Is just running enough?

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  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I did just running through all of 2012 until October. I lost 37 lbs, but I lost at least 5 lbs of LBM at the same time. I'd say a combination of strength training and cardio is probably best for overall fitness.
  • nayers86
    nayers86 Posts: 60
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    I am a runner and while it does wonderful things for me (mentally) I enjoy strength training far more! Trust me when I say don't wait to start strength training. It will build more lean muscle which WILL help you burn more fat and make you a far better runner. Don't believe in the misconceptions of strength training for women.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    What are your goals, weight loss or fit and healthy?

    Strength training should be incorporated to be fit and healthy as it will help maintain the muscle you already have and can increase bone density (helps fight osteoporosis)
    "
    Right now it's weight loss, but once I get to where I want to be (another 5-10lbs) I want to be as lean as possible. Not skinny fat, not bulky.. Just lean. Ya know? So maybe focus on mostly cardio for now, then once I hit my goal weight focus a bit more on the ST. Also, once I hit my goal weight, I don't plan on using the scale much...Mostly going to focus on inches & clothes size.

    You will get much better results if you start strength training now.

    I agree--I'm a runner, but I do compound lifting 3x/week. you won't get bulky from lifting, you will get lean.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    What are your goals, weight loss or fit and healthy?

    Strength training should be incorporated to be fit and healthy as it will help maintain the muscle you already have and can increase bone density (helps fight osteoporosis)
    "
    Right now it's weight loss, but once I get to where I want to be (another 5-10lbs) I want to be as lean as possible. Not skinny fat, not bulky.. Just lean. Ya know? So maybe focus on mostly cardio for now, then once I hit my goal weight focus a bit more on the ST. Also, once I hit my goal weight, I don't plan on using the scale much...Mostly going to focus on inches & clothes size.

    by not incorporating strength training now, some of the weight you lose will come from lean muscle, not just fat.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    Yes, many people eat healthy & just run and are fine. Some prefer to do more, but it's not mandatory
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    Like others have mentioned, it depends on what your goals are. After 30, we run the risk of losing between 3-5% of our lean body mass each decade. To prevent such loss, or at least minimize it, strength training is an absolute must. Thus, as we age, strength training is the most important component of health and fitness which improves overall quality of life. With that said, it is to your benefit to start strength training now rather than wait.
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
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    Caloric deficit is enough, my dear friend.
    So holocaust victims are healthy?

    If your only intent is to be lean & able to maintain a certain cardio level of fitness, then yes, running's enough. I did only running for almost 15 years & was able to maintain a decent shape & participate in sports without much fatigue. But once I decided I wanted to build a better physique & get stronger, that changed everything.
  • Zangpakto
    Zangpakto Posts: 336 Member
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    Running is enough, but here is the thing, eventually you will need to add weights to get faster at the running... So why not start early?

    One mistake people do is to not make sure it is always a quality run. What I mean is, if you aiming for a hard sprint sessions, don't stop if legs get tired, don't stop if hard to breath, push and push through the pain. Of course if it is in the feet etc, then depends what pain as might have to slow down until feel get adjusted.

    If your planning to run long, then run long, take it easy and just go out, and just run and enjoy it, keep it light and easy and aim for a few hours on feet.

    If you don't push enough, your body adapts and eventually you won't burn much at all doing the same pace as you used to before. You need to make sure you have quality sessions, not just constant plodding at same pace even when fitter etc etc because your HRM says you burn x amount... that wrong, it doesn't take into account your bodies own adaptations.
  • sarahstrezo
    sarahstrezo Posts: 568 Member
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    My first love is running. It does great things for my mental health and stress. But....lifting is what does the best for my body and physical appearance. Like a PP, I was running alone for 6 months and lost about 8 lbs....but I also lost LBM. In September, I started lifting heavy 3x per week and I've since gained back that lost LBM (plus a small amount more) and my BF% is going down....BUT....the scale isn't. And, I don't care. I'm not paying that much attention to the scale, more to how I look naked and my measurements. The reason being was...i got down to my goal weight with running alone and still was not happy with how my body looked. Lifting heavy is giving my that body I want!
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
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    my BF% is going down....BUT....the scale isn't. And, I don't care. I'm not paying that much attention to the scale, more to how I look naked and my measurements. The reason being was...i got down to my goal weight with running alone and still was not happy with how my body looked. Lifting heavy is giving my that body I want!

    Great, very helpful!
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
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    Simple as that. With a healthy diet, is just running enough to keep a person fit and healthy? Or do we have to do strength training as well, or other types of cardio on top of running. I'm naturally already muscular (especially my legs) so would JUST RUNNING be enough to keep my body thin, lean, not bulky, and overall healthy? I would probably still do a bit of strength training, especially for my upper body, but just for argument's sake..?

    Assuming you eat healthy and do no other types of exercising, running IS enough. However, this assumes you are putting in some good mileage. For example, let's say a casual runner has a 9 minute pace, runs for 30 minutes, and runs 4 times per week. So that is 13.3 miles per week. This is probably "good enough" when paired with a healthy lifestyle. However, your arms muscles that are not being worked by running will eventually get flabby from lack of use / toning.

    If you are a long distance runner, and are putting in, say 60-80 miles per week, and ALSO run at a much faster pace, then you will be working more muscles and working those muscles harder. You also get other body benefits of the distance running (some negatives if you are doing marathon or greater training). However, there will still be some areas that get a little flabby.

