Runner..want to lose weight and be lean

[oscarxp25]

I have some muscle on me. I ran a race on New Years and saw, since I have been lifting heavy weights, that my progress has been shortened.

I want to get a body like a runner but still maintain some muscle. I don't want to look like a stick.


Any ideas? Thanks

 

[foreverAFC]

runners usually have horrible looking bodies, they are thin but they look weak, type in sprinter vs runner into google images to see what i mean

cut down the running and circuit train with machines and weights instead, nothing will tone up and build the body like resistance training

 

[marmel75]

I have some muscle on me. I ran a race on New Years and saw, since I have been lifting heavy weights, that my progress has been shortened.

I want to get a body like a runner but still maintain some muscle. I don't want to look like a stick.


Any ideas? Thanks

Good luck. In a study conducted by Stanford over an 8 year period that tracked hundreds of runners, they found that ALL of them lost muscle and gained bodyfat each year of the study. Surprising? No, not really. Running releases catabolic(muscle breaking down) hormones that eat muscle and by extension increase your body fat. The less muscle you have, the more fat you gain. Muscle burns calories, losing muscle means you burn fewer calories.

If you only run and stop lifting weights, you will end up like a stick figure. If you continue lifting and running, you likely will be OK, but there are much more efficient ways of getting lean than running.

 

[Syrio]

Running is not necessarily going to make you lose muscle or gain body fat. You'll probably lose some muscle if you do a ton of distance running but if you do sprinting workouts you'll gain muscle - a lot of muscle. In response to OP, I would say do some sprinting workouts like 3-4 times per week and sprinkle some easy cardio in the off days to burn off some calories. And then, of course, do some lifting as well for your upper body.

Also, just for the record, running isn't really that "good" for you. It's good exercise but it really wears away at your joints, bones, tendons, etc. Having run a lot in my life I can say it's definitely affected my legs. I rarely swim but according to many articles I've read and people I've talked to, swimming is one of the best cardio exercises out there.

 

[the_stig]

I started running back in 2009 on my road biking off days, ended up getting really into it, and do regular 10-15 mile runs.

I've lost a ton of muscle mass. I'd be embarrassed to post how much I could lift then vs now. Granted, I spend most of my time at the gym doing cardio because I really enjoy it, so that's my fault.

Lastly, lots of good reasons to run. Don't listen to all the "running is so bad for you" naysayers. Contrary to belief, proper running actually strengthens your knees, joints, and bones. Reduces your risk of cancer, the effects of aging, boosts your immune system and your mood. Google it, it's all there and more.