Marathon Training Tips

Personal training should be just that.  Entirely personal and catered to you, what you want, and your overall wellbeing rather than just a generic work out regime that possibly doesn’t even focus on your results.  There should be people listening to exactly what you need whether it is that you are training for a sports season or marathon, or just want to feel healthier.  An effective personal training programme has an impact on every element of you, and how you feel inside and out, increasing both happiness and confidence.

Picking a good personal trainer who delivers exactly what you want is crucial to your enjoyment and success.  Any good personal trainer does this by first and foremost, understanding how the body works and being well trained themselves and certified as a professional.  However, being great at getting people to their goals takes far more than a piece of paper.  They should always be motivated and good at making you feel motivated.  Being friendly is a must as feeling comfortable, not inhibited, will make the process easier and the time spent with your trainer fun.  It will also help the results come much faster.  It is also imperative to find someone who is versatile.  You may not just want a trainer for yourself but somebody who can train your whole family from the youngest to the oldest member and a personal trainer should be able to choose suitable activities and exercise for everyone of every age.  You may not currently have a large family, or children, but your trainer should also be ready to deal with any situation, (such as pregnancy) with intuitive ways to keep fit and healthy.  Lifestyle and food is also a very big factor in fitness and a trainer should offer vast amounts of sound, but realistic advice on how to alter your diet to co-inside perfectly with your fitness plan and goals creating a healthier you.

By having a bespoke training and nutrition plan, then whatever your circumstance, you are most likely to stay focused and work hard and inevitably get to where you want to be.  One company that employs dedicated and enthusiastic personal trainers who commit themselves to attaining what each individual client wants is Body Solutions in the North West.  A company that will create the perfect fitness package and offer first class rehabilitation to those with injuries means that with them, you are in safe and supportive hands.  A good personal trainer will inspire you to change your life for the better, and who knows? You may even become the inspiration yourself.

During my lengthy stay here on Okinawa, I have enjoyed participating in several endurance sporting events. You only live once, right? I’ve completed 26.2-mile marathons in exotic places like Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and Hawaii. I’ve biked 330 kilometers (206 miles) in the 2-day non-competitive Tour de Okinawa. I’ve also been able to finish the Izena 88 Triathlon twice (2K swim/ 66K bike/ 20K run).

Although I’ve been told many times that I cannot leave Japan without climbing Mt. Fuji, this was another adventure that never really sparked my interest. Why would I want to climb Mt. Fuji? Everybody does that. Then one day I came across information about a 1/2 marathon Mt. Fuji Mountain Race. Perfect. Let’s do it! .

According to the race website, the 21 kilometer race to the summit starts in Fujiyoshida and climbs a total of 9,770 feet, finishing at the summit, 12,388 feet above sea level. Challenging, but something I hoped that I could manage.

It’s been 3 years since I entered this race, but as I recall the first 5 miles weren’t too bad. Well shaded on a nice trail, with the exception of the first kilometer, all uphill. I remember thinking just set the treadmill at an 8% or 10% incline for a few miles and you’ll get the idea what this is like. The stretch between 5 and 10 miles proved a bit more challenging, with some short little climbs over steps and rocks. No big deal.

My time at Station 6 (10 miles give or take) was 1 hr 57 minutes, and little did I know that the fun part of the course was still ahead. At that point all running was replaced by slow, steady, uphill, never ending climbing/walking. The pace wasn’t bad, but I kept looking up, where as far as I could see was a winding trail of people disappearing into the clouds. People that I had no hope of catching.

Below me was a similar image, only they were passing me one by one. I was supposed to be in a race, yet here I was falling farther and farther behind.

With the idea of racing all but over, I focused on reaching that still invisible summit, chatting with hikers carrying their precious walking sticks along the way. Forgetting place and time, I just wanted to get this one over with.

Finally, right at 4 hours, I crossed the finish line! I was happy to beat the 4 hr 30 minute cut-off with a half hour to spare, but then it hit me that I still had to get down. That took another 2 hours.

