Long dist running or sprinting...
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which of the above will help to tone the legs instead of building up muscles? Or any other ways to tone up leg muscles?
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slow jog of 30mins. not too long or short. just nice. do this 3times a week.
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so not so much of the distance? juz the duration?
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haha.. ya... dun care abt the distance..
slow jog.. sloooooooooooow jog. -
they are the same. Long duration no matter how sloooow you do equals some distance.Originally posted by ~Lyn~:so not so much of the distance? juz the duration?
Are you building up, sliming down or just toning your legs? -
juz toning the legs.. dun wish to build up muscles.. very bulky feeling..Originally posted by j6sus:they are the same. Long duration no matter how sloooow you do equals some distance.
Are you building up, sliming down or just toning your legs? -
me think brisk walk for like 30min, 3x per week should be enough.
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Long dist run helps to build up stamina and burn fats and build some muscles at the sametime. Of coz it does not help to build up BIG muscles like those bodybuilders or sprinters. Sprinting and long dist. running and bodybuilding, they are all totally different people and different athletes. Most long dist. runners are slim and tall build and they don't really have that so much fats, whereas for sprinters they tend to have those muscular and tight legs specially for sprinting only.Originally posted by ~Lyn~:which of the above will help to tone the legs instead of building up muscles? Or any other ways to tone up leg muscles?
Sprinting is just for short dist. runners who's body has been already been conditioned and has been trained up for sprinting only, their muscles are already formed up just for that particular sports in the first place, these sprinter go to the gym to workout more on their legs so that's why their legs or calves look so muscular and firm.
Most people will go to the gym to tone down their legs, well I suggest you can try the threadmill or do some other leg workout at the gym or just jog around the park for about 1 hr or 30 mins at least 3 times a week.
But for those fitness freak I think they will go for all the sports 3 in 1, long dist. running, working out and sprinting or cardio..etc... -
hey um im a novice sprinter...i go to the gym to build up my upper body only..
um can give example of doing what then can build up muscles for sprinting only? -
do the croco massage
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wat i see my frens did for training is they tie weights with a rope round their waist and they try sprinting across the grass field. did a few rounds.. think that one buid up the leg muscles..Originally posted by CSpencer:hey um im a novice sprinter...i go to the gym to build up my upper body only..
um can give example of doing what then can build up muscles for sprinting only? -
oh...any other ways? like doing squads or wht..
i went to the libaray and found some polymetrics excerises but they its effective if only done twice or 3 times a week -
For sprints, you can do squats, roman deadlifts, leg curls, and also train your calves. Don't forget to train your core muscles. Core muscles are your abs, back muscles. i.e. those that surrounds your stomach. they help in stabilising your body during sprints.
Basically, in sprints.. you use the whole body.. including arm swinging which is equally important.. -
oo icic
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Hi!
I've never won any sprinting contests and could never run long distances for nuts. So here are my amatuerish comments:
Long distance running is aerobic (cardio) and good for overall endurance (for heart and lungs). It is the most effective way I know to lose weight. Look at it this way....I've seen fat aerobics instructors, bodybuilders, sportspeople, etc etc....but I've never seen a fat long-distance runner!
I feel that sprinting is more anaerobic than aerobic. It involves sudden hard muscle usage. Doesn't burn much fats. To put it really really simply, sprinting stamina is different from long-distance running stamina.
To tone up muscles (eg. legs), there are many things you can do. I seriously don't think long distance running and casual sprinting can build muscles at all (unless you are a professional sprinter who sprints many times everyday). Some weights (with someone guiding you) can help tone up leg muscles (or any other muscles) too. It should be very light weights with high reps. Professionals always recommend working out a few ways at the same time (running, walking, weights, etc.).....instead of relying on just one way.
To improve sprinting (or any other sport), many things we can done. With modern sports science, we now can use weights, machines and other stuff to build up/condition the necessary muscles. But it is VERY important to realise that we cannot ignore the actual exercise itself - thus, the only true way to improve in sprinting is to sprint more!
After all, sports is not only about muscles...its about heart, lungs and MIND. No doubt your heart and lungs need to move fast enough (without being to stressed) to support your sprinting. But your mind must not be too nervous during the event, like its the first time seeing the track, feeling anxiety from the crowd's eyes/attention, etc. So simulating the real thing helps - practice sprinting on the track itself, if possible, when there are people around, looking at you. I feel that its useful to get used to the feeling.
I guess this is what people mean when they say that confidence is half the battle won. Even if your body is physicall prepared....but you are not mentally ready to face the crowd/track....its no use. Under pressure and anxiety, your performance will be different from your quiet, solo practice sessions.
Hope I wasn't talking rubbish all the way.....