    I have a friend who argues that all you need is healthy eating and Yoga (30-60 minutes everyday) to stay toned and fit for life.

    There are too many variables though and the more you do ANY cardio workout that neglects muscles, you will lose muscle density in those neglected muscles. I always like using the elite marathon runner example...toned legs, little to no "pudge" in the mid-section, and scrawny flabby arms.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Running is enough, but here is the thing, eventually you will need to add weights to get faster at the running... So why not start early?

    :huh:

    At what point?

    Distance runners don't lift weights to make them faster. They lift weights to prevent injury so they can train consistently and it is this consistent running that helps them to improve.

    Sprinters are a different story.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
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    Simple as that. With a healthy diet, is just running enough to keep a person fit and healthy? Or do we have to do strength training as well, or other types of cardio on top of running. I'm naturally already muscular (especially my legs) so would JUST RUNNING be enough to keep my body thin, lean, not bulky, and overall healthy? I would probably still do a bit of strength training, especially for my upper body, but just for argument's sake..?

    Assuming you eat healthy and do no other types of exercising, running IS enough. However, this assumes you are putting in some good mileage. For example, let's say a casual runner has a 9 minute pace, runs for 30 minutes, and runs 4 times per week. So that is 13.3 miles per week. This is probably "good enough" when paired with a healthy lifestyle. However, your arms muscles that are not being worked by running will eventually get flabby from lack of use / toning.

    If you are a long distance runner, and are putting in, say 60-80 miles per week, and ALSO run at a much faster pace, then you will be working more muscles and working those muscles harder. You also get other body benefits of the distance running (some negatives if you are doing marathon or greater training). However, there will still be some areas that get a little flabby.

    I have a friend who argues that all you need is healthy eating and Yoga (30-60 minutes everyday) to stay toned and fit for life.

    There are too many variables though and the more you do ANY cardio workout that neglects muscles, you will lose muscle density in those neglected muscles. I always like using the elite marathon runner example...toned legs, little to no "pudge" in the mid-section, and scrawny flabby arms.

    Also a good point, definitely plan to focus most of my ST towards my upper body anyways. Also, Pilates/yoga (not every day but 3-4/week) sounds like a great idea too. Never really got into that.
  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
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    Caloric deficit is enough, my dear friend.
    So holocaust victims are healthy?

    If your only intent is to be lean & able to maintain a certain cardio level of fitness, then yes, running's enough. I did only running for almost 15 years & was able to maintain a decent shape & participate in sports without much fatigue. But once I decided I wanted to build a better physique & get stronger, that changed everything.

    Runners and people running a calorie deficit are the same as holocaust victims? Seems like a bit of a stretch, most notably the complete starvation, forced labor, torture, and mass exterminations.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
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    So I'm thinking I can skip the elliptical and start focusing on my running from now on (because right now I can't do very long and I'd really like to be able to last for the entire duration and not have to keep stopping to walk and catch my breath..) and do the ST, mainly upper body, as my lower body is already very muscular and I don't like it much. Very big muscular calves over here. So if I could just lose 5-10 more pounds of actual fat all over my body, then focus on staying lean and strong after that, I should be golden..
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    I suppose it's all subjective but we get many women here who state they have really muscular legs but their photos give a different impression.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    So I'm thinking I can skip the elliptical and start focusing on my running from now on (because right now I can't do very long and I'd really like to be able to last for the entire duration and not have to keep stopping to walk and catch my breath..) and do the ST, mainly upper body, as my lower body is already very muscular and I don't like it much. Very big muscular calves over here. So if I could just lose 5-10 more pounds of actual fat all over my body, then focus on staying lean and strong after that, I should be golden..

    I would go back and forth for a while alternating elliptical and running before switching to 100% running. A good rule of thumb for beginners is to add no more than 10% total mileage per week because the impact on your joints is much more significant than ellipticizing. Even if your CV system and your muscles are ready, too much pounding too soon wears on the joints....or you can follow a program like C25K which builds mileage safely. I guess I'm saying don't just do 1:1 tradeoff from what you used to do on the elliptical right to running...transition safely.
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
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    Caloric deficit is enough, my dear friend.
    So holocaust victims are healthy?

    If your only intent is to be lean & able to maintain a certain cardio level of fitness, then yes, running's enough. I did only running for almost 15 years & was able to maintain a decent shape & participate in sports without much fatigue. But once I decided I wanted to build a better physique & get stronger, that changed everything.

    Runners and people running a calorie deficit are the same as holocaust victims? Seems like a bit of a stretch, most notably the complete starvation, forced labor, torture, and mass exterminations.
    Who said they're the same? I didn't. I used the application of a principle, taken to an extreme, to more easily see the point. That point being that a mere caloric deficit does not, by itself, equate to health & fitness. Don't be a richard.
  • annasensei
    annasensei Posts: 39
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    I'd say do some strength training in addition. I did triathlons a couple years ago and I did get pretty bulky because of the weight training, but I was lifting a lot of weight for endurance purposes. Now, I'm doing a lot more body weight training and resistance training in addition to cardio and it's been keeping me nice a lean.
  • chickfromsc
    chickfromsc Posts: 31
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    I am so not the expert...but here is my own findings that have worked very well for me. I started out running...and the weight started coming off pretty steadily. But I never got completely into a rhythm, always having knee pain...that's when I fell into the notion that lifting HEAVY, low reps does wonders for a woman's body. After only a few short months....my body looked better than when i was 18! I am still a work in progress...but I am a firm believer in Strength Training...and HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY!

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