Was it worth it? I’ll remember this race for the rest of my life, so I guess so. Could I have done better? Sure, if I’d done a lot more uphill running and Stairmaster training. It was harder than I’d imagined, but not as painful as running a full marathon. Will I go back? You know what they say about Mt. Fuji. “One who never climbs Mt. Fuji is a fool, and one who climbs it twice is twice the fool.” That bit of wisdom certainly applies to the Mt. Fuji Mountain Race.

This year, the 59th running of the Mt. Fuji Mountain Race will be July 28th.

Weightlifting programs a keys are too large or cracked. But many people lift weights and then immediately over and running on the treadmill for 30 minutes. This is counterproductive.

How often have a marathon runners runners with large muscles seen or cracked? Probably not too often. This is that exercises lead walking and other endurance type, that to shrink your muscles. This makes hard, without going too quickly exhausted, enabling Muskelfasern more metabolisch efficient and turn to go long the runners.

But if you try fast constructing Muskelmasse then runs for a long time only to negate a lot of work, particularly with the weights. If you like I goal is to build Muskelmasse but remain simultaneously the slim, if not even something bold lose.

Here is the way to do so. Separate day cardio day of your weight training as much as possible. And instead of walking or cycling for a long time at a constant speed interval training for a shorter period of time can.

For example, if you train with weights every second day heart do the days in between. Interval training is absolutely fantastic. If it to fat burning their far more effective than long term simply for one.

What is interval training? Interval training works like this. Suppose you choose Run as your Cardiotraining. Doing means it at intervals that would jogging to a moderate pace say, one minute, then you would Sprint as fast as you for approximately 30 seconds. After the Sprint jogging at a slower pace for a minute then had back again Sprint you and so on.

The short outbreak of speed and effort regularly published a chemical in the body, which helps you burn fat.

To separate your weightlifting shipments from the heart as far as possible. What is 20 minutes instead of walking or cycling at a constant speed over time interval training.

I highly recommend using a heart rate monitor. Learning to run at correct efforts is very important for workout recovery and fast race times.
One disadvantage of a heart rate monitor is trying to get to the desired heart rate too fast. Learning to use perceived effort in addition to the heart rate monitor will improve you times quite a bit.
I have learned through trial and error what heart rates to use for each race distance. A good rule of thumb is to learn what the corresponding pace feels like and then find out the heart rate associated with this pace.
I try to start each race on the lower range of my desired heart rate and then as I reach mid point in the race I will pick up the pace to the higher end of my heart rate range. I save my all out effort for the last mile of a race.
Heart Rate Ranges for Selected Race Distances
5k Races
90% of maximum heart rate for the 1st mile
95% of maximum heart rate for the 2nd mile
95-98% of maximum heart rate for 3rd mile
100% effort for sprint to finish
10k Races
85% of maximum heart rate for the 1st mile
85-90% of maximum heart rate for 2nd-4th mile
90-95% of maximum heart rate for 5th mile
95-98% of maximum heart rate for 6th mile
100% sprint to finish
½ Marathons
80% of maximum heart rate for 1st mile
80-85% of maximum heart rate for 2nd-6th mile
85-90% of maximum heart rate for 7th-10th mile
90-95% of maximum heart rate for 11-13th mile
95-100% sprint to finish
Marathons
75-80% of maximum heart rate 1st – 13th mile
80-85% of maximum heart rate 14th-20th mile
85-90% of maximum heart rate 21st-25th mile
90-95% or above for 26th mile
95% or above to the finish (anything above 90% will cause extreme pain)
A common mistake when using heart rate monitors is the belief that you must give 100% effort right from the beginning of a workout or race. Learning to use a heart rate monitor and effort based training will actually cause you to train more effectively and race faster.

