Anyone been a runner and switched to gym/weightlifting?

[Spck]

So been a runner for years - not fast but v consistent. Now post menopausal and finding running harder. Think it is having more of an impact on pelvic floor and not necessarily giving me the toning I want. I wanted to move more to gym work and machines but wondered if anyone has done this and what they felt the benefits were?
I know I can do both but realistically I run 20 + miles a week and couldn’t combine this with the gym as I like to have 2 days off a week. So to incorporate gym I would have to reduce running.

I personally found Caroline Girvan videos a bit intimidating, and just wanted something a bit less intense.

I really like Johanna Soh on youtube for strength training videos - she has a mixture of easy beginner ones and harder, I found her really easy to follow and she has loads of videos at about 25 minutes or so.

Also Nourish, Move, Love is another great one, she does a lot of post pregnancy videos but also some really good general weight circuits that aren't too difficult, you just increase the weight/reps when you get more confident.

I've gotten out of the habit of working out over last few months, but I will be getting back into it in the new year.

@Spck it’s all about if you’re building up internal pressure or releasing it. That’s super easy to see on a sit up, put your hand on your abdomen and does it contract in or bulge a little out even if it feels like the muscles are working; you can still build pressure up sitting down. Possibly not much difference as standing up your strong leg muscles can jump in to compensate whether they should or not, so while overall standing lifting should be more pressure the technique is the real difference.

@deeperthanallroses the podcast is medics who lift reviewing the research with someone whose specialism is this area. So it in itself doesn't control for anything. It's not putting forward one position, it's examining it in the round. Worth a listen.

Another vote for Caroline !

I used to do spin, running, and a PT that loved burpees and mountain climbers. Switched to weights and it transformed my body and I love feeling so strong.

I have a range of dumbells, kettlebells and a bar bell at home now and mainly follow Caroline, but I also build my own lifting weights with the barbell; just deadlifts , squats and chess press really. Started out on 3 or 4 kg for shoulders as an example and am now up to 7kg.

I've also just started working with a weights PT for form and again, increasing my weight.

I don't over do it, 1 PT, and two weights sessions at home a week. Plus Pilates (the girl with the Pilates map also on You Tube.

I love seeing the progression plus seeing the muscle definition growing and my body just feels different.

I don't run or spin at all now and don't feel I need it.

I'm in my late forties.

Go for it!

Thanks for that @ShirleyHolmes - what about keeping aerobic fitness doing then? Is the HIIT keeping you as aerobically fit as running did?

@Spck i don’t know really! Some of the Caroline videos I choose are hiit based so heart rate raised. Other than that, I walk a lot. I live somewhere very hilly, plus I hike and I am a fast walker. I think I’m fit enough!

I doubt I could run 20 mikes a week though, v impressive!

Thanks @ShirleyHolmes - running is just my thing - I’m useless at feeling pain. Caroline makes me dig deep to keep going for 45s!!

I've just started CG EPIC beginners 👍

I've decided that I need to double up so a hard run day (I did long reps this morning) needs to be a workout day as well or I'm not getting enough rest. Workout 1 was fine - it's lower body and I run a lot so I didn't have too many issues strength wise - balance is another matter though embarrassingly. My Bulgarians were very wobbly!

I think the next one is upper body so that's going to be where I start to find it hard I think.

I have just started with a PT. It’s a stretch on the finances but I have no idea what I’m doing in the gym with weights. Feel it will be worth it just to build confidence and also understand what I’m doing.

Im already lifting heavier weights than I would ever have considered. Not so much by progression as lm just starting out (had four sessions in two weeks) But with ones that I would have personally thought we’re too heavy for me to even try.

Wondering how long it was before you started to see a difference in weight/inches lost?

Im a runner who has lost motivation a bit so hoping the weights will give me a new focus and also help with the running

Just found this thread! I'm 57 and a marathon/trail runner running every day, 50 miles a week, but had a bunion op mid October so can't run for a few months. In the meantime I took up Pilates then weight training with CG. I do an hour every day, only 7,5kg but I'm definitely getting stronger and have muscles I never had from running. When I go back to running I'm going to restrict myself to 3 or 4 sessions of running a with doing weights on the off days.
I lost 4kg since stopping running although 1kg has gone back on now I have more muscle. But body looks and feels so much better!

