Surviving Ultra

Because DFL is still an accomplishment

Tag: workout

  • AthleanX Monster Maker Month 1

    Adding Macrofactor to my training has been a game changer in that I see myself being able to reach a level of leanness that has eluded me in the past.  While I met my initial weight loss goals using Macrofactor and the Max Shred program I think it will be possible to continue on and increase my speed and decrease the effort it requires to cover an ultra distance by dropping a few more pounds.  While it’s a slight setback in running progressions, I’m trying to take a long term view of how I can best reach my goal and improving my strength to bodyweight ratio will definitely be a large step in the right direction. 

    I therefore decided to keep doing enough running and hiking to maintain my ability to complete a 50K at my current ability level and focus instead on getting a bit leaner before scaling up to a 50 miler attempt. I tend to find weight loss easier when my priority shifts to strength and thus was seeking a more lifting centric training block.  I settled on AthleanX’s Monster Maker program for several reasons.  The program is based on the conjugate training method and, while total body focused, it allows you to choose a muscle group you would like to prioritize for a little extra love.  I chose the back focus.  The muscles of the back and posterior chain are critical to maintaining proper posture as a race progresses and are a muscle group that most could stand to focus on a little more.  My idea is to use the duration of the program to lose some additional weight while making myself more durable for when I start scaling up the mileage later in the year. 

    I’m in the final week of Month 1 and really enjoying the program.  I’ve never done a program with an Anterior/Posterior split before but am finding that I really like it.  I’ve also really liked the dynamic lower days which contain speed work and other movements designed to build explosive power.  I’m looking forward to the next 2 months and coming out of this block with a more favorable strength to bodyweight ratio. 

  • Max Shred Month 2

    Over the course of the summer I decided to run the AthleanX Max Shred program as a compliment to all of the hiking and other outdoor activities I find myself involved in and have been combining that with use of the Macrofactor app to lean out a bit.  So far, the pair has been a great combination. I’ve managed to shed a few pounds and I’ve noticed work capacity improvements from trying to complete the program at alarm level 4.  More importantly, with the use of the Macrofactor app, I’ve been able to drop weight at a rate that I am able to preserve muscle at and actually think I may have even made some gains from the large number of inverted rows present in the program so far. 

    Month 2 nicely builds on the foundation laid out in month 1, but pushes you harder by adding a second lift to each day’s workout and changing from 3 to 4 strength training workouts.  It’s a nice way to progressively add difficulty to the program.   The hundreds of reps of bodyweight squats and jumping exercises that are programmed each week have also been a great way to enhance muscular endurance in the legs. 

    I’m getting ready to close out month 2 and move onto month 3, which ups the difficulty again, by replacing the bodyweight movements entirely with lifting based circuits.  I really like the way the program has phased in an increased amount of lifting starting from just bodyweight in week 1 and then having the user perform one lift per workout in weeks 2-4.  In weeks 5-8 it progresses to 2 lifts per workout, and finally in weeks 9-12 is composed entirely of lifting in a circuit-based fashion.  For an experienced lifter the bodyweight elements provide a nice break for the joints and tendons while still getting results and for a novice it’s a nice way to gradually ease into lifting.  A great program so far.

  • AthleanX Max Shred

    I’ve been a fan of AthleanX programs for a long time and have successfully run a number of them over the years in conjunction with ultra prep.  I tend to pick programs that have a mix of strength and conditioning training in them and will typically replace the general conditioning workouts with running, rucking, or hiking sessions as they are more sport specific. I’ve also been able to run them in the past with a few two-a-days mixed in here and there and still managed to recover well. 

    As such, I think an AthleanX program will be more suitable for me to run in conjunction with a summer full of exploration.  I still want to prioritize building my aerobic base, but will hold off on running another MTI program until I can give it the attention and focus required to perform well in the workouts and recover well from them.

    The AthleanX program I have chosen to run is Max Shred.  It’s a conditioning centric program that uses circuit training for the strength days mixed with a couple of conditioning workouts each week.  While not everyone benefits from the same exercise techniques to the same extent, circuit training is something that my body traditionally responds really well to. The strength circuits when run with minimal rest also turn out to be quite the cardio workout and will contribute to my aerobic and, probably even more so, anaerobic endurance.  I’m nearing the end of the first month of the program and have seen definite work capacity and endurance improvements.  I’m also finding myself starting to lean out a little more which will also help with my running speed.  Really enjoying the program and looking forward to seeing the further improvements I can make as the difficulty scales up in months 2 and 3. 

  • MTI Max Effort Strength + 6 Mile Run Finishing Thoughts

    I enjoyed the program and it worked as advertised in that I was able to make a modest improvement to my squat and maintain strength in my other lifts.  For the bench press, the reps were coming easier towards the end of the program and I’m at a point where I can do more reps with the same weight but probably not quite ready to add more weight to the bar yet.  I was also able to make improvements in my run times and my 10K time started to improve by the halfway point in the program.  The chassis integrity days were awesome and I found them a great way to train the core.

    The training was effective, but I admit that I did have to put a focus on proper recovery to perform well in the program and I had to keep my sleep and nutrition on point.  I often like to go hiking on the weekends and using a couple of rest days to hike and not just focus on recovery combined with the need to wake a bit earlier than usual for a few days did have me feeling a bit fatigued toward the end.  While this is not a fault of the program, it is a training consideration in terms of when to run a training block like this as training often has to be balanced with other activities. 

    I see myself using MTI programs again in the future, but given I have an active summer of adventures planned, I may modify my plan to run the MTI Max Effort Strength and Aerobic Capacity plan as a next step and opt for a training regimen that has a bit less intensity in it so I can better pair my training with other physical activities I enjoy without burning out.  Next steps will be laid out soon. 

