Newbie: Growth and running?

General Fear wrote:
[...]

> <snip> How will running affect my leg development.

[...]

It won't.

I mean, I've run a LOT of miles over the years. Four years cross
country, an exgirlfriend who ran daily (and I ran *after* her as well
as on my own again once I got back in that habit), but my legs never
changed dramatically, imo, as a result of my running.

Squats and deadlifts, however, will affect your leg development. Otoh,
the running may change the appearance of your legs as a result of a
loss of bodyfat due to calories burned.

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

"General Fear" <richmarin.DeleteThis@earthlink.net> schreef:

>From experience, I know that running is good to reduce fat and make a
> person lean.

> What combination of lifting and running is good to increase size while
> reducing fat?

The running wont interfere that much since you only want bigger arms.
Keep running and train the bis/tris. And increase of only a few pounds of
LBM will look dramatic...

----
Pete
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

"Curt James" <curtjames.RemoveThis@gmail.com> writes:

> General Fear wrote:
> [...]
>
>> <snip> How will running affect my leg development.
>
> [...]
>
> It won't.
>
> I mean, I've run a LOT of miles over the years. Four years cross
> country, an exgirlfriend who ran daily (and I ran *after* her as
> well as on my own again once I got back in that habit), but my legs
> never changed dramatically, imo, as a result of my running.
>
> Squats and deadlifts, however, will affect your leg
> development. Otoh, the running may change the appearance of your
> legs as a result of a loss of bodyfat due to calories burned.

One caveat to that. When I first started running my calves grew a
*lot*. However, I am pretty sure that's because I was a big fat guy
who ran up a pretty steep hill.

Jason
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

Jason Earl wrote:
> "Curt James" writes:
> > General Fear wrote:
<snip>
> >><snip>How will running affect my leg development.<snip>

> > It won't.
> >
> > I mean, I've run a LOT of miles over the years. Four years cross
> > coun<snip>
>
> One caveat to that. When I first started running my calves grew a
> *lot*. However, I am pretty sure that's because I was a big fat guy
> who ran up a pretty steep hill.

A "big fat guy" with the propensity (That's not the right word, is it?
A genetic somethingsomething) to develop muscle. Betcha have low calf
attachments, too, right? My calves are high and I must have a ton of
whatever muscle fibers DON'T swell up like balloons.

And that was pretty stupid of me not to include a "YMMV" on the end of
my post. It's no different than one guy picking up the weights and
popping up muscles everywhere while his friend, working just as hard or
harder may not have the same results. Likewise running will affect
people differently, too.

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

"Curt James" <curtjames.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> writes:

> Jason Earl wrote:
>> "Curt James" writes:
>> > General Fear wrote:
> <snip>
>> >><snip>How will running affect my leg development.<snip>
>
>> > It won't.
>> >
>> > I mean, I've run a LOT of miles over the years. Four years cross
>> > coun<snip>
>>
>> One caveat to that. When I first started running my calves grew a
>> *lot*. However, I am pretty sure that's because I was a big fat guy
>> who ran up a pretty steep hill.
>
> A "big fat guy" with the propensity (That's not the right word, is
> it? A genetic somethingsomething) to develop muscle. Betcha have
> low calf attachments, too, right? My calves are high and I must have
> a ton of whatever muscle fibers DON'T swell up like balloons.

I don't know about whether I have good genetics for adding muscle or
not, but my calves certainly blew up. It was really astonishing.
Sometimes I wonder if running with a weight vest up hill on a regular
basis would cause my calves even bigger. Of course, I can't imagine
that my knees would appreciate that.

> And that was pretty stupid of me not to include a "YMMV" on the end
> of my post. It's no different than one guy picking up the weights
> and popping up muscles everywhere while his friend, working just as
> hard or harder may not have the same results. Likewise running will
> affect people differently, too.

No, you were pretty right on. You can't really expect running to
build your legs. Heck, the distance runners I know have legs that
look like pipe cleaners. I think that the only reason that hill
running worked for me (when I weighed an extra 40 lbs.) was a slow jog
up a steep hill was essentially a quadzillion calf raises. Do that
three times a week and you might just be on to something...

Bicycling, on the other hand, will build your quads. Don't ask me
why.

Jason
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

> > > What combination of lifting and running is good to increase size while
> > > reducing fat?

You'd have to cut the running down to increase lean muscle in the body.
Lots of arobics doesn't promote lean muscle build associated to weight
lifting. Time spent running should be kept below 30 minutes and no
more than five days a week.

Then workout, but don't think lifting with your legs will gain you a
lot of lean mass if you are still running. I know cause I use to run
and lift and the entire time I was sending to complete different
messages to my legs. They just kinda ignored both messages and
switched to poor running legs.

