Upper body strength?
Ask. Dr. Green
“How can I keep my upper body strength 'strong and tight'? I would like to keep my running up and also my upper body gains, any recommendations?”
Based on your question, you’re merging two concepts that are going to be hard to maintain while increasing mileage: 1) strength (“strong/tight”) and 2) hypertrophy (“upper body gains”).
Running primarily uses type 1 fibers. Type I fibers are considered “slow-twitch” and utilized for aerobic activities. They are endurance muscles which gradually ramp up to maximal tension, and maintain contractions for longer periods of time (i.e. long distance running). Type II muscles fatigue quickly because they produce large amounts of force at a quicker speed (i.e power exercises - squats, deadlifts, etc).
Running long distances decreases bulk and power, but not strength if you’re a novice runner. For experienced runners, it doesn’t have an impact on strength of the musculoskeletal system. Long distance running improves your cardiopulmonary system (heart and lungs).
Strength is defined as the ability to produce force and is measured as a one-repetition max. Hypertrophy is the enlargement of the muscle in size (“bulk”). Hypertrophy doesn’t take place until training for a few months - intentional changes in strength are a neurological response.
Now that we know the difference, let’s talk about how to maintain “gains” while running. Is that even possible?
As your weekly mileage increases, you burn more fat and the type of muscle fibers you use for weight lifting transition from type II to type I. If you’re looking to maintain size (“hypertrophy”), then you should condense the duration (i.e. intervals) and increase the intensity (i.e. sprints) in which you run.
Your workout regimen should be consist of: 1) lifting 4-5 days per week with exercise sets of 6-12 repetitions, 2) rest breaks between sets of 60-90 seconds, 3) include sets to failure, 4) concentric and eccentric repetitions, and 5) exercises should be multiplanar for maximum benefit. Your running regimen can consist of running no more than 3-4 miles once per week and 1-2 days of a track workout (interval training). Your program should be periodized to avoid overtraining.