I was always wondering why my friends were getting bigger in the gym while my muscles did not respond to training as much as I would expect. Then I realized that as a skinny hardgainer I will have to do much more than just “train hard” and “lift heavy” – as many of the bodybuilding “gurus” and magazines would advice. After a bit of research about ectomorph body type I realized there are many genetic challenges hardgainers have to overcome in order to be able to build muscle.
One of the reasons why hardgainers struggle with “getting bigger” is a higher ratio of type one muscle fibers in hardgainer’s body. In general, there are several types of muscle fiber in our body, but the two that we deal with the most are type one and type two muscle fibers. Type one muscle fibers are your endurance related fibers (e.g. marathon runners have a higher ratio of type one muscle fibers). At the other hand, type two muscle fibers are the ones you get your power from, these are explosive power type fibers. The way hardgainers should target these two muscle groups is completely different than what a “normal” bodybuilding program would suggest!
Other reason for very slow (if any) muscle growth is the fact that hardgainers are biologically challenged when it comes to neuro-muscular communication, which results into poor muscular response and slower muscle building process. In other words, when you’re working out and lifting weights, your type two muscle fibers are much harder to target. Research has shown that only 20 to 30 percent of them are actually hit by your heavy lifting training! That is why the “lift heavy approach” does not really work for hardgainers.
So what advice would I give to skinny guys that do not want to be disappointed seeing all their hard work gone to waste?
One way to overcome the hardgainer’s training challenge with targeting type II muscle fibers is to gradually increase your body’s neuro-muscular communication throughout your workouts by using a “Rest Pause” format. This format is used in many different variations. The aproach I am going to show you might be a bit controversial but it is definitely worth trying because it can greatly magnify your bodybuilding results:
- Pick up a weight that is about 50% of your one-rep max
- Perform 5 repetitions and then rack the weight
- Wait 10 seconds
- Perform another 5 repetitions and rack the weight again
- Wait 10 seconds
- Perform another 5 reps & so on…
By gradually increasing overall workload in your sets with this twisted “Rest-Pause” format, you will slowly activate your Type II muscle fibers. The ten second rest periods will give you just enough time to catch your breath and regenerate energy for the following set. This technique dramatically improves neuro-muscular communication and results in 3 times better muscle growth.
When applied correctly, this “advanced” bodybuilding training technique is actually the HOLY GRAIL for hardgainer training.
Enjoy and lift smart!
Andy Mikulka

Shelton Canada Corp. is a junior oil and gas company actively engaged in exploration and development activities in Ukraine. The company’s most significant project, West Biruchya , is an offshore project in the Sea of Azov.

Shelton Canada and Ukraine’s largest oil and gas company, Ukrnafta, will drill their second development well as partners in the Kashtan Petroleum Joint Venture. Located in the Lelyaki oil field in east-central Ukraine, the well No.307 is expected to spud in the second quarter of 2008. The new well has a projected total depth of 1960 metres and will be drilled as a directional well to further develop the P1&2 and K-1 productive reservoirs. Recently-drilled offset wells showed initial productivity of greater than 240 barrels of light oil (42 degree API) per day (net 108 barrels). Net drilling cost is expected to be $450,000 Cdn and the well is in close proximity to pipeline infrastructure for rapid tie-in.

“This second well is an ongoing part of the Kashtan Joint Venture’s plan to fully exploit the remaining oil reserves in the Lelyaki field through optimal placement of infill production wells,” said Zenon Potoczny, President and CEO of Shelton Canada. “In addition, the Joint Venture anticipates re-entering and sidetrack drilling of four other suspended wells in different parts of the field during 2008. These well interventions show very good economics as the capital cost is much lower than new drilling. We have been very happy with the pool performance since it was acquired in mid 2007 and the first well (No.304) drilled post acquisition has averaged 185 barrels of oil (net 83 barrels) since coming on-stream in December 2007. Shelton’s average daily production for 2007 was net 255 barrels per day. The Joint Venture sells its production at Brent equivalent pricing.”

The strategic partnerships with leading Ukrainian oil and gas companies like Ukrnafta and Chernomorneftegas are a key reason for Shelton Canada’s success in Ukraine. Current net production of Shelton Canada is 350 barrels per day with further increases expected in 2008.

On October 19, 2007 , Vanco Signs Ukraine’s First Deepwater Black Sea Agreement for the Prykerchenska Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).

