NYC Marathon reflection, new exercise ideas, and free weights vs machines
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What I’m Thinking
If you want to compete, you have to eat.
For those focused on performance, when training load goes up, calories need to increase.
Not doing so may lead to injuries, overtraining, and/or lack of progress.
Reasons I think I avoided injury during NYC Marathon training:
I maintained my body weight. Calories in = calories out
I avoided big fluctuations in training load. Gradual build ftw.
I prioritized sleep. Easy to do with a pregnant wife :)
I invested in hobbies outside of running. This provided a mental and physical break from the marathon training grind.
What I’m Reading
📖 Free weights or machines for strength and muscle building?
“The main findings of the current study suggest that free-weight and machine-based exercises are similarly effective to promote strength and muscle hypertrophy without increasing joint discomfort. Hence, athletes are encouraged to train using either of these two modalities depending on their possibilities or preferences, whereas focusing on other training parameters that have widely demonstrated to be key modulators of these adaptations (e.g., intensity, intraset fatigue, range of motion).”
📖 NSAIDs and ultramarathoning:
“Notwithstanding, NSAID use can cause serious adverse effects on cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and renal systems, all of which might be exacerbated by ultra-marathon running. There is an increased risk of GI injury with NSAID use, and this may be exacerbated in long-distance runners (contesting marathon and ultra-marathon) who already exhibit a greater incidence of GI bleeding. Frequent prophylactic use of NSAIDs is also associated with an increased risk of renal side effects, and concern has been expressed about a possible causative role of NSAIDs on exercise-induced hyponatremia. Given the equivocal evidence-for-efficacy and the acute contraindications, NSAID use during ultra-marathon is strongly discouraged. Importantly, up to 93% of endurance runners are naïve to any contraindications of NSAID use, indicating the need for greater education in this respect. We thereby recommend race organizers to discourage NSAID use among their participants.”
What I’m Liking
These barbell split squat isos.
For quad development, tendon health, and reducing knee pain.
You can do lighter, longer holds (30-45 sec).
Or heavier, shorter holds (5-15 sec).
Keep most of your weight on your front foot.
Dumbbells will also do the trick.