  • Cross Training in Bad Weather

    I don’t mind running in the rain, the heat, the cold, or other less than optimal conditions outdoors as I enjoy being out in nature much more than thought of hammering away on a human hamster wheel. Nevertheless, there are some days where it is just not a great idea to run outside.  For me the criteria for establishing this is based on the risk of injury rather than comfort.  Is the terrain going to be too slippery from ice, is the visibility going to be so poor that I’m at increased risk of being hit by a car, has an outbreak of forest fires made the air quality too bad, etc? The biggest potential training set back I can think of would be to suffer an injury. 

    Thus, on the days that I’m scheduled to run but find myself having to stay indoors (or just in need of a break from running), the exercises I tend to turn to are as follows:

    1. Stair Climber – I’ve found this a great way to cross train for really steep ultras and is one of my go to cross training activities when preparing for hilly terrain.  An hour on the stair climber once or twice a month can be great prep for hiking up hills.
    2. Rowing – This is my go to when I want an activity that will keep working on my aerobic base, but I find myself in need of a break from the impact of running.  I love the total body nature of the workout and enjoy the core endurance aspects of it which can be beneficial in maintaining good form in the later stages of a race. Sometimes I will also use rowing as a way to add in an extra zone 2 workout for the week without significantly increasing the impact forces my body endures. 

    While I know others swear by cross training with a stationary bike, ellipticals, or other indoor options the stair climber and the rowing machine are the two modalities I find meet the two most important criteria for me of providing a benefit and being tolerable enough to stick with for the entire session.  I might even go as far as saying rowing is something that I find enjoyable.

  • Burpee Ladders

    While trail running tends to be a largely aerobic activity and burpees can rapidly turn into an anaerobic one, being introduced to ultrarunning through Spartan races, you can’t help but form a love/hate relationship with the burpee.  Burpees feature prominently not only in Spartan inspired workouts, but also as penalties for failing an obstacle (although penalty loops have become more common in recent years).  Burpees have long been a staple of my training and burpee ladders in particular are a go to when looking for an intense HIIT workout. Burpees are something I find:

    1. Help build explosive power – The quick transitions between positions and the full body muscle engagement makes burpees a great way to train explosivity, which as a Spartan racer can help you power your way over an obstacle.  As a trail runner they can help you power your way up a particularly steep section of the trail.
    2. Mental Toughness – Burpees rapidly get challenging. Just like the ultra saying “run the first half with your legs, the second half with your mind”, completing a burpee ladder can often turn into a mental game.  They are a great way to prove to yourself that you can endure.
    3. Can be mixed with hill sprints  – Mixing alternating rounds of burpees and hill sprints forms a killer workout.  For example, do a set of burpees and then sprint up a hill, walk down, and repeat. 
    4. Can be done indoors with limited space – We all have days when we can’t go outside or get to a gym.  Burpees require no equipment and very limited space allowing for an intense workout almost anywhere.

    For some interesting ideas on burpee ladders and burpee variations I found the Jailhouse Strong book Josh Bryant and Adam benShea worthwhile.  I liked the different burpee ladder options that it offered such as the Baker’s Dozen and the Prisoner Burpee Challenge, but what I really liked is that it did not just provide the workout but target times for different levels of fitness.  While progress can always be assessed by I ran faster or I lifted more, sometimes it’s nice to see how your time stacks up against a standard as a goal of beating or exceeding a certain standard can be motivational.

  • Trap Bar Deadlifts for Ultrarunners?

    Deadlifts have been a part of my strength training routine for quite some time now, but for the longest time I performed them with a barbell and never gave any thought to trying a trap bar.  Prior to starting my current round of base-building I did a 3-month strength focused block where I gave a trap bar a try for the first time.  The idea to give it a try was largely inspired by a lot of the research compiled in this article on the trap bar authored for Stronger by Science:

    Trap Bar Deadlifts are Underrated

    While this is just my personal experience and therefore anecdotal, my experience was a positive one and I can see myself using the trap bar again in future training blocks.  For the duration of the block I used the trap bar in the low handle position to try to maximize the hinge effect.  I found that:

    1. Less fatigue: Deadlifting with the trap bar was less fatiguing for me.  Working out the day after a heavy deadlift session was always a bit of a challenge as I always felt a bit more fatigued than I would after any other type of strength session, which often impacted my desire to run the next day. When I switched to the trap bar, I felt I still solidly worked out my posterior chain but I did not feel the same level of post workout fatigue which allowed me to push harder on the next day’s work out.
    2. More forgiving of form: While properly positioning the spine and bracing your core is essential before any lift, the trap bar is a bit more forgiving if everything is not perfect.  This made me a little more comfortable challenging myself to get in the extra rep or two as even if my form degraded a bit because of tiredness, the same likelihood of injury was not there. I was a bit more comfortable pushing myself closer to form failure which in turn helped make for a better workout. 
    3. More quad activation: Given how quad destroying running downhill segments can be, I found this to be an added benefit and not a downside.  It turned the deadlift into a bit of an “accessory” exercise for the quadriceps which I feel has had a positive impact on running hills. 

    Given my experiences I plan to use the trap bar deadlift as my primary deadlift variation going forward, particularly for the months of the year where I will be more running focused as the lower level of fatigue is a major advantage. I will likely not abandon the straight bar deadlift entirely though.  I can see myself occasionally going back to it in strength focused blocks or if I hit a plateau with the trap bar to hit the muscles in a slightly different way.