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shouldnt the weights go around the legs rather than the waist? anyway does not have to be sprinting - doing distance or resistance (say, slope) running with weights should also do the trick?Originally posted by ~Lyn~:wat i see my frens did for training is they tie weights with a rope round their waist and they try sprinting across the grass field. did a few rounds.. think that one buid up the leg muscles.. -
by the way i have 2 other running-related questions:
1. is there an upper limit to the one's capacity (speed, distance) to run, imposed by our body? e.g. say for 2.4 km, is there a upper limit to how fast a person can complete it, such that beyond that, no matter how much he trains he wont be able to complete any faster? another e.g. is distance - is there an upper limit to how far a person can run, such that beyond that no matter how hard he trains, he wont be able to run any further perhaps without injuring himself, etc?
or does this limit not exist at all, and its all a matter of training?
2. how should one deal with general knee pains and discomforts from frequent running? strangely, i do not usually experience pains in the knee while running, but only during normal walking and swimming. can such discomfort be safely ignored?
thanks!
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Er.....I think we have to remember that sprinting also involves muscles of the whole body (eg. arm and shoulder muscles for propelling the legs, tummy muscles need to be tensed, etc.).
Its very different from a slow, long run (which works mainly the legs, lungs and heart)...and the rest of the body is much more relaxed than during a sprint. For this reason, I feel that long distance running may have its limitations in improving sprinting abilities.
I suppose that any resistance to movement will create further strength. So perhaps the purpose of tying weights around the waists was to "weigh down" the person to train the legs to move something heavier.
Since running up a slope is also adding resistance by "weighing one down" (instead of using added weights around the waist, the runner is now using gravity). So I guess it does help in sprinting abilities.
Actually, I would rather recommend running upslope than tying weights around the waist (because if you have weights around your waist and fall/twist your body wrongly....you may get injuries like slipped discs, etc. Also, that rope around your waist would probably cause some rope burns, or at the least, scrape/tear some shirts). -
oh i wasnt refering to sprinting per se, but development of one's endurance and strength for running in general. anyway many sports shops do sell weights that are meant to be attached around one's thighs or calfs. think that should be better than makeshift weights tied around one's waist. of course one can also simply carry a weighted bag to run. but i guess weights on the legs would ensure that more effort comes from the legs and hence the development is focused on them.Originally posted by gentlerock:Er.....I think we have to remember that sprinting also involves muscles of the whole body (eg. arm and shoulder muscles for propelling the legs, tummy muscles need to be tensed, etc.).
Its very different from a slow, long run (which works mainly the legs, lungs and heart)...and the rest of the body is much more relaxed than during a sprint. For this reason, I feel that long distance running may have its limitations in improving sprinting abilities.
I suppose that any resistance to movement will create further strength. So perhaps the purpose of tying weights around the waists was to "weigh down" the person to train the legs to move something heavier.
Since running up a slope is also adding resistance by "weighing one down" (instead of using added weights around the waist, the runner is now using gravity). So I guess it does help in sprinting abilities.
Actually, I would rather recommend running upslope than tying weights around the waist (because if you have weights around your waist and fall/twist your body wrongly....you may get injuries like slipped discs, etc. Also, that rope around your waist would probably cause some rope burns, or at the least, scrape/tear some shirts). -
is there an upper limit to the one's capacity (speed, distance) to run, imposed by our body? e.g. say for 2.4 km, is there a upper limit to how fast a person can complete it, such that beyond that, no matter how much he trains he wont be able to complete any faster?
Hey, of course there is an upper limit! Or else with sufficient training, we'd all be able to run 2.4 km in one second, which we know is impossible! The limitations are natural - we are two legged creatures, our muscles can only contract so much/fast, etc. It also depends on body condition....a body which is conditioned to be fast can move faster. And there are some people who are just born with fast muscles/body types too.
another e.g. is distance - is there an upper limit to how far a person can run, such that beyond that no matter how hard he trains, he wont be able to run any further perhaps without injuring himself, etc?
or does this limit not exist at all, and its all a matter of training?
Um....you haven't been watching too much Forest Gump, have you?
Again, of course there is a limit. To put it simply....when we move our bodies, we burn the energies stored inside us. When this spare energy completely runs out, we die (like a car which has no more fuel). At the same time, we also lose fluids, etc through sweat. We need to replenish all these losses in energy and fluids, etc.
Don't forget that you also need to eat, drink, sleep, go to the toilet, socialise, love, etc. These are all necessary in life! So even if your body can run forever, your mind will be so unhappy it will boycott and stop your body.
how should one deal with general knee pains and discomforts from frequent running? strangely, i do not usually experience pains in the knee while running, but only during normal walking and swimming. can such discomfort be safely ignored?
Good grief, NO!!! Knee pains (or funny "lose" feelings) are a sign that there is something very wrong and if you have them, please stop till the pain goes completely away....then rest a while more and GRADUALLY start up again. May take days or weeks, depending. Meanwhile, you can swim (no stress on knees), as an alternative exercise. You may want to know that its often not possible to fully repair a damaged knee, so you'd want to take care of it. Some problems will show up only in your middle-to-old age. If you're young, you may thing that its far away...but I promise you, the time WILL come. And you will regret.
Knee pains can be caused by many things - from simple to complicated. Eg. bad shoes, running on overly hard surfaces, foot pronation (how your foot aligns with the horizontal), or just simply overdoing it, etc. If necessary, you may want to consult an expert/doctor.