My upper body was a different story. It responded, but it was slow
going. I lost body fat as a result of an increase in lean mass, but I
didn't gain like I had in high school where arobics were seldom
performed.

If you want to just work out your arms then you are sitting pretty.

Randolf
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

"General Fear" <richmarin.RemoveThis@earthlink.net> schreef:

> Thanks for the quick responce.

No problem.

> When I start weight lifting I will workout the whole body.

I assumed you were saying you were just working the arms, which are, in
comparison to the rest of the body, relatively small muscles.

> So what will
> happen to the legs? How will running affect my leg development.

It wont. But it will affect your overall development. If you work out 6
days, try lifting 4 days and run 2.

When i was in my early/mid twenties, i ran 3 times a week, and started to
gain muscle when i quit running.

Better option, IMO, is riding a bike. The intensity is lower, but you can
still lose weight, without that much interfering with muscle growth, as long
as you dont overdo it.

----
Pete
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

Jason Earl wrote:
[...]

> I don't know about whether I have good genetics for adding muscle
> or not, but my calves certainly blew up.

Well, layman that I am, if your calves gained more than appreciable,
astonishingly noticeable, even surprising size from *anything* then I'd
say that's a strong indicator of "good genetics for adding muscle".

> It was really astonishing.

But, yes, I'm sure the hill didn't hurt. ;o)

> Sometimes I wonder if running with a weight vest up hill on a regular
> basis would cause my calves even bigger. Of course, I can't imagine
> that my knees would appreciate that.
[...]

> You can't really expect running to build your legs. Heck, the distance
> runners I know have legs that look like pipe cleaners.

Overall, I agree with you, however, there was a guy on our cross
country team who looked more like a football player - definitely not a
pipe cleaner legs type - and who ran the 2.8-mile course in 17:00
something. Although skinny for the most part, my thighs have always
packed some beef, but I was never one of the better runners either.

> I think that the only reason that hill running worked for me (when I
> weighed an extra 40 lbs.) was a slow jog up a steep hill was essentially
> a quadzillion calf raises. Do that three times a week and you might just
> be on to something...

heh

> Bicycling, on the other hand, will build your quads. Don't ask me why.

See a lot of guys in Carlisle, full gear, expensive looking bikes being
pedaled by tremendous calves and quads. High volume works?

--
Curt
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

"Curt James" <curtjames.DeleteThis@gmail.com> writes:

> Jason Earl wrote:
> [...]
>
>> I don't know about whether I have good genetics for adding muscle
>> or not, but my calves certainly blew up.
>
> Well, layman that I am, if your calves gained more than appreciable,
> astonishingly noticeable, even surprising size from *anything* then
> I'd say that's a strong indicator of "good genetics for adding
> muscle".

I used to think so too, but no other part of my body has grown at
anywhere near the same rate as my calves did. Not that I mind much, I
am far more concerned about getting a bigger deadlift than I am about
growing bigger body parts.

>> It was really astonishing.
>
> But, yes, I'm sure the hill didn't hurt. ;o)

No, it hurt. It hurt a lot. It did make my calves grow though, I
probably should get back to running it on a regular basis.

>> Sometimes I wonder if running with a weight vest up hill on a
>> regular basis would cause my calves even bigger. Of course, I
>> can't imagine that my knees would appreciate that.
> [...]
>
>> You can't really expect running to build your legs. Heck, the
>> distance runners I know have legs that look like pipe cleaners.
>
> Overall, I agree with you, however, there was a guy on our cross
> country team who looked more like a football player - definitely not
> a pipe cleaner legs type - and who ran the 2.8-mile course in 17:00
> something. Although skinny for the most part, my thighs have always
> packed some beef, but I was never one of the better runners either.

YMMV .

>> I think that the only reason that hill running worked for me (when
>> I weighed an extra 40 lbs.) was a slow jog up a steep hill was
>> essentially a quadzillion calf raises. Do that three times a week
>> and you might just be on to something...
>
> heh
>
>> Bicycling, on the other hand, will build your quads. Don't ask me
>> why.
>
> See a lot of guys in Carlisle, full gear, expensive looking bikes
> being pedaled by tremendous calves and quads. High volume works?

Long story short. Your body is more complicated than you think.

Jason
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running? 

"Jason Earl" <jearl RemoveThis @xmission.com> schreef:

>> See a lot of guys in Carlisle, full gear, expensive looking bikes
>> being pedaled by tremendous calves and quads. High volume works?

> Long story short. Your body is more complicated than you think.

Its the sprints and accelaration in high gear that builds the quads, not the
pedalling at a low intensity for several hours.

Check out the quads of track cyclists, compared to triathletes...

The calves are a different story, perhaps...

----
Pete
 >> Stay informed about: Newbie: Growth and running?