The signing of the Production Sharing Agreement gives Vanco the opportunity to explore and develop the highly prospective Prykerchenska Block. Work will begin immediately on a detailed exploration program which will include an extensive 3D seismic survey in 2008 followed by deepwater drilling.

The PSA acreage is located to the southeast of the Crimean Peninsula, the Prykerchenska block covers around 12.900 km2 or about one-third of Ukraine’s deepwater area with water depths ranging from 500 meters to over 2,000 meters. Exploration will concentrate on the Tetyaev High, in water depths greater than 2,000 meters where Vanco has identified a series of large structures, and on the shallower Sudak Folded Belt where Vanco has identified numerous attractive prospects. Some prospectivity is also identified in the deeper Andrusov High area.

Prykerchenska license area contains around 32 leads and prospects where 7 are in syn-rift sediments and rest (25) are in the Sudak trend.

The PSA has a 30 year term and will allow Vanco to start exploration and eventually build production facilities.

For the Ukraine, this is one method of solving Ukraine’s energy needs and it could help the country fulfill its goal of producing 25 percent more gas within the next 20 years.

If exploration efforts are successful, the development of the project will require investments of more than $20 billion.

The Kremlin in the past has unexpectedly doubled the price Ukraine pays for gas at the border in 2006 and then raised it again by a third in 2007. The Kremlin seems intent on making it’s former member states pay more for their energy needs.

On June 5, 2007, Marathon International Petroleum, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil, and National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz Ukrainy (NAK) signed a cooperation agreement to carry out technical studies that could lead to the joint exploration for, and production of, hydrocarbons in an area of interest in the Dnieper-Donets Basin located in North Central Ukraine. According to the agreement, NAK and Marathon will embark on a joint study of an agreed area of joint interest, covering approximately 26,000 square kilometers. The study will be conducted over three years during which time decisions will be made concerning further activities the Companies may undertake.

This basin supplies Ukraine with 80 percent of its hydrocarbons and is believed to contain natural gas deposits deep below those being exploited.

The Dnieper-Donets Basin is believed to contain significant remaining undiscovered resources of crude oil and natural gas. However, the recovery of these undiscovered resources is subject to considerable subsurface challenges and is dependent on the application of unique technologies.

On the 7th of December 2006 Capital Oil signed an exclusive Joint Activity Agreement (JAA) with the Ukrainian state and Oblast owned company Bohorodchanynaftogaz (BNG). This agreement outlines that Capital Oil will have the operative responsibility for BNG in the exploration of oil and gas in the two licence blocks that is owned by BNG.

Capital Oil is at the moment test producing the first of 2 successful exploration wells in the two licenses called Kubash-Lukva and Maydan, outside Ivano-Frankivsk in the western Ukraine.

Training hard in the two weeks prior to your race, particularly if it is a marathon, will not increase your fitness. In fact, you could spend this time in bed doing nothing at all and it would still not decrease your fitness. Taper or scale back your running during this period to avoid pre-race injury, maximise glycogen storage and preserves muscular freshness.Why taper your trainingTapering involves scaling back your running distance and effort level, and many world records have been set when, because of minor injuries, runners have had to take their training two weeks prior to a race.These athletes were forced to ease off their training, and then they went on to surpass everyone’s expectations. The fact is, training hard two weeks before a race can only hurt you physically. It can cause injury, tear down muscles and deplete your glycogen stores. Tapering your training protects your body from last-minute injury. It also gives your body a well deserved rest, during which time, you will have lost none of your fitness.How do I do it?Many runners continue to train two weeks before a race for psychological reasons. This satisfies a mental urge to exercise and prepare, despite the fact that there are no physical advantages. Finding your own balance between all rest and the amount of exercise you need in order to feel prepared his key.Everyone is different, with varying psychological requirements of exercise. How much you taper your training is therefore a subjective thing, so scale it down to whatever you feel reasonable to you. A good general guideline to tapering is to scale back your distance and intensity by 30%.So, if you had been averaging 40 miles per week in training, you should reduce this distance to no more than 28 miles per week of easy running in a conversational pace. You may even want to run with a personal stereo to ensure that you are disassociating and thereby running easily. This will not deplete glycogen stores or hinder your performance on race day.

