Insanity and P90X Workouts

Newton's are great, too. I fucking love mine.

 

I run in these. They're New Balance Minimus Trails, they also make a road shoe but I haven't tried it. They come in all kinds of sizes and widths and I have yet to develop any kind of problems with them. I don't really buy into the whole barefoot running thing, but the flexibility does give me a quicker turnover so I can go faster.




Question for people that run long distances: Do you run with a long stride or short? I run about four miles every other day, and I'm thinking about doing a half marathon in the summer, I could use some technique pointers.

 

Same principle, I just put it in that set of circumstances because I assumed that most severely overweight people view a brisk walk in the same light that others might view a heavy deadlift/long distance run/etc day. When I was still playing baseball, our strength and conditioning coach had us keep track of what we ate for a week, and he would assign timed sprints based off which food he thought we liked the most and how often we had it. After awhile I stopped eating ChickFilA for lunch three times a week because I knew it meant twenty five 60yd sprints and a high likelihood of a technicolor yawn.

I ended up finding what might be the only size 16 pair of New Balance Minimus Life's in existence. No idea how I lucked out. They're pretty sweet, hoping they fit right. That's the big issue when you have giant feet, a lot of ordering is done sight unseen and you keep your fingers crossed that it works out.

 

That is a myth.

A mile is a mile is a mile. Your body will burn the same amount of calories (about 90 calories) whether you walk it or run it. Yes, one will increase lung capacity and heart rate more than the other, but the amount of calories burned is the same.

One is easy on the joints, one is not.

 

I've run one marathon and a few other smaller events, and to be honest, I've never focused on trying to keep my stride short or long. Just do what feels comfortable. I'd worry more about where you're landing on your feet (heel, mid, or forefoot strike). Regardless, trying to change up your running stride without giving your body time to adjust can get you injured. The exact same things applies to barefoot / minimalist running shoes. TAKE THINGS SLOW. Your stride may be different, and you will be using parts of your feet that may not have been used in a while. Start with low mileage, and build up. Run with your old shoes, using the minimalist stuff as a supplement to start.

 

A running coach told me that it's all about the strides per minute, and he actually knows his shit so I trust him. So, it'd be a shorter stride than when you're running 4 miles. I can't remember the "magic number" (I'm thinking somewhere around 160-170 bpm), but he believes it should be the same whether you're sprinting or running a marathon. I tend to agree....people do funky things when they slow down for long distance running. Their technique begins to deteriorate and they increase the impact on the joints. During my long runs I focused on that internal metronome, creating a perfect circle with my foot, and really pushing off. It's easy to get comfortable and plod.

 

I think people need to worry about deterioriating form if they're running an event that is longer than they trained for. If you don't put in the prep, you're definitely going to risk losing form. One of the most important things you can do when running is just focus on how your legs are working. Be cognizant of how your feet strike, try to learn your pace, and try to feel out any little problems before they really develop. Also, get your active recovery in. Foam rolling and stretching throughout the day, and especially post run can go a long way in preventing injuries like shin splints or IT band syndrome.

Edit: Something else worth noting; just because somebody says a pair of running shoes is great doesn't mean it is the right pair for you. Everyone has different feet. Go to a good running store and see what they recommend. You wouldn't want a pair of shoes that exacerbates your pronation if you are a pronator, for instance.

 

I got a lot of reps about this, no red dots, but to clarify the "busting your ass on weights" I think I was talking more about meatheads. I get working out with weights, I was thinking more about the guys who go for like bench-pressing 250+ for the sake of doing it to say "I can benchpress 250". I also live in the middle of Chicago, so most of the people who are doing it here aren't going hunting, hiking or have a use for it. Just me though, I'm weird. I don't get running in marathons either

Anyone know what to do about shin splits? Those things fucking hurt.

 

I bench 255 and it has nothing to do with just being able to say that I do (I'm not a meathead, I'm 5'10 and weigh 175 lbs). My shoulders have felt a lot better since I started bench pressing and it helps keep my upper body balanced for other activities I like to do, like rock climbing.

And if I'm going to put the effort into doing it, why wouldn't I put the effort into getting better at it? Think about any hobby you enjoy getting better at and ask yourself what the intrinsic value of it is—it's always subjective.

My point being that it's as close-minded to say something like this as it would be to say "Why would someone want to practice the guitar for years and years when they can play most songs by just learning a couple chords?" Some people like it for its own sake, get over it.

Give your legs a lot of rest to recover (like, sometimes several weeks of no activity). Then focus on good form (whether squatting, deadlifting, or running). Also be careful about what kind of shoes you use, my shin splits went away as soon as I got a new pair of running shoes because my last ones were so worn out.

