Advice on my hardest ever training schedule please?

When my summer holidays start, I will have just left secondary school and will be bored out of my mind. I am thinking of trying to become a tank before 6th form, and having a go at this:

50 miles of running a week, including a tempo run, 2 track interval sessions, and either a hill session or mile repeats.

1.5-2 hours in the gym every day, including very hard stationary cycling

Some type of abs workout daily (lifted from bruce lee)

I will try to train 14 times a week., including 7 sessions of running.  I confess this is partly for bragging rights and vanity, but 95% to see how good I can be. My question is, should I have a go? If I get injured, at least I can say I gave it my best shot rather than falling short of my potential, but many users of this thread will probably think I'm an idiot for that. I have had some knee trouble recently, but it should clear up soon enough. Also last time I did the gym I worked too hard and passed out, but the doctor said he deosn't think it's anything to worry about. I will be 16 when I try this.

Cheers for all replies!

Isaac Allen wrote (see)

I am thinking of trying to become a tank before 6th form.

At the age of 16 you have started to reach the age where your body can handle really hard training and recover, but your mind has yet to catch up to apply the required dedication. 

IF you didn't get sick, injured, bored, invited to enough parties, then this training wouldn't turn you into a tank - more of a tent pole.

You will be able to achieve the 'tank look' at 18 years of age. Just replace each hour of exerise with an hour in the pub. Then when you get to Uni you will have endured 18 weeks of training necessary not only to become a tank but also to achieve bragging rights. 

What are you doing at the moment?

Yes, plenty of idealistic young men come on here saying what they intend to do. Some do it, some don't. non listen to advice, they just go ahead anyway.

Actually young and old men alike and probably a few women to.

Running 50 miles a week isn't something that you can just dive into. Most people who set out to run can't even run a mile. 50 miles may take you around 8-10 hrs to run depending on what pace you run at. Generally the further you run the slower you run. If you run too fast you'll knacker yourself out for the rest of the week.

Lets assume 2hrs in the gym everyday, another hr to hr and half running. And you intend quality sessions every day.

You'll snap. Maybe week two or week 3. That's if you manage week one.

Do you intend to do any school work or is this just a six week summer holiday plan? And who are you trying to impress. Most people would probably just laugh. No one cares about you ecept you. Do what you want if it makes you feel good but really, take advice form a pt.

Isaac Allen wrote (see)

When my summer holidays start, I will have just left secondary school and will be bored out of my mind. I am thinking of trying to become a tank before 6th form, and having a go at this:

50 miles of running a week, including a tempo run, 2 track interval sessions, and either a hill session or mile repeats.

1.5-2 hours in the gym every day, including very hard stationary cycling

Some type of abs workout daily (lifted from bruce lee)

I will try to train 14 times a week., including 7 sessions of running.  I confess this is partly for bragging rights and vanity, but 95% to see how good I can be. My question is, should I have a go? If I get injured, at least I can say I gave it my best shot rather than falling short of my potential, but many users of this thread will probably think I'm an idiot for that. I have had some knee trouble recently, but it should clear up soon enough. Also last time I did the gym I worked too hard and passed out, but the doctor said he deosn't think it's anything to worry about. I will be 16 when I try this.

 

Cheers for all replies!

Starting with much less and building up week on week is a better idea. You can get a damn good physique with 3 weights sessions a week and three days of running training and  a rest day.

What you have outlined in your post will not happen. If you do a 10 mile run in a day, you won't feel keen on a weights session or abdominal work.......and even if you do, you'll likely be in calorie deficit (so you won't be building muscle).

Why not take up boxing training? That is one of the best ways to get fit and strong. Coaches will notice if you are overtraining and stagnating......

I thought on this overnight and just wondered why bother with the running?

Instead of trying to run 50 miles a week I would have thought HIIT (high intensity interval training) would be better.

Endurance athletes aren't tanks, they look like twigs liable to snap in the slightest of breezes. They certainly don't carry muscle that they don't use for running.

Been having fun with the stillman formula, I need to lose 1 and a half stone to be an endurance athlete. Not going to happen.

It seems like a good way to drive yourself nuts. Get up exercise, eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, exercie, eat sleep. Everyday for 6 weeks. And for what exactly.

the running will not help the tank look at all........just go to the gym.........

i think you need to think about what you want to achieve and why.there is better ways to get bragging rights...

if you get to be like a tank....and then stop what you are doing to work for your A levels....your body will quickly look a mess as the tank look has to be muscle to look good....it will soon turn wobbly and horrible.

you know yourself that what you are suggesting isn't practical or advised...but if you are stupid enough to work so hard that you pass out in the gym and then want to try a tougher schedule then i can see that you have learnt nothing and that you must be a worry to your parents.....

"when my summer holidays start"!

Thats what 7 months away?!

Firstly, what is the aim? If it is to become "a tank", your on the wrong forum, 50miles a week is more of a distance runners mileage, and lots of muscle mass is not good nor necessary for an improvement in running performance .

If the aim is running performance, 4 hard sessions a week is too much, obviously.

get your aims decided and we can help you rather than telling you no,no,no.

don't see a problem with the exercise plan as long as the runs are very slow,if you can't stick it out then maybe your not mentally strong enough yet.

interesting robert, how do you do a "very slow" tempo run? or a very slow interval session? the lad hasnt even told us his running background and you think he wont have a problem with suddenly starting over 7miles a day including 4 hard sessions a week, & 14 hours in the gym a week including 'very hard stationary cycling', oh  and 7 ab sessions a week + NO rest days. great advice.

