Conventional thinking says that if one burns more calories than they consume, weight loss should occur. Well, as I discuss in my 3DVD series, Rx Nutrition, ‘If it was that easy…it would be that easy.’ For an individual to get lean, he/she must align the ‘Big 4’: nutrition, weight training, heart rate training, and the mind-body connection. Let’s examine each one:

Nutrition:

Bump in the Road: The most common ‘hole’ in one’s nutrition that I see with such endurance athletes is that they eat too few calories. Too few calories, over time, can actually begin to slow one’s metabolism due to muscle wasting. This can put the body into too large a calorie deficit and this stresses the body. In response to this stress, the body is signaled to hold on to body fat and body weight.

Solution: As you progress from shorter to longer distance, be sure that your everyday nutrition and your in-training nutrition match your output. An athlete cannot consume the same calories during Olympic distance training as compared to Ironman distance.

Weight/Resistance Training:

Bump in the Road: The most common things that I hear are, “Rick, I do not want to get big” or “I just do not have the time.” Omitting weight training, with high volume cardiovascular training, is one of the easiest ways for an athlete to begin to waste muscle. Wasting muscle will leave us tired, fatigued, weak, and dehydrated.

Solution: Weight train at least 2 times per week; you will find that you are leaner, lighter, and your performance is improved. You will build good quality lean muscle.

Heart Rate Training:

Bump in the Road: Sure, as an endurance athlete, you must train sport specific (swim, bike, run); but, high volumes of cardiovascular training, combined with too large a calorie deficit, combined with the omission of weight training, combined with training at too high a heart rate too often, is a perfect recipe for wasting muscle. When an athlete trains too high (heart rate), too often, he/she may bypass their ability to burn body fat and go right to carbohydrate (glycogen) burning.

Solution: Outside of any specific anaerobic/high heart rate/speed workouts you are doing, be sure to keep your heart rate in an aerobic zone in order to maximize fat burning. (Refer to chapter 12, pg. 105 of Forever Fit)

Mind-Body Connection:

Bump in the Road: Many athletes beat themselves up for not being able to get lean despite all of the cardiovascular training. Their thoughts and beliefs are that they just cannot lose the weight no matter what.

Solution: Just as I mention in Rx Nutrition: Eating for Improved Performance in Life, Fitness, and Sport…whether you think you can, or whether you think you cannot, you are right. As I talk about in my book Forever Fit, ‘If you believe it, you can achieve it.’ Our mind can be our biggest asset or our biggest limiter. When an athlete starts to get his/her mind right, the body will follow.

If you happen to be an athlete that has fallen prey to this scenario, not to worry; take a look at your ‘Big 4’ and see if there are any holes that can be plugged. As you start to analyze these aspects, and make the necessary corrections, you will begin to see much bigger returns on your investment. Make it a great 2010!

Many qualified experts on training and nutrition use TrainingPeaks to help manage their business. Now, a select few are offering professional training and nutrition advice on our blog. The views expressed here are the opinions of the experts and as such do not represent the official position of TrainingPeaks. Read on to learn more about the expert, and submit a question of your own at info@trainingpeaks.com

About the author:

Dr. Rick Kattouf II is the Host of Rx Nutrition, author of Forever Fit, ITCA Triathlon Coach, Food Psychology Coach, MMA Conditioning Coach, Wellness and Nutrition Consultant, Sports Nutrition Consultant, author for Livestrong.com, and Inspirational Speaker. Rick can be contacted at www.teamkattouf.com.

Visit TrainingPeaks for TeamKattouf meal and training plans

“I never was super active or athletic growing up.  I played little league baseball, dabbled in tennis in high school, and failed miserably at basketball.  Most of my efforts were futile because I was overweight, out of shape, and more committed to academics. College was much of the same.  I rarely went to the gym.  I never really made exercise an essential part of my life until after I left college.  Even in the beginning years of my professional life, exercise was just a way for me to keep up and fight off what seemed to be the inevitable middle age weight gain.  I lifted weights pretty regularly, played a lot of softball, and even managed to get back into tennis after many years of never picking up a racket.  There was just something lacking though.  I didn’t love what I was doing and I started to dread going to the gym. I had started gaining weight, my workouts lacked focus, and I felt like I was stuck in a rut.  I needed something to get me going again, something to light a fire.  This is where running came into my life.”

“I went to witness my first marathon nearly 4 years ago when a friend ran her first full marathon in April of 2006.  I remember thinking how inspiring it was to see all of those people struggle and fight for something so hard.  I told myself then that one day I would run a marathon but I never really knew if I was serious. When I started searching for something to get me going again, running jumped to the top of my list because my employer sponsors many of the local races in Oklahoma City and pays your entry fees if you choose to participate.  Registration for the OKC Memorial Marathon came upon me and I couldn’t say no.”

