Walking considered strength training?

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Replies

  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 857 Member
    999tigger wrote: »
    Just no. No to the muscle as well.

    For the purposes of MFP logging, walking would be better placed in the cardio category, if that is the point of the OP's question.

    Muscles and strength are built up by walking, in addition to working the cardiovascular system. If the question asked is generally speaking, it is both.

    Let me guess--you don't lift.

    What leads you to believe I don't lift? Nothing I have said would indicate any such thing.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    Take a look at walkers and endurance runners. They are always incredibly lean.

    Not always true.
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Take a look at walkers and endurance runners. They are always incredibly lean.

    Not always true.

    23strides-span-600.jpg

    They be jacked, brah!
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Take a look at walkers and endurance runners. They are always incredibly lean.

    Not always true.

    23strides-span-600.jpg

    They be jacked, brah!

    You're right. All walker and endurance runners look like Olympic athletes. My bad ;)
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,160 Member
    DavPul wrote: »
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    ENDURANCE TRAINING!!!

    NOT STRENGTH TRAINING!!!

    You're yelling. Stop yelling.

    hahaha

    I just cant believe such conflict about a basic fitness concept.

    It's funny... :)

    I don't think there is, everyone says no, except the people who being sarcastic who say yes, but mean no!

    Your lips say no but your bulky legs say yes

    Seriouysly, my legs were flabby twigs, then about 18 month old, I studdenly start developing these monster pistons, haven't stopped since!!
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
    kkenseth wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Take a look at walkers and endurance runners. They are always incredibly lean.

    Not always true.

    23strides-span-600.jpg

    They be jacked, brah!

    You're right. All walker and endurance runners look like Olympic athletes. My bad ;)

    runner+vs+sprinter.jpg
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
    This might be considered weight training?
    fat-man-running.jpg
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited August 2015
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Definitely strength training. Don't listen to these chumps.

    Hey, who're you calling a chump?

    While walking is an excellent exercise, and it does often help us with endurance and building stamina, but it is not strength training in the sense that it builds muscle.

    Strength training is lifting weights, and usually heavy ones at that.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    It all depends

    If you are walking ...away from a cheesecake it is "strength"
    When you walk away from your mother in law it is "endurance"

    Yessssss!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    kkenseth wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Take a look at walkers and endurance runners. They are always incredibly lean.

    Not always true.

    23strides-span-600.jpg

    They be jacked, brah!

    You're right. All walker and endurance runners look like Olympic athletes. My bad ;)

    They all look pretty lean to me..

  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    kkenseth wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Take a look at walkers and endurance runners. They are always incredibly lean.

    Not always true.

    23strides-span-600.jpg

    They be jacked, brah!

    You're right. All walker and endurance runners look like Olympic athletes. My bad ;)

    They all look pretty lean to me..

    That doesn't begin to encompass the number of people who walk and run though. That's an elite few...I'm not saying that runners aren't lean, but you can't make the over generalization that all are because walking and running are correlated with being lean, but not necessarily causal. Walking and running won't make you lean : a caloric deficit will. I know some pretty awesome Ironman athletes that are overweight.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    LOL at this thread.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    No, walking is cardio...
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I've been walking over 10 miles on most days for months. I have noticed zero definition in my legs :disappointed:

    @christinev297 I can't understand how you can't see definition in your legs from walking, since I began walking regularly 3 yrs ago within 3 months my leg were lean and muscly... and since I began running, even more so :smile:
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I've been walking over 10 miles on most days for months. I have noticed zero definition in my legs :disappointed:

    @christinev297 I can't understand how you can't see definition in your legs from walking, since I began walking regularly 3 yrs ago within 3 months my leg were lean and muscly... and since I began running, even more so :smile:

    Because her body is not yours?

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    The runners are usually very lean. Serious runners, anyway.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I've been walking over 10 miles on most days for months. I have noticed zero definition in my legs :disappointed:

    @christinev297 I can't understand how you can't see definition in your legs from walking, since I began walking regularly 3 yrs ago within 3 months my leg were lean and muscly... and since I began running, even more so :smile:

    Because her body is not yours?
    Ok :smile: but I did have really soft squidgy pudgy legs beforehand ...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    I've been walking over 10 miles on most days for months. I have noticed zero definition in my legs :disappointed:

    @christinev297 I can't understand how you can't see definition in your legs from walking, since I began walking regularly 3 yrs ago within 3 months my leg were lean and muscly... and since I began running, even more so :smile:

    Because her body is not yours?
    Ok :smile: but I did have really soft squidgy pudgy legs beforehand ...

