Weight Training alongside Parkour
Weight training in the gym can be a great way to complement your training in Parkour. If you're not the type to train outside when it's cold, raining or tornadoing, the conditioning room can make a good alternative. The gym can be for everyone, not just people that want to lose weight, or grow huge and buff. It all depends on HOW you train that determines the results you achieve.
In Parkour, every single muscle is potentially used. This principle should be taken into the gym by focusing on compound exercises that involve many muscle groups as opposed to isolation exercises that target a single muscle. There are several different types of programs one can adopt to achieve specific goals such as, endurance, general fitness, strength, size and power. As traceurs, we should focus on endurance, strength and power.
Building endurance allows us to last during extended periods of movement. In general, this involves performing a large amount of repetitions (15 to 25) of a certain exercise, for a moderate amount of sets (3) with a short rest (30 to 60 seconds) between each. Reps should be at moderate speed and controlled. You should be lifting about 50-65% of your 1 rep max (RM), the heaviest weight you can lift with proper form.
Strength allows us to lift our own bodies for example. Training involves a smaller amount of reps (5-6) per set (3 to 6 sets) with a long rest period (3 to 5 minutes) between each set. Each rep should be slow and controlled. The resistance should be about 80-88% of your 1 RM.
Power is how quickly your muscles can activate. As such, it is closely related to strength. Power is required to absorb the quick bursts of impact during landings or speeding up your climbups for example. Training involves a very small amount of reps (1 to 4) at a very high weight (80-90% of 1 RM). Reps should be quick and controlled. There should be a moderate amount of rest (3 to 4 minutes) between sets (3 to 6 sets).
Whatever you choose to train that day (endurance, strength or power), be sure to start with compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts and bench press. After which, you can target individual muscle groups that need isolation like calves and forearms or other muscles that faltered during the compound exercises of a previous session. Finish off the session with a core (abdominals, lower back, obliques) workout. A detailed list of exercises can be found here: http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html under Power Training Exercises. If you do not have a spotter or are not comfortable with free weights, machines can be used sparingly. Just do not become dependent on them as they restrict a lot of range of motion required in Parkour.
Parkour requires one to have well balanced muscles to prevent joint instability. For example, extremely strong quads will tug on the knee tendons and without strong hamstrings to balance, can result in long term injuries (link to tendonitis article). As such, one should remember to train all opposing muscle groups, for example the bench press opposes the row or lat pulldown.
A good routine to follow at gym is as follows:
1. Warm-up (aerobic) - five to ten minutes low intensity to break a sweat. For example, running, cycling or elliptical.
2. Pre-exercise stretching - refer to Stretching by Jessica.
3. Weight training - choose one of the aspects described above and the muscle groups you wish to train.
4. Post exercise stretching/strengthening - 1 to 2 minutes per muscle group for stretching to help reduce lactic acid buildup and speed recovery.
Here is a summary of things to remember for weight training:
1. Number of exercises for each muscle group per session: From 1 to 3.
2. Order of exercises: Start with large or compound muscle groups, followed by small or isolated muscles.
3. Amount of weight: The correct weight should produce fatigue in your muscles by the last rep in each set, or determine by the above mentioned percentages.
4. Rest: 48 to 72 hours between workout sessions for each muscle group.
5. Frequency: 2 to 3 sessions per muscle group on non-consecutive days, if you're focusing on just weight training. If you're training outside as well, be sure to reduce this frequency to prevent OTS (link to Ken's article)
6. Lifting technique: Refer to http://www.exrx.net/Lists/PowerExercises.html for proper form. Timing for a slow and controlled rep (for example, when training strength) is usually 2-4 seconds for the push/pull/contraction (concentric) with a 4-6 count for the relax/recovery phase (eccentric). A quick rep (for example, when training power) should be done as fast as possible but still with control.
7. Range of motion: Each lift should be done through a joint's entire range of motion to ensure that your body is as adaptable as possible.
8. Criteria for progression: Increase the resistance or weight of an exercise when you are able to complete all repetitions of the last set without muscle fatigue.
9. Pain can be an indicator that you are lifting too much, or with improper form. Take it as a warning signal to stop before you hurt yourself or overtrain (OTS).
-Pat