I won an XVest :D.
Okay but anyways, what's a good way to improve your mile run time other than actually running? And maybe some good ways to improve overall fitness testing such as pushups, situps, sit and reach, pullups, shuttle run. :) Thanks.
Congrats Tokyoo! Can’t wait to see the reviews on this.
to improve your running time, id suggest improving overall fitness.
you could do this with exactly what you said, pushups, situps, jump n jacks, jump rope, pull ups.
from what i understand you are a younger girl, so for pushups you do them on your knees and for pullups you could do eccentric and try to slow down the lowering part and work on that.
i also believe in running mechanics. running with proper form will improve your time alot, ie proper stride length, stride frequency, arm and head carriage. its not that easy to explain in text, but watch any track and distance running on tv and watch the kenyans, for the most part they have great form.
ive run track for many years and i believe that the biggest factor besides endurance is strength. strengthen the whole body especially legs. and you should be faster. let me know if you like to talk, i can run a pretty decent mile.
Deep squats with the vest on using a variety of foot placements (narrow, wide, etc) should be great for you. Lunges too. Fantastic conditioning.
You’ll do a great job!
To the guy that was talking about pushups on the knees, I’m not that wimpy 
Sorry, lol but I can pull out about 53(that’s what I got on the last pushups test at school) non stop nose to floor pushups. What I’m trying to do for those is get it up to the 100’s. I was wondering if doing a pyramid like program for pushups would work?
to improve your mile time your going to need to run more milage as well as work on different aspects of teh race and how to break ti down so you can know which segments to run faster and which to maintain.
I had to chime in on this one also. I just logged on and found out I am getting a vest to test also. WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!
I will do my best to give an honest and unbiased review.
Problem is that I have been doing so much weighted type work with a frweaking back pack that any decent replacement for that will rate VERY HIGH. LOL
Phill
Congrats to you Phill! I will also try to give the best review I could possible give.
Well in case you end up preferring the backpack, you can feel free to send me that vest over sometime next week. Thanks in advance.
Phill,
congrats on getting an x vest to review. i will be quite interested to hear what you have to say about it. like you i also do alot of stuff with a weighted back pack and when you have alot of weight (40lbs and up) in a back pack it is bloody uncomfortable!
Tokyoo:
I don’t know if I have a lot to offer you in terms of training advice, since I don’t really have an athletic background (as you might guess from my handle) other than “recreational” training. But I do want to tell you that I think it’s great you aren’t one of these video-game and TV addicted butterballs like so many people your age, and for that matter, MY age. Your enthusiasm and ambition are an inspiration and I wish you the best in all your endeavors! You also write very well.
Best,
geek
I’m getting an x-vest also. i can’t wait to try out the plyometrics with it, as well as running sprints and 400m. It will definitely be a chalenge considering the 40lbs will be 20% of my body weight. review will come as soon as it can. laters pk
About the pushups… sorry… haha. i guess i was biased because i was trying to get my friend into ‘shape’ and she could barely put out a few.
With regards to the vest, i personally dont think its good to run with it on, as in running a few miles with it. because it will change your mechanics in running and mess up your form when you dont have the vest.
Our team during fall track wears weight vests, guys 10lbs and girls 8lbs? and we do ‘plyometric’ type drills up stairs. up because going down will hurt you big time. We hit the stairs doing lots of drills as in, 1-legged hops both feet, fast feet touching every step, bounds, and double leg jumps. at the end of the whole set, we have everyone do pushups, guys with feet elevated, situps, dips and partner tricep pulls. One person sits down the other standing grabs the hands and one pulls down while other pulls up. this will get you into shape.
How many are going out?
You can try and break down your goal…
say you want a 6 min mile…so first concentrate on runing 1/3 of a mile in 2 min…or even smaller goals…and pick say twice as long a rest period and repeat…when you can get 5-6 1/3 miles in 2 min each…star lowering the rest periods till your resting maybe a minute…and go for a new pr in the mile…
repeat
sounds simple and some might say its to lienear but it actually isnt since your body will tell you when to move on to the next mini goal
Phil,
Good to hear you got a vest. I am looking forward to your review.
Phil, Out of everyone on this forum, you are the most deserving of the xvest!
congrats!!!
Congrats Tokyoo!
In recent experience with a cheap weight vest here at work and using SCBAs, an idea for training is to use it whenever you can for anything except when in competition or when you feel you are gonna be a distraction in school.
WHAT DO I MEAN? Glad I can ask that question before you did- Walking, talking, running, working out, hiking, biking, etc…anything. For example at work for 4 weeks I would don the weight vest and carry on with normal everyday work and activity. In other words you are adding X-amount of weight to your current bodyweight and having your body work with extra weight. But if I did any bench work I would take off the vest until completed. So in short the uses are endless.
Congrats again…and who needs to do sissy push ups and other sissy exercises?
That’s ok soni I understand, most girls my age do have to do pushups that way. And yea, who needs sissy exercises 