significant increase in body mass or signs of overtraining. However, improvements did not occur in all cases, suggesting that they might depend on the specific characteristics of the resistance training applied

It depends what strength training you're doing. What blankall suggested about putting on pounds of muscle is true. It wont magically improve your running.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Yeah the thing about that is the study did not correlate strength with weight gain...



It depends what strength training you're doing. What blankall suggested about putting on pounds of muscle is true. It wont magically improve your running.

I think you should read my posts a little more thoroughly as I covered all these points.

Another consideration is that the majority of studies are short term (8-12 weeks) of the strength intervention where the majority of strength changes are neurological in nature.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Yeah the thing about that is the study did not correlate strength with weight gain...



It depends what strength training you're doing. What blankall suggested about putting on pounds of muscle is true. It wont magically improve your running.

Must to clear up my position, I think that moderate amounts of strength training can increase endurance, and vice versa. Extremes of strength training and endurance training aren't really compatible though, especially in natural athletes. The major reasons being recovery time, metabolic pathway optimization, actual training time required, and differing effects of mass increases.

When you get to high levels of physical training, managing recovery time becomes your biggest obstacle. You're not going to see optimal gains in either, if your running a marathon one day and doing max weight squats the next. You could even see gains in both strength and endurance, but they wouldn't be optimal.

Once again, this doesn't really apply to OP. I would recommend he does both. At a later date he may choose to focus more on one of strength or endurance, or just continue building overall fitness. I do agree that strength training can increase endurance, and vice versa, just not at extremes.

[missdpuck]

Hmmm I didn’t think you were that real estate guy ( same name iirc?)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I think a big part of the mental health aspect of going to the gym is actually going to a gym. It may be that getting out of the house, being around other people and making it a routine in your life helps along with the benefits of the actual physical activity.

I've been working out for over 20 years non-stop (although less frequent) but I don't like getting into the debates of activities and routines but I feel it matter not the type of workout you do, lights weights, heavy weights, cardio, etc that the most important thing is being active and if you go to a place long enough it can turn into a bit of a social thing as well which is never a bad thing. At this stage of my life it's kind of an escape from work and home where I can listen to music I like and work up a bit of a sweat.

[TherapyforGlencross]

Hi, I realize this response might be a bit late. I don't post often but saw this thread and thought I'd give my input.

I live out East and used to work part-time at the local YMCA. Out here when a new member joins the Y, we offer them free fitness orientations. In this orientation (here you could do multiple orientations, not just one), they'll show you around the fitness floor, show how all the machines work, how to correctly do different exercises including the free-weight exercises too. They will even give you a basic routine in order to maximise your exercise. This is all included in your membership so it's not an extra cost.

Now, I don't know what Alberta is like with the YMCA but I'd have to assume it's be similiar. It's worth a show to get some information from your local Y.