For more information on pronation, please see here http://www.steenwyk.com/pronsup.htm and here http://www.drfoot.co.uk/pronation.htm -
oh i wasnt refering to sprinting per se, but development of one's endurance and strength for running in general. anyway many sports shops do sell weights that are meant to be attached around one's thighs or calfs. think that should be better than makeshift weights tied around one's waist. of course one can also simply carry a weighted bag to run. but i guess weights on the legs would ensure that more effort comes from the legs and hence the development is focused on them.
Yes, I see what you mean now. Yes, I suppose targetting specific muscles using equipment (eg. leg weights) will definitely encourage more specific development in that area.
Digressing a bit......speaking about ankle weights, I had two sets before. After constant usage, I found that they brought out the veins in my legs too much (was afraid of painful vericose veins, like the rickshaw pullers of years ago). Maybe I chose those which were too heavy. Would recommend starting with light ones first (if available) if one chooses to use ankle weights. -
Originally posted by gentlerock:Hey, of course there is an upper limit! Or else with sufficient training, we'd all be able to run 2.4 km in one second, which we know is impossible! The limitations are natural - we are two legged creatures, our muscles can only contract so much/fast, etc. It also depends on body condition....a body which is conditioned to be fast can move faster. And there are some people who are just born with fast muscles/body types too.
im certainly not expecting to be able to complete 2.4 in one second! anyway when would we know that we have reached that limit? i mean some guys can run 2.4 in like 8 mins, but for the rest of us, either it takes too enormous an effort to achieve that, or we simply cant achieve that at all. how do we know?
Again, of course there is a limit. To put it simply....when we move our bodies, we burn the energies stored inside us. When this spare energy completely runs out, we die (like a car which has no more fuel). At the same time, we also lose fluids, etc through sweat. We need to replenish all these losses in energy and fluids, etc.
Don't forget that you also need to eat, drink, sleep, go to the toilet, socialise, love, etc. These are all necessary in life! So even if your body can run forever, your mind will be so unhappy it will boycott and stop your body.
ok.. distance may not be a good question. anyway again im more interested in limitations imposed by our physiology rather than what we put inside.
how should one deal with general knee pains and discomforts from frequent running? strangely, i do not usually experience pains in the knee while running, but only during normal walking and swimming. can such discomfort be safely ignored?
Good grief, NO!!! Knee pains (or funny "lose" feelings) are a sign that there is something very wrong and if you have them, please stop till the pain goes completely away....then rest a while more and GRADUALLY start up again. May take days or weeks, depending. Meanwhile, you can swim (no stress on knees), as an alternative exercise. You may want to know that its often not possible to fully repair a damaged knee, so you'd want to take care of it. Some problems will show up only in your middle-to-old age. If you're young, you may thing that its far away...but I promise you, the time WILL come. And you will regret.
btw, i do get funny feelings on my knee when i swim frog style (i cant even say breaststroke???). -
hm.. other than ankle weights, there are weights for the thighs and calfs rite? always wanted to try them but never actually got into it. so what i do now is to run in vest and slack instead. the boots can be quite a weight.Originally posted by gentlerock:Yes, I see what you mean now. Yes, I suppose targetting specific muscles using equipment (eg. leg weights) will definitely encourage more specific development in that area.
Digressing a bit......speaking about ankle weights, I had two sets before. After constant usage, I found that they brought out the veins in my legs too much (was afraid of painful vericose veins, like the rickshaw pullers of years ago). Maybe I chose those which were too heavy. Would recommend starting with light ones first (if available) if one chooses to use ankle weights. -
Hi Wuming,
I don't know how to gauge when we've reached our speed or distance limits. I guess those limits are not easy to reach (unless you're really determined)...and your mind or body will find some way of telling you naturally when you've reached them. Sorry, this question is way too advanced for me.
I only know of ankle weights so far. Never heard of weight for any other part of the legs though....but then again, my knowledge in new sports equipment is limited as I haven't visited the sports shops for years. Maybe ankle and calf weights may be the same thing....not sure.
You know why they never recommend running downslope right? Its because the impact on the knees are very great....because your whole body weight is actually jumping from high to low with every step, crushing on your knees. Er....could the weighted vest be the cause of your knee problems?
If you're in the army age, then running with weights and boots should be OK (after all, we all did it). But if you're older (maybe late 20's onwards), maybe better to be a bit more cautious.....depending on how fit you are. -
the weights i'm referring to are not those used by most bball players or netball players.. not those that strapround ur ankles.. but wat i meant is those weights in the gym( those round black iron disc) .. if i dun remember wrongly my friend tied at least 20kg wif a rope round the waist.. slowly the weights will increase..and when she do a few drills wif that, she's not only stimulating the sprint she'll be doing, she's also training her muscles.. so ultimately her speed increase when she sprint without the weights..Originally posted by wuming78:shouldnt the weights go around the legs rather than the waist? anyway does not have to be sprinting - doing distance or resistance (say, slope) running with weights should also do the trick?