Lifting Before XC Meet?

Training
21

Unless someone is an advanced-trainee using a lifting session as potentiation and such, I would strongly advise against lifting the day of a meet/race. If for whatever reason the lifting session over-taxes important muscles involved in running and/or the CNS, he could end up with some bad injuries. Racing is intense, no matter what level he is. If motor patterns are altered due to fatigue, the risk of acquiring something like itband-syndrome, patellofemoral tracking syndrome, hip issues etc greatly increases.

Itā€™s safer to lift the day of a lighter session/recovery run etc, but a race is a very different environment - you canā€™t back off as easily if you feel issues surfacing, and with all of the adrenaline flowing, you may not feel issues surfacing.

Upper-only sounds safer but I wouldnā€™t personally do it, especially for some of the reasons @Dr_Pangloss mentioned.

pc

22

Yeah I really enjoy it. I just started lifting about 2-3 years ago, and didnā€™t really know what I was doing, but made some decent progress until I tore my labrum and had surgery on that earlier this summer (doctor gave me the go ahead on lifting so Iā€™m hoping to get back in and start making some progress again).

Like I said, I was pretty clueless at first but I luckily met this football player (who I think has since joined the CFL) who kinda became a mentor, taught me how to squat, deadlift, clean, etc. Also how to kinda program properly, and the importance of the big lifts, and the posterior chain, and upper back, and all the stuff most high schoolers kinda ignore. And a decent amount about nutrition and overall health.

Found T-Nation eventually, and got into Rippetoe, Wendler, Tate, Simmons, DeFranco, and all those guys. Started just reading everything I could and experimenting on myself and others and found what worked and didnā€™t. Made a lot of mistakes along the way and Iā€™m sure hindered my progress multiple times with my approach, but Iā€™ve learned a lot.

Iā€™ve trained several kids, just from word-of-mouth that I ā€œknow what to doā€ in the weight room, and all have become faster/stronger/bigger than their team/class mates, even if those other kids are working with the coach, or the personal trainer their parents hired, or others. From what Iā€™ve seen most programs these other kids are doing are very ā€œpushā€ focused, with very little posterior chain or upper back work, and far too much attention to abs, bench variations, and leg movements that fail to build much strength and power.

Anyway, so Iā€™ve just really fell in love with training, learning about it, and doing it myself over the past couple years. Iā€™d love to compete in strong man competitions someday soon (and maybe powerlifting and weightlifting - they are all interesting to me), so I fully intend to stick with it. Going to school for Exercise Science next year, and chiropractic school after that. Being a chiropractor and all that natural healing stuff paired with lifting is really interesting to me, so after being a chiropractor for a while and building a nice foundation and saving some money, Iā€™d like to open a gym and go back to training people on the side (only reason I wouldnā€™t just do that is because it doesnā€™t pay great haha).

But yeah, Iā€™m really enjoying this stuff and loving what Iā€™m getting out of it. Sorry for how long this reply was but thanks for the feedback!

3 Likes
23

This was a bit more ā€œscientificā€ than other replies but much needed for me. Raised some awareness to stuff I hadnā€™t considered. Thanks.

1 Like
24

trap bar deadlifts, goblet squats, overhead press, and lots of rows.

25

Gonna give this a shot:

Day 1:
Hip Thrusts - 3x8, w/ 3 sec. squeeze at the top

SUPERSET:
Inverted Rows - 3x10
GHRā€™s - 3x8

SUPERSET:
Pushups - 2x12
Plank - 2x1:00

Reverse Hypers - 3x12

Day 2:
Hip Thrusts - 3x8, w/ 3 sec. squeeze at the top

SUPERSET:
Chinups - 3x5
Back Extensions - 3x12

SUPERSET:
Reverse Flyes/External Rotations/Face Pulls (Maybe T-L-Face Pulls?) - 2x6/6/6
Pallof Press - 2x15

Reverse Hypers - 3x12

Day 3:
Hip Thrust - 3x8, w/ 3 sec. squeeze at the top

SUPERSET:
Inverted Rows - 3x10
GHRā€™s - 3x8

SUPERSET:
Pushups - 2x12
Plank - 2x1:00

Reverse Hypers - 3x12

Hip Thrusts will be heavier each day - Iā€™d say 5lb, maybe 10lb increases at the very beginning, and will progressively get heavier. Chose to hold each rep and squeeze for a few seconds to ensure it wasnā€™t too heavy - in my experience and from what Iā€™ve heard, contraction of the muscle is the most valuable thing with this movement.

Pulling is done each day, with inverted rows done more often than chinups, just since I believe for shoulder health, your horizontal pulling strength is much more important the your vertical pulling strength. Rows will probably become harder by changing the position of the body, and chinups will become harder by adding reps.

GHRā€™s or back extensions are done every day, with GHRā€™s done more frequently since I appreciate the hip extension and knee flexion included in them. Will probably make harder by holding weight in front of the chest at some point.

Pushups will be done for some pushing work, so not all strength is lost there. Once 20 rep sets are easy, harder variations will be used. Will just start the plank immediately after the last rep of pushups.

The rear delt/upper back sequence will be done on rings. Got that from Ben Bruno - folowing suggestions to fix posture. Pallof Presses are a movement I like - when I was a runner I would twist side to side once tired, and movements like these really helped. Anti-rotation? Think thatā€™s the term.

And then reverse hypers just to keep the back healthy. With no squats or deads, and chinups and reverse hypers, he should be feeling fine, but I like them and have heard theyā€™re good for speed.

(And pull-aparts will be done after each workoutā€¦probably 100 or so.)

Looks like itā€™s about 16 working sets/workouts. Almost 50 sets a week. I read Brent Contreras recommends about 50 working sets a week. I donā€™t know why for sure but it seems like it usually amounts to a reasonable workload so Iā€™m fine with it.

Big emphasis on the posterior chain and upper back here, with some core stability work, and little spinal compression, if any. Will avoid the days of meets.

Any opinions?

26

I personally wouldnā€™t want to do hip thrusts that many days a week while running XC. Iā€™d probably prefer Trap Bar DL, some row/pulldown, some press. Even still, One day trap bar early on, and one day hip thrust late in the week wouldnā€™t be bad. Then disperse the upperbody stuff throughout.