Walking considered strength training?

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  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    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: 1,647 Member
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    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: 48,615 Member
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    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
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,615 Member
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    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
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    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    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
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    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
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    Pinnacle_IAO wrote: »
    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: 48,615 Member
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    BasicGreatGuy wrote: »
    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.

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  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    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: 48,615 Member
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    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%.

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  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
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    No I never hold on and do the arm at right angles thing.

    I live in a flat county - there aren't many hills here, but I do live on a hill and walk up that 5 ish times a week.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    msf74 wrote: »
    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?

    What about cycling?

    Can you do any of the leg machines at the gym (presses/curls)? What about things like squats/lunges/bridge lifts/step ups/resistance band work? Those are all things my PT had me do when I was rehabbing my torn meniscus.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Furbuster wrote: »
    No I never hold on and do the arm at right angles thing.

    I live in a flat county - there aren't many hills here, but I do live on a hill and walk up that 5 ish times a week.

    Just do more hill repeats (walk up as quickly as you can then walk down slowly a few times) and add some weight if you can. Over time add more repeats.

    Do that enough and you'll probably have a better level of conditioning and nicer legs than half the people on this forum ;)
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    mitch16 wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    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?

    What about cycling?

    Can you do any of the leg machines at the gym (presses/curls)? What about things like squats/lunges/bridge lifts/step ups/resistance band work? Those are all things my PT had me do when I was rehabbing my torn meniscus.

    Yes, those are all great suggestions as well.

    Actually, they are probably an even better idea than more hills as that can place more strain than is necessary on the knee.




  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    The runners are usually very lean. Serious runners, anyway.

    This is not true. I know serious runners who are not "very lean", and even who are overweight. I know, I was one of them (overweight and a serious runner). ;)
  • Furbuster
    Furbuster Posts: 254 Member
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    Thankyou for your help - I'll start that - I've always been a bit shy of doing squats in case my meniscus tears even more. I'll start carefully and see what happens.

    Plus more uphill, and yes I do cycle but I generally have two dogs on the back and so I have an electric bike as my legs can't get uphill yet ;)

    Thankyou again

    FB x
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    What if I just want to TONE my legs? I mean I don't want to get big and bulky like a bodybuilder. Then would walking work for me?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    The runners are usually very lean. Serious runners, anyway.

    This is not true. I know serious runners who are not "very lean", and even who are overweight. I know, I was one of them (overweight and a serious runner). ;)

    I know a ton as well. I have 2 that come to mind that have completed over 10 full Iron Mans and ton of halfs. Both of them are overweight.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    The runners are usually very lean. Serious runners, anyway.

    This is not true. I know serious runners who are not "very lean", and even who are overweight. I know, I was one of them (overweight and a serious runner). ;)

    I know a ton as well. I have 2 that come to mind that have completed over 10 full Iron Mans and ton of halfs. Both of them are overweight.

    Wait...this thread is about running? I thought the OP asked about walking.

    NM my question then...I KNOW running will make my legs big and bulky.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    I wonder about this one, considering that for those who have lost a significant amount, if they wore a weight vest proportionate to the weight lost. Still this would be more cardio with resistance elements incorporated.

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