Lift Before I Run? Or Run Before I Lift?

June 7th
Lift before I run? Or Run Before I Lift?

Athletes training to compete in explosive sports often ask us: how should I sequence my workouts? Should I lift before running? Or should I run before I lift? Most athletes make this decision in one of three ways: 1) completely randomly (e.g. depends on the day); 2) by direction of a sports performance coach; 3) based on personal preference (e.g. I tend to feel like garbage if I run first before lifting). Truth is -- there is no simple answer to the question. If you are a competitive athlete preparing for an upcoming season, it is vital that you train at your highest levels during both movement and weight training. Recognize that any run or lift will significantly deplete the glycogen stores in your muscles, leaving you in a fatigued state and making it difficult for you to perform in the second segment of your training session.

Timed intake of a recovery supplement can help you maintain performance throughout your workout. However, BUYER BEWARE. A number of products on the market claim to meet your needs, but are not ideally suited to the needs of explosive athletes. Remember that the nutritional supplement industry has traditionally catered to aerobic endurance athletes and bodybuilders--segments of the population with drastically different needs than yours.

A few helpful tips:

1) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. No matter what you're doing on the field/court/ice/mat, in the weight room or at home for supplementation, hydration is the foundation.

2) Watch out for sugars and carbohydrates. This may sound basic, but a number of the most popular recovery products on the market are high in sugar and carbs because they are suited for aerobic endurance athletes such as marathoners. As an explosive athlete, you'll need to focus on building lean muscle mass and a diet too high in carbs and sugar will do a number on your plans...

3) Many products (we won't name names...) will claim to include electrolytes -- DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE DOSAGE! A trace amount of electrolytes will do nothing to help you recover from an intense hill workout.

That's all for now. Check back with us soon at www.rspnutrition.com for more product updates.