It is no secret that I love to run. But as I’ve developed as a runner these last few years, I’ve learned a lot about being a balanced athlete – doing more than just the one thing that you love. The first year that I was losing weight and learning about health and nutrition, I mostly just ran. But after a year or so, Casey convinced me that to be a better athlete I needed to start doing regular weight training.
In just one short month of doing weights three times a week, it was indescribable how much better I looked. My arms and back had definition, and I felt so much stronger. Not to mention how much faster I got as a runner! I am a firm believer that weight training and cross-training cardio is essential for staying toned and in your best shape. Below are some of my posts about our weight training routines, and the other types of cardio I do to mix things up – hot yoga, biking, and more!
Workouts:
Yoga:
A Beginner’s Guide to Yoga
A 30-Day Yoga Challenge
100 Degrees in December
Superflow Saturday
Biking:
Motivators:
Meeting Thrive’s Brendan Braiser
As always, if you have any questions, or would like to see a post on something that I haven’t already covered, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.
12 Comments so far
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Hello Emily,
I just found your blog from a link on someone else’s.
Great encouragement for weight lifting for women and runners- it is so healthful for anyone. I do want to suggest that, based on the pictures, you really work on keeping a neutral spine when you bend forward holding weight, for instance doing a bent over row or dead lift. Any muscle is weakest when fully extended, so to support a weight with a rounded spine is a potential injury.
Keeping the spine neutral will also strengthen the back extensors, which makes good posture easy.
Cheers,
Steven
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
September 9th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
Good point Steven! I think I was rounding my back a bit to try to pose for photos, but in hindsight I probably should have worried a little more about my form. Thanks for checking out the blog!
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I was thinking about starting yoga. Is there a certain beginners yoga that I could do? Or just any beginners yoga?
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Emily @ The Front Burner Blog Reply:
October 6th, 2010 at 8:19 am
It depends on the studio – most will have beginners and into classes. Just check the schedules!
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Hello, I hope you are recovering well!! I had a question; you mentioned that the first year when you were trying to loose weight (as I am right now) you mostly ran. I am doing that as well and wondered how many miles you averaged a week in order for it to make a difference in the weight loss? I do not see the scale budging and am working to tweak my diet but do not have time for much more than a morning run.
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Emily, what a brave post.
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I stumbled on your blog a few weeks ago and I have been very impressed and inspired! I’ve especially been inspired by your focus on weight training. I have been one of those girls hitting the treadmill every night but to afraid to start lifting barbells in front of everyone, despite remembering how great it was to be buff back in highschool. I have been incorporating strength training into my own workouts over the last few weeks and I feel really, really great.
If you ever have the time to put together more posts about your strength routines, different exercises you do, etc, that would be awesome! It is so helpful to have guidance from someone who is both understanding of beginners and focused on lifting real weight and developing real muscle!
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Hi Emily! I agree that strength training is such an important part of running. I’m curious, what strength exercises do you suggest? I know you’re not a fitness expert and each person is different, but I think most runners have a good sense of what strength exercises benefit running..I’m just starting to add strength to my routine, and would love some exercise suggestions! Thanks!
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Emily, I just stumbled on your site today and I am really excited to have found it! Your story is so inspirational. Congratulations on your pregnancy, and I look forward to trying your recipes and hearing more from you on fitness and nutrition. You’ve reminded me to get back to lifting weights, too – thank you! PS – Hal Higdon went to my alma mater – Carleton College! We’re proud to claim him as one of our own.
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I love your blog! I randomly ran across it the internet the other day, and I love your fitness routine. I had always wanted to do weight lifting and had no idea where to start! Please continue to post your exercise routine and I look forward to try them out myself!!:)
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