Caroline Girvan is great. Do not attempt to match her weights!!! I use about 50% or less what she does. I like the no talkinG once it’s all been explained. There is a nice short advent series if you want a taster

I'm a bit sceptical about Caroline Girvan - what she does isn't the classic weightlifting or lifting heavy - it's closer to pump style aerobic/cardio training, from the YouTube workouts of hers I've watched / followed.

Lifting heavy is quite different - you do it pretty slowly & take rest breaks, and work on a progressive programme with training to failure at certain points. You work on the full body compound lifts like deadlifts & squats. The other stuff that Caroline Girvan does is "accessory" work, and of course you can't use more than 10 kilo dumb bells because you're doing so many reps and at speed or for time.

Doing the classic compound lifts at reasonable weights (eg working up to a deadlift that's equal to your body weight) will make you stronger & you'll be able to run faster. Weighted bar bell back squats will really work your glutes, quads and abs, and make all the muscles which support your hips knees and ankles stronger, which is good for running too. So cross training can be very effective - although compound lifts at heavy weights is probably better for your body as you age! (I started proper lifting in my late 50s and can now deadlift 100 kilos and squat my body weight on a bar bell).

I'm guessing most people are not thinking of deadlifting 100 kilos or squatting their body weight on a bar bell...

For me Caroline's workouts are the perfect combination of weights and cardio.

Exactly this. It's not what weightlifting is really.
I'm guessing given her figure she does proper heavy weightlifting however that doesn't make a YouTube video that can be followed easily, same as jo wicks.
Heavy weightlifting can't really be taught through a video.

@EasterIsland @Daisy03 thanks for this - could I get started with heavy lifting at home? If so what equipment and exercises would I need?

I have a barbell and dumbbell set which have adjustable weights of up to
120kg, a bench, plus a large variety of kettlebells, though you wouldn't need all that weight for a while.
Really you want to be lifting heavy enough so you can maybe do a maximum of 12 reps per set before you can't do anymore, once you can do 12 you should then up your weight.
I think it does help to have a couple of sessions with a PT to check on form etc.

I'm guessing given her figure she does proper heavy weightlifting however that doesn't make a YouTube video that can be followed easily, same as jo wicks.
Heavy weightlifting can't really be taught through a video.

I agree about Caroline Girvan @Daisy03 - her body is obviously about diet (you can only stay that lean via diet) and some much heavier training than accessory workouts with hand weights. The main Pump instructor at my gym always starts the class by saying that pump will tone muscles, but won't develop them. It's different from weight lifting, and that's fine if that's what you want.

But there are various programmes where you could start - slowly - to move towards proper weight lifting. I like Jason & Lauren Pak and the physiotherapist who lifts really heavy, Adam Meakins (both on Instagram), and MegSquats & Eugene Teo (on YouTube). But you probably need to film yourself and be really analytical about your form.

I've recently been watching a young Instagrammer, under the name SydGrows. She does an interesting YouTube vlog about how she got started - just at her localPureGym, and I don't think she worked with a PT - just hung out enough with other gym rats and picked it all up. She's very young but down to earth about the gym.

A couple of sessions with a gym trainer might help.

The main thing is to be on a progressive programme. There are several around and several specifically for women.

could I get started with heavy lifting at home? If so what equipment and exercises would I need?

I train in strength stuff twice a week, but at a gym (plus a couple of bootcamp classes, Pilates, and proper ballet classes). I started proper lifting about 5 years ago, and then was only deadlifting 35-45 kilos, and squatting 30 kilos - these weights include the bar which weighs either 15 or 20 kilos.

So start slooooowly! And have a look at some online programmes - three strength sessions a week seems to be a good number to aim for, and people tend to do a leg day, and a back day, and an upper body day - something like that. There are apps and online programmes you can use.

I just do what my PT tells me to do! And fit in doing what I like doing around our 2 weekly sessions.