    So do I. I live in NYC and don't own a car. I tried running. I lift heavy weights. Still jiggly.

    Ugh writing this just made me frustrated about it lol
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    @arditarose ahh bless, think we all have body parts we're not happy with...for me its my jelly belly :/
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    kkenseth wrote: »
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    ENDURANCE TRAINING!!!

    NOT STRENGTH TRAINING!!!

    You're yelling. Stop yelling.

    hahaha

    I just cant believe such conflict about a basic fitness concept.

    It's funny... :)

    Walking is a good exercise because it is better than nothing. That is all
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    No, it wouldn't be considered strength training.

    However...


    Walking can prompt hypertrophy (muscle growth) in the lower limbs for obese people across a limited time frame. This is because if an obese person starts walking much more than they did before they expose their muscles to a greater load than what they are used to which is sufficient enough to cause micro tears in the muscles. Maybe this is where you are getting confused.

    In addition, even in leaner individuals load bearing exercises (such as running) or exercises which requires muscles to a sufficient amount of force (like cycling uphill) can prompt a limited hypertrophy response depending on diet.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    It all depends

    If you are walking ...away from a cheesecake it is "strength"
    When you walk away from your mother in law it is "endurance"

    This is brilliant. Many thanks!!

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,947 Member
    bcalvanese wrote: »
    DopeItUp wrote: »
    Definitely strength training. Don't listen to these chumps.

    Endurance, not strength. And cardio if you walk at a fast pace.
    He's being sarcastic.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,947 Member
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    It all depends

    If you are walking ...away from a cheesecake it is "strength"
    When you walk away from your mother in law it is "endurance"
    Bwahahaha! Best one I've heard yet!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I wonder if part of the confusion is that walking is considered "weight-bearing" exercise (good for building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis)? Definitely not strength training though.
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
    As an aside I would like some advice please.

    I walk everywhere as I don't have a car and use the treadmill at the gum. I can't run because of a bad knee.

    I'm trying to get my legs stronger before I go into surgery (which could be a zillion years away).

    Atm I do half uphill at 3mph at 10-15% and half on the flat at about 4.2mph. Roughly about 20-30 mins each time.

    Could this be improved and make my legs stronger?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Only if you're carrying a loaded barbell...lol

    Dumbbells are okay too. Any kind of farmer's carry.

    Actually, thinking of it as a farmer's carry is how I make myself not hate carrying home groceries, sometimes, but I don't really consider it strength training.

    Good to walk, though, so why does it matter, OP?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,947 Member
    999tigger wrote: »
    Just no. No to the muscle as well.

    For the purposes of MFP logging, walking would be better placed in the cardio category, if that is the point of the OP's question.

    Muscles and strength are built up by walking, in addition to working the cardiovascular system. If the question asked is generally speaking, it is both.
    Well no. Because strength would be progressive resistance. Unless one is ADDING weight resistance to their body, then it's not going to be strength training. If one is losing weight while walking, they aren't getting stronger, they are just getting more muscle conditioning from repetition.
    So walking on relatively flat surface areas really is more about cardio and muscular endurance training and not strength. Now walking uphill or at steeper angles for a good distance would be different since there's an increase in resistance.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

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  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Furbuster wrote: »
    As an aside I would like some advice please.

    I walk everywhere as I don't have a car and use the treadmill at the gum. I can't run because of a bad knee.

    I'm trying to get my legs stronger before I go into surgery (which could be a zillion years away).

    Atm I do half uphill at 3mph at 10-15% and half on the flat at about 4.2mph. Roughly about 20-30 mins each time.

    Could this be improved and make my legs stronger?

    Walk more hills if you can and / or add some weight when you walk (like wearing a weighted vest for example. I would avoid a rucksack filled with weights though as it can concentrate undue pressure on your back and shoulders.)

    Have you tried hiking?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,947 Member
    Furbuster wrote: »
    As an aside I would like some advice please.

    I walk everywhere as I don't have a car and use the treadmill at the gum. I can't run because of a bad knee.

    I'm trying to get my legs stronger before I go into surgery (which could be a zillion years away).

    Atm I do half uphill at 3mph at 10-15% and half on the flat at about 4.2mph. Roughly about 20-30 mins each time.

    Could this be improved and make my legs stronger?
    Are you holding on? Because if you are, then the inclines' resistance gets reduced by up to 40%.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png