Total Body Reinvention:
Trail Running plus Muscle Growth
What does it take to have a fit body? That’s what I have been wondering for years as I’ve run marathons, but lacked the ripped look that many elite athletes have.
I changed my diet and saw phenomenal results, but not to the extreme that I know is possible. Finally, I discovered what was missing. All it took was a little inspiration from a few sexy Olympians.
Photo Credit: dhilung
I watched the men’s and women’s 4×100 and 4×400 relays closely. Each race was epic in proportion to other Olympic events this summer in London. These athletes looked like the kind you would expect to see in an international competition of the world’s best.
Why these guys and gals? What makes them special? Simple, they are sprinters.
Sprinters have the kind of body most of us think of when we envision optimal health. They have the six-pack abs, the large biceps, and extreme speed to boot. These runners could outpace a cheetah on their way to arm wrestling a grizzly bear.
Do you have what it takes to look, feel, and perform like they do? Yep. It will just take a little time and a killer new training program.
Components of the Olympic-Grade Weekly Training Program
- 1 Long, Slow, Road Run
- 2 Short, Fast, Trail Runs
- 3 Sessions of Burst Training + Strength Training
- 1 Short Day of Rest
Template Training Schedule
- Monday ::: Burst Training + Strength Training (1 hour)
- Tuesday ::: Short, Fast Trail Run (3-5 miles)
- Wednesday ::: Burst Training + Strength Training (1 hour)
- Thursday ::: Short, Fast Trail Run (3-5 miles)
- Friday ::: Burst Training + Strength Training (1 hour)
- Saturday ::: Long Road Run (10+ miles)
- Sunday ::: Rest
The Long Slow Run
Whether you intend to run marathons or not, long-form cardiovascular exercise will radically improve your body. Endurance athletic activities burn fat efficiently, tone your core muscles, and, most importantly, they train your brain to endure longer and harder workouts.
After years of running marathons I can confidently say that the mental toughness I have acquired from long runs is the greatest benefit by far. When you push through the difficult periods and then continue to run for hours, your brain learns that it can handle much more than it previously thought.
I recommend that you include some form of endurance athletics into your workouts, whether that be cycling, swimming, running, or something similar that you enjoy.
The key to the long run is going slow. You want to methodically burn through your sugar stores and then your body will naturally begin to eat away at your fat. Now you know why elite marathoners are so skinny.
The Short Fast Runs
Hit the trails and hit them hard. The goal here is to run hard, run fast, and have a ton of fun! Trails are a blast, and the best way to run them is super fast. Focus on your agility, running up hills, and feeding off the fresh air and sunlight of mother nature.
If you don’t have easy access to nature trails where you can run, find an outdoor arena where you can go off-road. Almost every city has a park for crazy people like us.
Burst Training
I’ll have to admit, this is an area where I have slacked off the most in the past. As a self-defined runner, I intentionally avoided the gym. Big mistake. The gym is necessary. Building muscle, strength, and flexibility is key to becoming a better athlete overall, despite your specific goals.
Burst training is fairly new to me and it is phenomenal. Here’s how it works:
Burst Training Session:
- 30 seconds of running in place
- 30 seconds of push-ups
- 30-60 second break
- 30 seconds of pulsing squats
- 30 seconds of bicycles
- 30-60 second break
- 30 seconds of mountain climbers
- 30 seconds of burpees
The goal is to complete 4-6 of these sets in one workout session. I was only able to do two sets my first day. Don’t let the amount of time fool you, this is really hard!
Check out the 5-minute video below from Dr. Josh Axe about how to complete one set of burst training. He actually completes the entire set, so watch this to see exactly what a pulsing squat, mountain climber, or burpee looks like.
Strength Training
For strength training (aka lifting weights), stick to no more than 45 minutes a day, three times a week. When you lift, use big weights with fewer repetitions, and work your whole body if possible. Think circuit training.
If you are training for a marathon, triathlon, or another specific competition, be sure to research which muscles groups are most important for your sport. Focus on those muscles when you lift, but don’t neglect other muscles. That’s how people get injured, fast. The imbalance between strong and weak muscles causes the weak muscles to rip, tear, and freak out!
As you noticed in the training program above, I combined strength training and burst training in the same workout session. Doing these consecutively is harder than doing them on their own, but you can pack a bigger punch with one workout.
Complete one session of burst training (20 minutes), followed by one session of strength training (40 minutes). The total time should not be no longer than one hour. Believe me, you’ll be exhausted.
Total Body Reinvention
If you were to follow the weekly training program outlined above for even just two months, your body would be radically transformed. This is an intense program. Your body will hurt, a lot. You will want to quit, a lot.
Take breaks when needed. You’ll know when your body has had enough. It may take a few months to work up to doing just one week of the program. That’s cool. It took me months to get in great shape and I still have big goals coming up.
Let me know how this works out for you. I’d love to hear about your results. Good luck!
