2/A day split recommendations

p5sky

p5sky

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I am looking at doing 2 workouts/day about 3 times per week. I am focusing on endurance AND strength training. I have working on bodybuilding for about 8 yrs and have put on some decent mass, but I am also doing 3-4 triathlons each season. I am not worried about doing GREAT in tris because that would completely alter my wt training, I just want to improve my tri fitness while maintaining muscle as much as possible.

If I am doing an endurance session (swim/bike/run) AND a wt session in the same day which would be the best to do first? I am not doing these back-to-back, I will do one session in the late morning/early afternoon (10am-2pm) and the other in the late evening (7-10pm).

Thanks
 

rexkwondoe

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This is kind of a toss up for me. It seems to make more sense, intuitively, to do endurance early in the morning then follow up with a late afternoon/ early evening weight training session. What will be tricky is scheduling. I wouldn't stress much lower body strength development because that could change the way your muscles function during your triathlons. If it were me, I'd focus on high rep stuff for lower body to develope hypertrophy, but make sure I have a light day with whatever cardio you have to do that next day. I'm really careful about over-training though.

The only benefit (albeit a big benefit) of weight training early is that your testosterone levels are highest in the morning...if memory serves. That's a tough one for me man, because the more you do for one = the less for the other. As long as your not really trying to break records on your tri times...you should be good either way, I'd think. I'm interested to see if anyone here knows of studies done on this topic.
 
ZiR RED

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I always do my track workout first in the morning, then my resistance workouts at night. You don't want neural fatigue from weight training to alter your running tehcnique or neural recruitment.

As for the weights, I suggest core movements and low rep/explosive movements to increase power output and plyometrics to increase SSC and improve economy,

Br
 
p5sky

p5sky

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This is kind of a toss up for me. It seems to make more sense, intuitively, to do endurance early in the morning then follow up with a late afternoon/ early evening weight training session. What will be tricky is scheduling. I wouldn't stress much lower body strength development because that could change the way your muscles function during your triathlons. If it were me, I'd focus on high rep stuff for lower body to develope hypertrophy, but make sure I have a light day with whatever cardio you have to do that next day. I'm really careful about over-training though.

This is definitely the tough part, balancing BB and tri training. I do adjust during this time of yr as you say, no heavy squats.

The only benefit (albeit a big benefit) of weight training early is that your testosterone levels are highest in the morning...if memory serves. That's a tough one for me man, because the more you do for one = the less for the other. As long as your not really trying to break records on your tri times...you should be good either way, I'd think. I'm interested to see if anyone here knows of studies done on this topic.

Not looking to place, just a recreational athlete that is competitive within myself. I wanna improve but also continue BB.
thanks for your advice!
 
p5sky

p5sky

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I always do my track workout first in the morning, then my resistance workouts at night. You don't want neural fatigue from weight training to alter your running tehcnique or neural recruitment.

As for the weights, I suggest core movements and low rep/explosive movements to increase power output and plyometrics to increase SSC and improve economy,

Br
Good advice, fatigue would have a huge effect on technique. I also need to do plyometrics, been neglecting these.

Tomorrow will be a Bike ride (maybe at the gym if it is too hot +95) and in the evening I will work my back. The following day will be just cardio, a swim session will be great to get a stretch.

So 3 days/week will be cardio/bb split and 2 days just cardio. This gives me 2 days off from any training. Fortunately I have the summers off so I can do this training routine and get into race condition pretty quickly.
 
Type O Hero

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It took me a while to realize this, but it's still so true.. LESS IS MORE!!!! As long as that "less" is thorough and intense, it'll benefit you more than doing too much would. I think the only people who benefit from two-a-day weight lifting sessions would be people with incredible genetics (the type that may even be completely tarded in the gym but still manage to look great) or people on gear.

I mean, if it works, it works, but I still preach the whole, "less is more" thing because 9 times out of 10, it's true.

Hell, I even went on a month long break a while back and when I came back, after about two weeks I looked in way better shape than I had a month or two earlier. Taking breaks can work wonders. Just sayin..
 
p5sky

p5sky

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Thanks Type 0, but Im not doing 2/day wt training. I was looking for guidance in wt training AND major cardio sessions in the same day. Doing cardio early and wts in the evening. Cardio is 1000m swim OR 3-5 mile run OR 15-20 mi bike.
 
ZiR RED

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Type O has a point, though. When it comes to the resistance training, less will be more. You don't need to be destroying yourself in the weight room to make strength gains..and if you are (destroying yourself) your endurance training will suffer severely.

Br
 

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