Wednesday, 26th of May: Strength training-workout of the day

Back on planned schedule again. The strength workout was my first workout after the race on last Sunday in Copenhagen. The experience was good. I felt fit and ready to resume my training schedule again. I didn't feel any strain and felt rested. The workout was maintenance work. It has been that way as I am in the building period. Throughout the building period I've been using planned workouts on my bike and strength-workouts as recovery opportunities. That means I've been skipping them for recovery reasons. This strategy has paid off well when it comes to achieve results in running.

Strength-todays workout

Continuing with my once a week workout-schedule. It gives space for my increased focus on running. Todays workout was good. I've regained most of the strength I lost during Easter vacation. Allthough I've put greater effort in increasing my core-strength, I'm not satisfied yet. I need to revise my training programme in order to achieve better strength in my core. The same goes for strength in my back-lower as well as upper.
Anyhow, I'm staying put with my strength programme till after my summer vacation in July. Afterwards I'm returning to my strength training using a revised programme.

Strenght-todays workout

Being in the building period I've reduced the number of sessions of strenght-training to once a week. In addition I've reduced the number of sets to two sets pr exercise.
Maximium workload is 80 % 1RM-thats the last set. The first set is 60 % 1RM.
They're both always started with a warm-up set. Number of reps is 6 on all sets.
Besides that I'm keeping the training programme from the Basic-period intact.
The purpose with reducing the the number of sets and the workload is to allow sport-spesific muscles to build.
Up till now it works pretty good. I'm doing my strength training in a gym. The facilities are overall good, but it tends to get crowded in the afternoon and the night. I'm rescheduling till morning again.
After using the same training programme for 9 months I'm pretty certain that it had paid off. My running now is a lot more steady. I'm able to keep the pace over a long period of time without experiencing a drop in quality when it comes to my technique.
My results from Rome marathon and Sentrumsløpet-Oslo, both representing good improvements, clearly shows that.
Anyway, I have to continue my work. My week spots when it comes to strenght is the core. I have improved since last year, but I need to work more with that area. I can feel that in perticular when I do the squat. There is enough power in the legs, but the core isn't strong enough. I'm not able to do more than 86 % of my body weight.
Further on I need to work more with my back-both the upper and the lower area.
Well, just making notes for now. Main purpose now is maintenance.

Strenght training: Maintaining strenght in building period

Having recently passed Easter I've entered my building period when it comes to periodization. One of the consequenses from that is that I have to move my attention from general strenght training to sport spesific training. Running hills, intervalls and steady state runs will build on what I've gained in the Basic-period from January to March. Anyhow, I have to maintan my basic level, and in order to do so I schedule one session a week. I use the same program but with two sets instead of four-in addition to the warm-up set. If I feel that any of the exercises connected with my legs generate stiffness in them, I eliminate the exercise. One week area for me is the abdomen-area. That one I have to schedule unchanged through the year, except tap- and raceperiods. In tap-and raceperiods I don't do any strenght training at all. This spring that basically means in June.