It's funny that this is your approach as these are the two things I conciously consider during a run as well. I used to think about it alot more but then realized it really doesn't matter. I have to admit I get a good chuckle out of the threads that talk about good form, especially that chick in the video that was posted a few days ago with running with your hands in front of you. So I guess it's not all useless?
Now form for lifting is a completely different issue.
Yah, I think all the running form talk is either by people who haven't been very athletic in their lives, or by people who are very athletic and perfectionist. I'm somewhere in the middle so just decent posture comes naturally to me, and barefoot running seems to force a good landing and stride length. I'm sure there are lots of fine points I could work on, but with no real performance goals, why bother? As long as I'm not developing any repetitive stress issues and can run decent distances despite the fact that I carry any extra 50-80 pounds of fat and muscle, I figure I'm doing OK.
That said, I'm thinking of making a push to lose 20-30 pounds by the end of the summer. Just running more consistently will be key, but also ditching the extra daytime meal will help. I like to lift with a full tank of fuel, but if my maxes fall off a bit once in a while, it will be worth it if I can lose some belly fat.
But yeah, for lifting good form is key, and it doesn't always come naturally. I'm still finding my way with bar position on the squats, trying little tweaks and sticking to 225x2-3 until it starts to feel really smooth and natural.
I don't know if you have noticed this, but one of the problems I have had with heavy rows from the floor is managing the lower back fatigue throughout the workout. DL's and Squats take so much out of my lower back trying to get in some heavy reps of non-chest supported rows is difficult after the main work. It is probably why the 5-8 rep range works better vs. the 3-5 range I would use for heavier stuff.
Yah, that's why I like the idea of inverted rows--no stress on the lower back. I also find if I do the bentover t-bar or barbell rows one rep at a time, allowing the plates to touch the floor in between each rep, it helps the lower back. I also like the dumbbell rows for this reason; with the opposite knee and arm offering support, the lower back doesn't get stressed as much. That's why I think I might start doing those heavier. I'm at 80lbs now, but I would like to try 100 tomorrow. But you're probably right that bentover t-bar or barbell rows would best be done with a higher rep approach. I also like seated cable rows with this kind of grip:
Seated rows are very lower back friendly
On another back topic I wonder if there is some correlation (like how bench should equal row) between the amount of pull-ups and weight you can do and what you could do horizontally. For example I can do roughly 8 chin-ups before the point of failure, I am probably sitting at 200lbs. so should that match what I could pull horizantally or 8 reps for roughly 185lbs? It probably doesn't matter since your press and bench is significantly different but I wonder if I should start adding weight to my pull-up?
Yah, I don't know about those ratios. The bentover row and bench presses (especially wide-grip) are kind of an unnatural movements, whereas pullups and overhead presses seem pretty natural. The bench press, however, is supported (by the bench), whereas the bentover row isn't, so I don't know if they really should be equal. I know a lot of people think so, but like you say, it can really fatigue the lower back. I don't take a purist 'naturalistic' view of these things, but it seems worth considering whether or not the body was really designed to do certain movements and whether or not they're placing undue stress. The older I get, the more cautious I become on these sorts of issues. Even in my prime, I would avoid the bentover row a lot. Never really liked it but it's easier with the t-bar. I just started doing barbell rows again a few weeks ago, so we'll see how that goes.
In any case, I would say once you can do 8-10 reps for chin-ups, you could start to think about adding weight. That's been my idea anyway, if I can ever get up to 10 reps!
Good news about the toe and shoulder. With the narrow press you still have to be diligent about keeping the arms in and not letting your elbows flare out too significantly. I tend to do this especially when the weight gets heavy. Its good patterning for me to do 10 slow controlled reps with 135 before I jump weight. Just a thought.
Thanks for the tip! My grip is still a little wider than shoulder-width, not a true narrow-grip bench press, but I'll make sure to keep my elbows in. I usually do 3-5 reps at 135 as I warm-up, always controlled. I don't like doing too much more than 3-5 reps on the warm sets though. I like to have a full tank for the work sets.
I haven't heard about Menards from my days back in Chicagoland. You have them up in Minnesota? I am a home depot fan personally haha.
Home Depot is probably better, but there's a huge Menards close by.
No I have never done them but have read and heard great things about them. In fact I remember an article I read that Louie Simmons used them for recovery for his lifters and for an ultra runner who would train with him? So maybe it would be a benefit for runners. They have to be pretty similar to pushes, I would assume, and I do like those but once again I have never done them for longer distances like you are suggesting. Maybe I'll give them a try and go do some pulls at the beach.
And the reviews...
"The piece of crap plastic clips that hold this harness onto your body are too weak and will snap if you try and drag more than 20 pounds. What was this thing made for, pulling a few kittens across a field?
Yea, you can tie the straps around your body but for this price, why?"
Yah, I saw that review, but it was the only negative one I think. The other lower star ones said it was too big, but I'm XL shirt size, so it shouldn't be a problem for me. I usually discount one or two negative reviews if all the others are positive. And anyway, if it does break on me, with Amazon, returns are always easy.
Of course, I could go ultra low-tech and just haul a rope over my shoulder. I was looking at sleds and I thought: "how is this better than an old tire with some weight in it?" The problem with using a rope though is that I wouldn't be able to pump my arms, but maybe that's OK?
Anyway, I thinking of getting more serious about my sprints, hills, and maybe this sled pull idea. I think I should do more conditioning work on my non-lifting days. I get a sense that my weekend long runs would really take off if I did more conditioning work during the week. It's just a matter of summoning the will. It's so much easier to just go out and jog at aerobic pace all the time.