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  1. #1
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    Why Running (Still) Sucks...

    Thirty plus years or so, I have been saying that running is the most overrated form of exercise on the planet, while resistance training (RT), the most underrated. At that time, there was little data to support that position and only dumb muscle heads lifted weights and those truly interested in staying fit, losing weight, and having a healthy cardiovascular system, to add to their sense of superiority, did aerobics, usually in the form of running. The “enlightened” folks ran, the “knuckle draggers” lifted weights, and so it went for a long time. Even to this day, there’s plenty of people out there who think that, and they’re still wrong.



    By running, I mean jogging, or what would be a moderate to low steady state type of running. That’s what I mean by running in this context. Other forms of running, such as sprint intervals and such, can be highly beneficial. My plan in this article is to lay out in broad strokes, with links to articles and studies, people can read up on that covers some of the claims and issues around running. The obvious comparison here is RT vs running, but while RT is superior to running for most effects some attribute to running as well as its own benefit, it’s not black and white at all. For example, there’s other modalities people can choose to get similar benefits seen with running in far less time, or less impact on joints*, or more beneficial movement patterns, etc., such as High Intensity Interval Training and such. So, it’s not like doing conditioning oriented work is to be avoided per se, it’s just that running has demonstrated itself to be sub par in most respects. The end of the day, much of it simply comes down to intensity, and most joggers/runners plod along and a lowish intensity for longer durations of time, whereas sprinting, various forms of HIIT/SIT, RT, etc, will be more effective all around for improving body composition (i.e., reduced bodyfat levels and or increased fat free mass) then running, as well as the benefits people associate with running, such as cardiovascular health and cardiorespiratory capacity. As most know by now (hopefully!) the entire concept of “burning more far for fuel with low intensity exercise” to supposedly lose greater amounts of weight as the loss model was debunked a long time ago. You know, the 80’s called and wants it BS aerobics for weight loss claims back. Sorry 80’s, it’s dead and gone for all but the most clueless left clinging to that nonsense. If one wants to lose that belly fat, high intensity excise is what they want.


    Personally, I think running – in the form of jogging – simply sucks for most things, and I’m not alone that assessment by many a qualified coach, but more on that later…


    Cont:


    https://brinkzone.com/why-running-still-sucks/
    - Will

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    “Those who do not view armed self defense as a basic human right, ignore the mass graves of those who died on their knees at the hands of tyrants.”

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    Interesting. I used to run 65-75 miles a week in college, and this included high intensity interval training, tempo runs, and of coarse, the races themselves.

    I’m 39 now and since then, I still run as my only form of exercise, but far fewer miles (like 15-20 miles a week at a snails pace) and no intensity at all. No resistance training either. I can’t get rid of my gut- I used to compete at a trim 143lbs and now I’m at 180lbs. I figured I just needed to up the mileage and or increase intensity. My anecdotal evidence would support your findings.

    Probably not going to give up daily runs, as I enjoy running, but this really validates my hunch that if I want to see better results, I need to add more intensity and perhaps start going to the gym.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cold/Bore View Post
    Interesting. I used to run 65-75 miles a week in college, and this included high intensity interval training, tempo runs, and of coarse, the races themselves.

    I’m 39 now and since then, I still run as my only form of exercise, but far fewer miles (like 15-20 miles a week at a snails pace) and no intensity at all. No resistance training either. I can’t get rid of my gut- I used to compete at a trim 143lbs and now I’m at 180lbs. I figured I just needed to up the mileage and or increase intensity. My anecdotal evidence would support your findings.

    Probably not going to give up daily runs, as I enjoy running, but this really validates my hunch that if I want to see better results, I need to add more intensity and perhaps start going to the gym.
    I gave specific advice for people such as yourself also which should help.
    - Will

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    www.BrinkZone.com

    LE/Mil specific info:

    https://brinkzone.com/category/swatleomilitary/

    “Those who do not view armed self defense as a basic human right, ignore the mass graves of those who died on their knees at the hands of tyrants.”

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    I've always held to the philosophy that walking (and its extension, hiking) is king.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Safari View Post
    I've always held to the philosophy that walking (and its extension, hiking) is king.
    For what? Covering long distance on foot with no time constraints? Sure. For burning fat or increasing overall fitness and strength? No.

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    Why Running (Still) Sucks...

    Quote Originally Posted by Doc Safari View Post
    I've always held to the philosophy that walking (and its extension, hiking) is king.
    King of what? From a purely time perspective, you have to be walking/hiking for a very long time to match some of the effects of shorter HIIT workouts. And that’s a dramatic over simplification. Hiking won’t do shit for a lot of muscle groups.


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    Last edited by Wake27; 07-12-19 at 09:40.
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    I think walking is the best balance between benefits and risk of injury. Of course, there are always advantages and disadvantages of both. Do what you want and rock on.