One of the things I like best about living in Florida is that it’s a great place for a vacation, even if you live here. It seems no matter where you live, east coast, west coast, in the Panhandle or Southern Florida just a couple of hours drive in any direction and you can be somewhere that doesn’t look like home so you feel you’ve really gotten away from it all. The panhandle is fondly referred to as the Redneck Riviera with its emerald green water and white sand beaches. The west coast is a great place to go ‘island hopping’ with Sanibel, Lovers Key and all the other little places nestled there. The east coast is great for surfing, the small wave capital is here on our own Cocoa Beach and history, St. Augustine, also on the east coast of Florida, is the nation’s oldest city, but if you really want feel like you’ve gotten away head south. Southern Florida is truly a tropical place; the tropics actually start in south central Florida and it gets more lush and green the farther south you go. We have our own little tropical paradise known as the Florida Keys. The Keys are made up of many small islands and chains of island and are set at the tip of Florida so they lie in the Atlantic Ocean on one side and in the Gulf of Mexico on the other. Key Largo is the top and considered the first Key. Key Largo is the one made famous by the movie staring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and the song. The waters around the Keys are warm and crystal clear this attracts many divers and snorkelers which lends to Key Largo having the popular moniker of the “Diving Capital of the World”. Islamorada is the next most popular spot to stop on your way down the island chain. Islamorada is actually made up of six different islands and has a reputation as The Sport Fishing Capital of the World. They have a fleet of extremely skilled recreational fishing captains who’ll be more than happy to go out with you for a day to see what biting. Islamorada is also famous for a place called Robbie’s Marina this is the place where they sell buckets of bait for feeding swarms of tarpon that hang out around the docks. It’s so much fun to feed them, I’ve done it. Islamorada is also famous for the opportunities they provide to swim with dolphins. They also have a History of Diving Museum there which is pretty interesting. Another not to be missed place is John Pennekamp State Park. They are known as a great place for diving and snorkeling and have the only living coral reef in the continental United States. Over a million people come from around the world to enjoy the water, trails and camping facilities offered by the park. They also have the “Christ of the Waters”, a 19 foot bronze statue people dive all around, some even dive down to touch His outstretched hands. Marathon is considered by many to be the ‘middle’ of the Keys and the place of the world famous 7 mile bridge. Marathon, too, is a major sportsfishing destination; it is also a popular for spearfishing and they have an open lobster season during the year, Marathon is a great place to try and catch a few. Big Pine Key is just a short distance past the famous Seven Mile Bridge where the Keys take that gentle westerly turn and is considered the start of the ‘Lower Keys’. This is the place where you can come to relax its a little less crowded and more natural than some of the other Keys. Probably one of the biggest draws to Big Pine Key is the National Key Deer Refuge, home of the adorable Key Deer, the smallest of the Virginia white-tailed deer; they are in danger of extinction and are therefore federally protected. Bahia Honda State Park is another draw to the area. You can picnic, take a swim, dive the reef, snorkel the shallows or simply relax on Sandspur Beach voted #7 on the Travel Channels top 10 Florida beaches. Key West is considered by some to be the crown jewel of the Keys but I don’t think that’s really fair considering its ALL good. Key West, however, is THE place to party in the Keys. Duval Street is famous for their bars and history, Mallory Square is famous as a place to enjoy the sunset and ensuing party that happens every night. The street vendors and performers are a sight to see. Every year around Halloween, Key West hosts Fantasyfest a party where people dress up and dance in the streets, its wild. The Keys are a great place to get married, have a honeymoon or a family reunion. You can dive, snorkel, fish or just lie on a beach and relax anywhere and everywhere in the Keys. You can dance and party the night a way, shop at one of the unique, quaint shops, or have a fabulous meal at one of the outdoor cafes all while enjoying a fruity tropical drink. In this day of people vacationing closer to home we Floridians are truly blessed to have such a beautiful Caribbean-style place to come visit without ever leaving ‘home’.