 

It's all about personal challenges for most of us I'd assume, I know that's my reasoning. That and it feels great. Maybe my goals are pointless to some, but the only bragging that goes on in my case is just some light jabs between the boys. That's what it takes to do any exercise program: P90x, Insanity, marathons or otherwise; it's about finding a challenge which is just out of reach and pursuing it. Accomplishing those goals may drive some individuals to seek recognition, but that's likely because a) they just need attention or b) feel that the accomplishment was monumental (to them). Either way, being content with where you are is why many will wait for the right time to do any program and that's absolutely fine if they're happy. It's gonna be the person who needs a change in their routine or how people see them that finally snaps and starts doing something about it. How long they last though is all a question of what their final goals are and how bad they want it.

 

In Track/CC we were told to do toe taps* after running to help with that. I don't remember if they ever helped.

*Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, lift the front of one foot off the ground, let it down. Back and forth, rinse and repeat.

 

These were the norm for me in HS track. RICE RICE baby.

 

I feel like your arguement is pretty stupid, frankly. You're basically saying that people shouldn't participate in certain hobbies/activities or go after certain goals because they don't apply to their line of work. But maybe I'm just annoyed because I can bench press 250+ and have run a marathon, as well as other endurance events (although to be fair I guess these things do apply to my line of work).

As for shin splints, there are several things you can do. First, if your shoes are worn down, get a new pair. If your shins hurt right now, do RICE, as someone else said. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation. That's also the thing to do for ankle sprains. Do a lot of stretching and foam rolling on your calves. One important stretch will be standing in front of a wall, placing the toes of one foot on the wall, leaving the heel of your foot on the ground and making sure that the leg with the foot on the wall is straight. Leave the other leg back a bit where it is comfortable. Lean forward. You should feel a stretch in your calf. Do this for both calves. Then repeat, but bending the leg that has the toes on the wall. You should feel a strech on the side of your calf. There are plenty of guides for foam rolling out there, just make sure your foam roller isn't a soft piece of crap.

If none of that stuff helps, it may be that your running shoes aren't a good pair for you. Go to a good running shoe store and have them take a look at your gait and feet, and they should be able to recommend a new pair.

 

Stop running with a heel strike, first of all. Second, look at your footwear. Minimalist has been better for every one of my clients...and that's all My Guy and I wear. The Nike Frees are great for me, he uses Inov8s and is looking at the New Balance. Inov8s are very narrow and he's got a stupid-wide foot.

 

First of all, I'm not a big fan of RICE. It's the pussy way out and leaves you out of training for a period of time. Don't get me wrong, it's got its time and place but it's not the cure-all that people want it to be.

For something like shin splints, a combination of massage, Rock Tape, and a homeopathic ointment called Arnica will fix you up faster than RICE and still allow you to train in the process.

 

First, that's not even a response to what I said. I was talking about the psychological effect. A really strenuous workout makes me want to not eat the calories I just burned. If I burn the same number of calories over a longer period of time, it's not strenuous, and doesn't have the psychological effect.

Also, I'm pretty sure you're wrong about the a mile is a mile is a mile thing. I checked several online calorie calculators, and they all agree that running a mile burns more than walking a mile. These things tend to not be precise in the actual number of calories burned (because so much goes into your weight, how much you do this particular exercise, etc), but there's at least a consensus that running the same distance faster burns more calories.

Plus, increasing your heart rate more is a big deal for burning calories. Walking barely gets your heart rate up at all, and pumping blood burns calories. If your heart rate stays close to what it would have been doing anyways, you're losing a lot of the benefits of exercising. And then there's also calories burned through muscle growth, increased metabolism, etc.

Under the mile is a mile is a mile theory, doing a 50lb bicep curl would be the same as a ten 5lb curls, as far as calories burned go. But I think anyone can see that one of these things requires you to exert a lot more energy than the other.

 

In regards to the stride length question it is something that should be worked on on an individual basis. There may be some physical therapists or other professionals here who say something differently but I can show you videos of some people with "horrible" form breaking records. What I have found through talking to a lot of people is to just run and after running enough your body will figure out what is the best/most efficient way for you to run. You may need to make some minor tweaks here and there, but in general after running enough you'll figure it out on your own.

 

Here is a little reading on that topic.

 

I have sent that article to so many people having that argument with me.

was one of my professors. He's a great guy. He would often tell jokes during his lectures. As "bonus" questions on exams, he would ask for the punch line, as a way to reward those who actually attended class, instead of copying notes from others.