    Mainly this is why I walk:

    https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-w...r-than-running

    “Equivalent energy expenditures by moderate walking and vigorous running exercise produced similar risk reductions for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and possibly CHD.”

    In other words, at least according to the study, walking was just as effective as running in relieving stress, high cholesterol and heart disease and diabetes. And while several studies show that the brisker the walk, the better the health benefits, other studies laud the gentle advantages of a slower pace.

    Beyond the parallel perks, are there times when is walking better than running?

    Yes, but let us explain:

    1. Running can stress the immune system. Walking, unlike running, especially long-distance running, does not seem to tax your immune system. Long-distance runners are more susceptible to developing infections, Dr. Uwe Schutz, from University Hospital of Ulm, Germany, told Reuters Health. Training for or running a marathon not only burns fat but also muscle tissue as well. This places undue burdens on the body’s immune system.

    2. Running can damage your heart. In the journal Circulation, researchers performed echocardiographic measurements of cardiac function in 60 recreational runners before and 20 minutes after the 2004 and 2005 Boston Marathon. What they found was that before the race, none of the runners had elevated serum markers for cardiac stress. After the race, 36 runners, or 60 percent, had elevated markers of a certain triplet of proteins called troponin. Troponin is a major component of cardiac muscle but elevated levels of subtypes of these proteins can lead to cardiovascular damage.

    If that’s not enough to discourage a long-distance run, consider that the researchers also discovered that 24 runners (40 percent) developed signs of myocardial necrosis, irreversible damage to heart muscle cells. The researchers also discovered at least 10 studies from 2004 to 2006 alone that documented increases in myocardial damage; there is no evidence that brisk walking can destroy heart muscle or cells.

    3. Running may cause osteoarthritis. The study of risk versus reward when it comes to exercise is ongoing. In terms of the effects that exercising has on our knees, hips and other joints, the verdict is still undecided. It seems that at a certain “dose,” as researchers put it in a study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, running does not cause osteoarthritis, but after a certain point, reduced risk of disease is offset by an increased risk of injury and osteoarthritis. If you’ve been running for a long time and have had injuries — and most runners have — then you’re more likely to “to deplete the joint of the lubricating glycoproteins, disrupt the collagen network, slowly wear away the cartilage, and cause numerous microfractures in the underlying bones.”

    4. Running can also damage cartilage. Although authors of a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine state that there is continuing controversy as to whether long-distance running results in irreversible articular cartilage damage, this specific study concluded that through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), biochemical changes in articular cartilage remained elevated after three months of reduced activity. The patellofemoral joint and medial compartment of the knee showed the greatest wear and tear, suggesting higher risk for degeneration.

    5. Running in hot weather can lead to heat stroke. In the summer, runners need to be careful not to overdo it. Running in hot weather can lead to multi-organ dysfunction. Although walking in hot weather can also lead to heat stroke, there is probably less chance of developing organ failure when walking versus running.

    https://www.verywellfit.com/how-walk...unning-3432517

    https://www.vox.com/2015/8/4/9091093...-running?__c=1

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    Quote Originally Posted by WillBrink View Post
    Personally, I think running – in the form of jogging – simply sucks for most things, and I’m not alone that assessment by many a qualified coach, but more on that later…
    Agree, and my own experience has borne that out. After h.s. in which I lifted and played 3 sports, life got busy and I tried running. It seemed to have very limited health benefit, although I'm an outdoors person and it just gives a huge mental lift to go out running--even in the rain in the PNW. For me, the run was always one of the high points of my day and it was fun to push yourself. Then I started to accumulate injuries from age and overuse, and nothing--not the R.I.C.E. regimen, not better shoes or insoles, not fancy exercises--would prevent it. Guess that God didn't build me to be a marathon guy. Plantar fasciitis (multiple bouts). Right knee pain. Shin splints. Lower right back pain. Enough already!

    I finally wised up, about 7 years ago I did some homework and switched to a program that might differ in the details, but follows the same principles that Will suggests. In short: prioritize strength training, and some kind of H.I.I.T training, over 'pure cardio' training by which I mean something like steady state running or just churning away endlessly at the same rate on a stationary bike or other contraption.

    Even if you're aging, you don't have to set out to be the hulk. Even light resistance training can help. If having back and other issues, you'll be amazed how a good physical therapist can set you up with some resistance training that will help improve things. For instance, I could believe how weak I was in the hip muscles despite lifting. And that was affecting my back. As for H.I.I.T, you can get away with even using some of the things you know, but you just have to do it differently. For instance I have a stationary bike for bad weather days. But instead of just churning away at the same speed for 30 minutes, I do maybe a 15-20 minute workout where I go at about 80-90% of max effort for short bursts, like 30 seconds, then drop back to a moderate pace to recover for maybe 60 seconds, and repeat. You can do the same types of things with running, if you like running. The catch for me, trying to do H.I.I.T with running, was that I was doing on pavement (not a lot of choice, I live in an urban area) and that brought back all the injuries related to pounding the pavement. So I'm pretty much done with running.