You can make great strides in your sport performance in the weight room. Because strength training can break down a lot of muscle tissue I recommend weight work be done in the foundation or base period. This does not mean you will not continue to build strength throughout the season. Hill running, slow cadence cycling work outs, and resisted swim work outs are all forms of strength training that are specific to disciplines. Weight training should smoothly transition into strength training in your disciplines.As your season progresses, and your intensity increases, weight work can be detrimental to your more specific work outs and events. Your legs may need up to 72 hours to fully recover from a weight work out. This is a big block of the week to give up performance in other areas. Just like your training plan your strength plan will go through specific phases. Endurance athletes should not use body building plans that are focused on muscle mass gains. This can actually be counter productive for a distance athlete. Each phase will have a specific purpose such as acclimation, hypertrophy, muscular endurance and power. If you are weak on sprints and jumps, you may want to emphasize more power training. If you are weak on climbs, muscular endurance is a good focus. If you are generally weak, or new to strength training, I recommend a slightly longer period with the weights. Shorter distance athletes may want to emphasize more strength work for speed, while longer distance athletes, that are more slow twitch, will not need as much weight work.Listen to your body and avoid overreaching yourself with the weights. This is especially important in the very beginning of your plan. You may feel the need to push yourself, but you may also not be walking well the next day. This is due to micro trauma in the muscles or small muscle tears. These tears have to heal up before you get stronger, so take it easy. You may also find yourself more tired, and you may need more sleep during the initial acclimation period. Make sure you refuel after a strength work out just like you would any other.Core strength is crucial to protecting your back during lifting. I recommend using a variety of exercises to strengthen all core muscles every other day. Core strength also will help with your running, biking, and swimming ability. If your muscles are very sore, do not overstretch them. This may re injure the micro trauma that occurred during training and slow the healing process. Light stretching and recovery work is recommended. I do not use a weight belt. These belts are for power lifter who wants to increase inter abdominal pressure for max lifts. They may actually make your back weaker. Do not use a belt to exceed your limits. In fact you should be no where near this type of lifting. I like to perform my core strength at the end of my work out. Performing core exercises first may leave them too fatigued to properly support you.Choosing when to strength train is very important because it affects your other work outs. I usually try to strength train after a rest day early in the week. I make sure I do not have a critical or high stress work out in the next few days following my leg work out. Again, this is why weight work is best performed in the base or foundation period when there are not a lot of break through work outs.I generally only strength train my legs heavy one time per week. I may do a lighter session at the end of the week. Strength training and endurance training are like oil and water for the most part. They work well when separated, but do not mix. With a heavy foundation load I do not recommend strength training more than twice per week. You may negatively affect your other training, or more likely over reach yourself. These are general guidelines. I will not recommend specific work outs. I do recommend the core of your routine be compound or multi joint exercises such as the squat, lunge, dead lift, step up, and leg press. The number one rule of strength training is switch up your routine. Your body will acclimate quickly to the same routine week after week, and growth will be retarded. Switch up your exercises each week. You may want to get with a certified strength trainer to learn advanced training techniques such as drop sets, compound sets, super sets, and other methods. Try to use a pedal width stance on your exercises and mimic the range of motion of running and cycling. One exercise I will caution you on is the leg extension. Most people use way to much weight on this exercise, which can put a lot of pressure under the knee cap. This may lead to cartilage damage. Leg extensions are a good exercise to warm up with. Use light to moderate weight and lots of reps. You may want to perform this exercise in the top 20 degrees range of motion. This helps strengthen your VMO or innermost quad which plays a key role in patella tracking.Finally, if you are unfamiliar with weight training and proper form I highly recommend you get with a certified athletic trainer. Exercises such as the squat, dead lift, and even leg press can easily injure you if performed incorrectly. I could write an entire book on how to perform these exercises, but if I am not standing next to you and watching your form, you could still be performing them incorrectly. I see and correct bad form from even experienced clients on a daily basis.Phase I Acclimation 4 8 weeksPurpose To gradually adjust your body to the stresses of strength training. During this phase you will use light weight and high reps. You may want to start of your first few weeks with very light weight or body weight. Make sure you perform your exercises slowly and controlled.Reps 15 .25Weight Light to ModerateExercises 3 .5Sets 2 .3Rest between sets 1 .3 minutes generally allows full recoveryPhase II Hypertrophy 4 .6 weeksPurpose To recruit maximum amount of fibers and promote muscle growth and absolute strength. Make sure your first set is a light warm up set. You will want to pyramid or increase the weight on each set while lowering the reps. A typical rep scheme may look like this 12 .10 .8 .6, or 12 .10 .8. This phase has a good potential for injury, so be careful and listen to your body. You can take your lifts to muscular failure during this period. I recommend a spotter. Don t be surprised if the first few weeks leave you very sore. Reps 6 .12Weight Moderate to HeavyExercises 3 .6Sets 3 .4Rest between sets 1 .3 minutes generally allows full recoveryPhase III Strength Endurance 6 .8 WeeksPurpose To train the ability to sustain repeated hard efforts, similar to a steep climb. This phase will raise your lactate threshold and time to exhaustion. You want to use moderate weight and slow controlled motion. You can bring yourself to muscular failure but at a higher rep range. I recommend that you raise your rep range slightly as you progress.Reps 15 .30Weight ModerateExercises 3 .5Sets 2 .4Rest between sets 1 .3 minutes generally allows full recoveryPhase IV Power 3 .6 weeksPurpose Power is force over time, or the ability to move the most resistance in the shortest time period. This is necessary for jumps and short sprints. Again, I recommend a trainer during this period because of the potential for injury, and the creative knowledge needed for power training. You will take each strength exercise and explode upwards. Be careful on the eccentric phase lowering. Try to picture a spring that is slowly coiled until it is tensioned, then explodes. Go light, especially in the beginning. This does not mean you will not fatigue the muscles. I use a body weight for the first few weeks. Reps 8.20Weight Light to ModerateExercises 4.6Sets 2.3Rest between sets 1.3 minutes generally allows full recoveryYou have to view strength training as a tool box. You have to decide which tools are right for you based on your body, and your event. I personally am a smaller person, slow twitch, and my goals are usually short events. This means more time in the weight room for me. If you are a marathoner, you will need less strength work and less weight. If you are a large muscled person, who has good short distance speed, yet you are training for an IM event, I would focus less on hypertrophy and more on strength endurance for climbing.