Agree with Seb, you need to assess what your goals are.  At the moment it sounds like it's an ill-thought out combination of things that don't go together.  If you want bragging rights about being a fast runner, fair enough.  If you want bragging rights about having a torso and biceps like Arnie that all the girls - or boys - are going to go mental over, fair enough, but those two goals won't be compatible.  If you just want bragging rights about being able to tell peope what a crazily crazy amount of training you've done over the summer, to the point of fainting in the gym, that's just a bit sad.

yes poor advise,i was thinking with the gym being his priority to be a tank for whatever youthful reasons the running should only be no more than a fast walk/jog like some gym members do,i didn't take in the intervals/stationary bike etc

Sorry everyone, i forgot to include what I already do. I am currently doing 32 miles a week of good, strong running, including 4 quality sessions - a fartlek, a track interval session, a hill or mile reps session, and a fast 8.5 miler, combined with 2 days of easy stuff. I do my own weights, and go to the gym whenever my dad does (I have to be with him cause I'm not 16 yet.) Looking back at my post, yes it looks ridiculous as it looks like I have no exercise background. I have been running since age 11. Also, when I said "tank" I did mean the look, but also the ability to exercise far past what most people can do. Also, I realise the sport may not go together, but I will not become a good runner - I love it, but have very little talent. I figured I might as well weightlift and see how that goes, look good, and still run for the sheer love of it.

Oh and believe me i did NOT intend to faint in the gym - I had no previous experience of it so I just worked bloody hard, figuring I could handle it off my running fitness, then very suddenly I went down and stayed there. It WASN'T meant to happen, like i seem to have accidentally implied, and rather was a mistake. I plan on being far more careful from now on.

if you follow your planned schedule then you will no doubt risk having a lot more episodes of the fainting......that much exercise would need a very carefully planned food menu to ensure that you get enough of the right food and nutrients.....

i think that there must be better ways of trying to impress others.like talking to them  

if you father goes to the gym regulary then he should be aware of you building up slowly......like all things you have to build up slowly so that your body has time to adapt to what you want from it....if you are still a slow runner after all that running for this length of time i would sugge4st that you do to many of your runs too hard so that you can never get the best from your body.its under too much stress to perform well.

good luck 

Isaac Allen wrote (see)

Also, when I said "tank" I did mean the look, but also the ability to exercise far past what most people can do.

Why??  What's the point in exercising for the sake of exercising?  Elite level marathon runners tend to run 100+ miles a week, which is definitely in excess of what most people can manage, but they do this so that they can run quicker than 5 minutes per mile for 26.2 miles, not so that they can flash their training log at their mates.

If your main goal is to bulk up to get a muscular but lean physique, there's an argument for actually reducing the amount you run, not going mental and trying to do several hard sessions per week.  I'm not an expert but I believe large amounts of aerobic exercise increases the production of cortisol, which actually inhibits the effect of strength training on bulking up muscle, at least when it means that you can't recover properly between sessions.  Look it up, or as Millsy suggests get some professional advice from someone, making clear what your objectives are.

Ok, it's looking like I've got this totally wrong. Philpub - I am doing this for personal satisfaction, not for bragging to my mates. seren nos - don't worry mate, I do talk to people...I just exercise too. It looks like all the advice is to back off then. Ok, I'll do that. What should I do instead, in order to meet these goals, in order from most important to least important:

1: Improving my running ability

2: Improve my general fitness - I want to be able to do things other than run decently, which in this case is weightlifting

3: Take up a second sport seriously

4: In general test my limits and see how good I can be at both running and weightlifting

5: looking good.

When I said bragging rights earlier, I didn't mean to my mates, I meant to fellow runners in the "what do you do", or "how's your training going" conversations. Basically, I don't like saying I run a 32 mile week when I'm talking to someone just 2 years older than me who runs over 100. I don't want to do that much, but I want to do more than I am. I apologize if i come across as clueless, so I'll hand it over to the experts: What should I be doing

PS: Thank you to everyone who replied, I appreciate it.

I think that you need to compromise on something.

I run; swim; cycle and play hockey. I also do core work. I used to do free weights until I got hit by a truck and couldn't even lift a teacup.

I'd love to be a really good swimmer but I don't think I have what it takes despite all my training. If I stopped running then I might improve but I'd never win medals and I quite like my running medals. .

Hockey, I've only started playing this summer and only train once a week for an hr and a half. I can still run on the days I play hockey, except if I play a full game as I have discovered. The one thing about being able to run fast is that you get put on the wing.

I really think that you should work on your core to look good. Weight training is ok up to a point but only to a point. There are a group of lads that attend the gym that I do. I have watched them. The one that looks the best, has the most grace and poise when exercising is atually the least bulked up of them. He looks better and stronger. Maybe look at some youtube videos of urban gymnasys to see what I mean.

Personally, I would not run everyday. I would not visit the gym everyday. If by 'tank' you just mean that you want to feel strong in both your running and gym workouts then you also need to incorporate rest periods into your training. Going at it all guns blazing is just going to destroy you.

This year I felt the strongest after having a weeks holiday in which all I did was sea swim. No running and no cycling.

You're already doing quite a lot, as had been said, work out your priorities and what you really want. Also, I think that if you do take a week out of hard training you will see the benifits of rest and actually reap the rewards.

It doesn't matter what mileage other people do - no prizes for it.

Personally I don't think long distance running and become a good weight lifter go well together at all. Why not instead aim to do some biathlons and get good at running and cycling? At least they go together in terms of general aerobic conditioning. I'm not even really sure what you mean by 'general fitness' - do you understand the physiological differences between running and weight lifting? The phrase doesn't really mean anything.

Look at pictures of the top end of races, not just international stuff but regional and local races. Most of the good guys are thin as a rake and arms like matchsticks.

Another thing to think about is decatheletes, look at both their body build and the comparative times and distances they achieve at each discipline. Daley Thompson might be thought of as having tremendous all round 'fitness' but his 1500m was pants.