“I was nervous.  I wasn’t sure I could actually do it and I questioned whether or not I would be disciplined and dedicated enough to follow through with it.  Regardless, I took the leap and with every passing week, I fell in love with running more and more.  What started out as an attempt to get back into shape quickly morphed into a way of life.  Now my schedule revolves around training or racing.  No longer do I find excuses to miss workouts.  I now find myself having to remember to not overdo it.”

“After a full year of running on my own and following a Hal Higdon novice training plan, I ran my first full marathon in Dallas, Texas, on December 13, 2009.  It was an experience I will never forget and one that propelled me to dream even bigger.  I started 2010 with a desire to do something more.  Running was still going to be the backbone of my workouts and schedule, but the thought of a triathlon seemed very appealing.”

“After performing a little research, I decided to join forces with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team-in-Training program to train for the Capital of Texas Triathlon on May 31, 2010.  Not only would I be able to continue striving to make myself better, I could dedicate my training and hard work to help others in need.  It was a perfect fit and I am more blessed than ever to be able to raise money for those affected by blood cancers while I train for my first triathlon.  Each day and each dollar brings us one step closer to finding a cure and knowing that I am contributing makes every training session that more meaningful.”

“Joining up with Team-in-Training also introduced me to the TrainingPeaks program for the first time.  As part of our training, we were set up with a TrainingPeaks account where our coach uploaded a 16-week workout plan to take us from average athletes to an Olympic distance triathlon finishers.  The TrainingPeaks program also has allowed me to easily upload workouts from my Garmin Forerunner 310XT where my coaches can analyze my progress, see details of my individual training, and give me pointers on areas I need to improve.”

“For me, 2010 will also be a year where I build on the running base I formed in 2009.  Late in 2009, I struggled with Achilles tendonitis and really had to survive the last month of training leading up to my first full marathon.  Hopefully with the offseason rest and cross-training benefits I will be gaining from the triathlon, I can continue to improve my running and set new PRs in the marathon and half marathon.  I will get my first test this year at the OKC Memorial half marathon where it all started one year ago.  I have also signed up for my 2nd full marathon in October, when I make the trip to Chicago to join the mass of 45,000 people running through the Windy City.

“Along the way, I am also planning on becoming even more involved in my local running community and taking full advantage of the Brooks I.D. (Inspire Daily) program which I was accepted into in late January.  I plan on running several 5ks and 10ks in the Oklahoma City metro area and test out my bike skills in some area tours and duathlons when the time allows.  I also am focusing on continuing to build my blog and connect with other runners across the U.S. as we all strive to be better at what we love.  I am really excited about another year of reaching new heights, pushing my limits, and hopefully inspiring others to give running a shot.”

Read more about Bryan on his blog and contribute to his Team in Training efforts on his fundraising page!

Motivation: Even if your only reason for running is because you enjoy the activity and want to stay fit, it’s important to establish goals. That’s one reason why people run marathons. For the last several years, however, I’ve been floating along with my training, content merely to run for the sake of each day’s run. But that doesn’t quite seem enough for me to maintain optimal fitness and keep my weight where I’d like it. As a result, I set a goal recently of following my own Spring Training program. No important race at the end of the 12 weeks. I simply decided to use the program as an end in itself. Then I can find a new goal, perhaps a half marathon at the end of the next training tunnel.

Scheduling: One nice side effect of having a program to follow is that it takes the guesswork out of training. I know what I’m going to run each week and every day of the week, because it’s in my computer. If I need a sheet of paper to hang on my refrigerator or office wall, I can print a copy. That makes it less likely that I will skip a workout, or do less than I might otherwise do, because I have no plan. Having a workout plan keeps me honest in my training and motivates me to follow that plan.

Consistency: The most important result of any intelligently followed training plan is you learn to be consistent. You don’t need (or even want) to do spectacular workouts that have no purpose other than to prove you can do them. More important is to train consistently day after day and week after week. “Keep your training at a consistent level–even if only an easy level–and good things will happen to you,” claims Coach Jack Daniels.

Adaptability: Just because you have a training plan, that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt it to your own particular needs and schedule. Often I find I need to shuffle workouts because of various obligations, family or business, but I don’t skip those workouts. While you can get away with missing a few workouts–and injuries may force you occasionally to skip more than a few–training schedules work best if you follow the general pattern even while making changes to suit your daily needs.