    Spot on Will. Thanks for these informative posts!

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by maximus83 View Post
    Agree, and my own experience has borne that out. After h.s. in which I lifted and played 3 sports, life got busy and I tried running. It seemed to have very limited health benefit, although I'm an outdoors person and it just gives a huge mental lift to go out running--even in the rain in the PNW. For me, the run was always one of the high points of my day and it was fun to push yourself. Then I started to accumulate injuries from age and overuse, and nothing--not the R.I.C.E. regimen, not better shoes or insoles, not fancy exercises--would prevent it. Guess that God didn't build me to be a marathon guy. Plantar fasciitis (multiple bouts). Right knee pain. Shin splints. Lower right back pain. Enough already!

    I finally wised up, about 7 years ago I did some homework and switched to a program that might differ in the details, but follows the same principles that Will suggests. In short: prioritize strength training, and some kind of H.I.I.T training, over 'pure cardio' training by which I mean something like steady state running or just churning away endlessly at the same rate on a stationary bike or other contraption.

    Even if you're aging, you don't have to set out to be the hulk. Even light resistance training can help. If having back and other issues, you'll be amazed how a good physical therapist can set you up with some resistance training that will help improve things. For instance, I could believe how weak I was in the hip muscles despite lifting. And that was affecting my back. As for H.I.I.T, you can get away with even using some of the things you know, but you just have to do it differently. For instance I have a stationary bike for bad weather days. But instead of just churning away at the same speed for 30 minutes, I do maybe a 15-20 minute workout where I go at about 80-90% of max effort for short bursts, like 30 seconds, then drop back to a moderate pace to recover for maybe 60 seconds, and repeat. You can do the same types of things with running, if you like running. The catch for me, trying to do H.I.I.T with running, was that I was doing on pavement (not a lot of choice, I live in an urban area) and that brought back all the injuries related to pounding the pavement. So I'm pretty much done with running.

    Spot on Will. Thanks for these informative posts!
    Glad they help.
    - Will

    General Performance/Fitness Advice for all

    www.BrinkZone.com

    LE/Mil specific info:

    https://brinkzone.com/category/swatleomilitary/

    “Those who do not view armed self defense as a basic human right, ignore the mass graves of those who died on their knees at the hands of tyrants.”

  10. #10
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    I generally don't agree with Will because of my disdain for any type of fitness blogger. But, I sort of agree.

    That being said, I think running needs to be looked at as a sport specific type of thing. So, if I were to tell you that figure skating is THE most beneficial activity ever, but you had zero interest in it, what good would it do to advocate that you start skating twirly shit?

    You can't have an honest conversation about running without talking definitions. What do you call a jog? What about an interval, or repeat? How about a tempo or threshold run? What I'd consider a jog, that is easy pace running in which you can have a conversation, is terrible when you consider the time vs benefit. For those runs to be beneficial, they need to be long, much longer than most people would want to. For a fit person, they are very easy to recover from. Hence, its a way to accumulate a lot of miles, a yard stick by which a lot of runners measure themselves.

    If you're a person trying to loose weight, its a terribly inefficient way of doing it. If your diet isn't dialed in, you definitely can't outjog junk calories. You also run into the problem of taking someone who is fat AF and completely sedentary and telling them to jog for whatever amount of time. They can't do it or if they can, its too hard to be sustainable. Weight training is much more incrementally loadable.

    The problem with intervals or repeats is that most people don't do them hard enough to be beneficial. An interval is slower with a relatively short jog recovery, a repeat is faster generally with a walk recovery of sufficient duration to enable the next repeat to be preformed at the target pace.

    I strongly caution about walking , just because I've observed way too many horrible incline treadmill walkers. The ones where they hold onto the machine and lean back to they're perpendicular the treadmill's belt, and thereby no longer walking at an incline. Pure hot trash. A close tie to the stair machine people who are all melted over and leaning onto the machine. If you can't walk those stairs with your arms at your side, go do something else.

    Bottom line, if running doesn't appeal to you, don't do it. There's other stuff you may enjoy. If you like running, don't let people talk you out of your chosen activity. They're likely not runners anyway.

    Of all the running plans I have come across, Run Less Run Faster is my favorite. The workouts are hard, but there's much less of them. There's less junk miles.

    The Army seems to be moving in the direction of RLRF as well. The exercises to improve the 2-mile run for time are intervals, hill repeats and what could be considered a temp run; that is running at a pace you could maintain for an hour during a race; comfortably hard running. That particular pace has a lower physical benefit that the other two in my experience, but has a mental toughness aspect to it. No running on consecutive days either. The recovery time in the Army's new doctrine and RLRF was one of my biggest likes, being 41 years old now.
    Last edited by bp7178; 07-13-19 at 01:05.

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