Our society has a distorted viewpoint of exactly what “fitness” consists of when attached to the word “physical”.  Close your eyes for a moment and imagine what physical fitness means to you.  Does your minds eye project an image of an oiled body on stage at a contest?  Maybe your imagination brings forth a slim, lithe young woman with a grim determination on her face as she crosses the finish line of a marathon.  Or is it possible that you catch a glimpse of an extremely muscled man as he flips tractor tires end-over-end during a Strongest Man contest.  Collectively these images portray individuals who have achieved fitness of their bodies through continued training.Hours and hours of curls give that oiled contestant the biceps and triceps that absolutely glow as he tightens up in his program.  Our marathon runner has developed the lung and leg power to complete that marathon, through miles and miles of training runs. As far as those tractor tires being thrown end for end…total commitment by the contestant is what gives him that power.  The theme common to their successes?  Workouts!  Workouts that usually bring to mind the gym, a fitness center or a running track.  All physical, strenous activity, that athletes engage themselves in to become the best they can be.So how does Yoga fit into this scheme of fitness?  Throw out that image of Yoga as someone sitting crossed-legged on the ground, hands in prayer position, while they endlessly hum a mantra. This view of Yoga is fine for those who just want to bury themselves in their mind waiting for divine knowledge.  The study and practice of Yoga consists of so much more than that, let’s explore a few.

Physical strength is mostly achieved by overworking the muscles, increasing the ability to perform whatever tasks you have set for yourself.  Couple this strength training with compatible Yoga exercises and amaze yourself at the overall aspect of improvement.