Has that snow melted from your running paths yet? Even in northeastern Florida, where I spend the winters, temperatures have been abnormally cold for the last several months forcing me to dress like I do in the Frozen North: layered and with cap and gloves. But spring is near and having a good training program will allow you to greet the next change of seasons with fire in your eyes.

Hal Higdon is a TrainingPeaks coach and contributing editor for Runner’s World. His latest book is titled simply Marathon, a novel. Copies are available from www.halhigdon.com.

So, what does strength have to do with it? Well, everything when it comes to health. When performed properly and in periodized fashion, strength training can enhance all facets of daily life. These include daily active living and exercise.

Daily active living includes a multitude of body movements like: getting in and out of bed, bathing, reaching for the cereal box on the top shelf, walking up and down stairs, and carrying groceries into the house from the car. Basically everything we do as mobile humans involves the use of muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and bones. Without some measure of strength we would be hard pressed to complete even the easiest of daily tasks. With our world of reduced physical labor, it becomes important to take up strength training to maintain our physical being.

Following the guidance of a certified fitness professional and using the wide range of equipment available for strength training we can add measured stresses to our bodies which will assist in the needed adaptations to improve and/or maintain our physical strengths. The benefits gained even from minimal strength work are increased joint motion and stability as well as increased self preservation as we age, all too important if we want to enjoy our retirement years. Taking part in a periodized strength plan, which consists of phases in which the body is methodically pressed to get stronger, will allow for improvements of cardiovascular exercise.

Cycling by itself can improve on daily active living, but when coupled with strength training the benefits increase at a greater rate. For example muscle power gained through performing multi-joint strength exercises like the squat, will translate to the pedals in added force on hills and the ability to maintain a higher constant speed over an entire bike ride. Both of these benefits alone will allow for the completion of a summer event in a shorter time, generally the number one goal of cyclists.

From a health standpoint, the stresses of strength training on our body translate to bone health. Put simply, the bone being stressed by the added forces will remodel itself to counteract those forces. This is very important since we are at our peak bone density very early in life and then start a steady decline towards osteoporosis as we lose bone density. So, strength training along with proper diet can aid us in staving off this loss. Strong bones allow us to survive crashes, falls and common daily accidents with greater resiliency. This formula also applies to the muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Strength training doesn’t have to mean getting huge and hulky; you can have large improvements in strength with small changes in physical appearance. The thing to take away from this is that no matter the sport there are strength plans available to enhance that sport. A well designed plan will not overtake the important aspects of sport specificity; just enhancement of the physiological benefit created when performing that sport.

Optimize Endurance Services has purchasable strength plans designed for cyclists, runners and has incorporated strength training into this year’s Triple Bypass training plans. Learn more by going to the OES website or give Rob a call, he’s available to assist.

Many qualified experts on training and nutrition use TrainingPeaks to help manage their business. Now, a select few are offering professional training and nutrition advice on our blog. The views expressed here are the opinions of the experts and as such do not represent the official position of TrainingPeaks.

About the author:

Rob Lockey, CSCS, ACSM/HFS and a USA Cycling LII Certified Coach, provides testing and coaching through Optimize Endurance Services. Contact him at 303-356-9893 or rob@optimizeendurance.com

TrainingPeaks.com has been selected as the official training and nutrition software of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. This strategic partnership will offer participants interactive training and nutrition software together with expert training advice for runners on training for a marathon or half marathon designed by running expert Matt Fitzgerald, author of dozens of books on training and editor of RunNow.com and Competitor.com

“We are excited to provide our participants with the best available tools and expert training advice for runners to help them prepare for their event,” said Dan Vaughan, VP of New Media at Competitor Group. “Our goal is for runners to have a great race day experience and Peaksware is helping make that a reality with their unparalleled software – TrainingPeaks.com.”

In addition to delivering training plans, Peaksware, LLC, the company behind TrainingPeaks.com provides Competitor Group’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series participants with the ability to upload workouts from more than 80 popular GPS, heart rate and pace tracking devices; find, map routes; track and plan nutrition; and get daily emails with their next day’s planned workout.

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is one of the most popular and well respected event series in the nation and we’re very proud to support both the events and every runner who chooses to take advantage of this opportunity,” remarked Donavon Guyot, Peaksware CEO. “Combining Matt Fitzgerald’s expertise with our software will give runners the means to have a great experience during the weeks of training leading up to their event.”

Training plans are now available for all 14 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon events at www.trainingpeaks.com/rock-n-roll. Plans are $29.95 for those training for a marathon and $24.95 for those training for a half marathon. Training plans can be applied to either a free Basic account or a Premium subscription account. For those not ready for a plan, a free or Premium TrainingPeaks.com account can still be created to track their training.