So ... strength training is amazing. Grab some tuition though to understand the physiology and anatomy. I was fortunate to be a member of a leisure centre where they offered advice. This was a game changer for me. Now at the age of 57 started 10 years ago. I strength train on every week day. Hitting different body parts each day. It's tough. I also incorporate 30 minutes Yoga after my training which is tough but seeing results from this too. But ... it's all about your food choices and that my sisters is a mine field. Ask ... bug people in the gym who are making gains men included. I cycle most days in the outdoors huge benefits. I am retired so time is a luxury. Love this thread

I don't think this thread is aimed at people who are aiming to do "much heavier training than accessory workouts with hand weights" - and I think the term 'accessory workouts' is actually quite derogatory and inappropriate.

The fact is that most women do work out nowhere near enough. Caroline has inspired many to give weights a go, and the results speak for themselves. I do one of her workouts most days, plus the Bowflex 3-minute plank, plus an abs workout. I am in great shape, and that's good enough for me.

The terminology accessory comes from lifting, and just refers to the strength work that isn't the compound moves (eg deadlift, squat, bench). It's not derogatory in the lifting world at all. They make up an important part of the programme. I do serious lifting and every session is made up of compounds and accessories. The accessories are important to support the compounds.

Caroline isn't for me either, too much cardio and not enough weight so I'd give up pretty quickly as I hate cardio and love heavy things. But having found the thing that I love and can't get enough of doing, I absolutely believe the key is finding the thing that does that for each individual. For some that's Caroline and that's wonderful, for others it's lifting heavy and that's also wonderful. Unless there's a goal mismatch the best exercise is the one that lights your fire.

Accessory exercises/lifts is a common, technical, term - have a google - there is nothing derogatory about it.

If people want to start doing the big compound moves with heavy weights (as the OP asked about at 12.55), or the big bodyweight exercises (pull ups etc), they need to know where to start. You can't really do - or programme - them with videos (not least because of the rests involved). And training them is very, very different from the pump or CG type programmes (which are great if that is what you want!).

The thread title mentions weightlifting - I'm offering my experience of switching from general gym, mostly cardio stuff, plus a few pump classes a week, to doing serious proper weightlifting. It's not derogatory, it's just giving the OP some ideas and a different perspective.

The OP reminds me of someone I do bootcamp classes with every Saturday (we have a good gang!) - she was a marathon runner, and said that her physiotherapist had said her knees and hips just wouldn't take much more. She's swapped to spin classes (she's much more into cardio than I am!) but also lifts pretty heavy, using the main compound lifts (deadlifts, squats) plus pull ups and press ups, and accessory moves.

I do accessory moves - last week, I was doing a superset of 10 calories on the Air bike (assault bike aka devil's bike) then 20 lunges while carrying 2 x12 kilo dumbbells at shoulder height. 5 rounds. Shredded quads afterwards, but excellent glutes, and shoulders.

@FlowerArranger

In what way is the term 'accessory workout' derogatory and inappropriate?

There’s a programme called “Before the Barbell” on Instagram that is free and goes over 5-6 weeks, I think. Really good videos and instructions. So you could do it via video @Spck but you’ll need to be confident about your ability to self-analyse and hopefully, you have some kinaesthetic awareness. Lots of people film themselves starting out, to check technique and form.

There’s also an amazing trainer who used to work at my gym, but moved, but does online coaching, so I think it works by her clients sending videos of themselves to check on form etc. she can’t be the only one who does this. Have a rootle around Instagram and YouTube- maybe find someone fairly local to you?

There’s actually quite a big difference between doing the more pump-style workouts of Caroline Gibran, and weightlifting. In weightlifting, you go much more slowly, and you take significant rest breaks - at least 60 seconds - between heavy sets. It’s not about working for time, it’s about training to failure. So while you may find CG’s workouts tough, you might find by going slower, and working in the range of 6 to 12 reps in each set, with a minimum of 3 sets (I tend to do 5 sets) and a rest of maybe 90 seconds between each set, you can do more than you think you can!

Have fun!