sprinting vrs distance running for burning fat the misconception.

[DRACOMACHINE]

Look many have been pushing the misconception that sprinting burns more fat than distance running. They alway point out the bodies of sprinters and marathoners as proof of which exercise does what.

Guys and girls please do not buy into that hype. I was an athlete in college and a current bodybuilder, and track coach. The reason why my sprinters are shredded and ripped is because I pick them to be sprinters. When track practice starts and people show up to run track for the first time, I usually place them to where they will compete by their bodytypes, and then abilities will seal the deal.

I pick the sprinter types by their body type. It is not like everyone shows up to practice looking normal and then through exercise transforms into the sprinter or distance runner bodytype. The sprinter muscular ripped bodies show up to practice having never done a sit up or worked out in their lives. Yes, I said that correctly. Most of these guys are naturally lean and muscular. This is a case where genetics set you up for who you will be. You can't make these sprinters into 350 pound linemen. They are who they are because of their genes.

Distance runners, I pick them mostly because they are not really big they are smaller but not ripped and muscular. You think "Damn what in the world can this kid do?" So you tell him to start working with your distance coach, and sure enough a distance runner is born. He did not show up to practice a huge fat guy and transformed into a marathon runner through exersize, He showed up that way.

One thing I found that most of your distance runners have in common is a love of High Carb diets, lower in fat and medium to low Protein. This just keeps them looking the way they do now while fueling their grueling harsh workouts.

The diets of sprinters is what they want to eat. They made it their whole lives without worrying about it so they eat what ever.

Many programs have been pushing the misconception that distance running or cardio sessions that last longer than 20 minuets will not do anything but burn muscle. That is total B.S. pushed by someone trying to make money off a the new " the easiest approach is better" fad. Sprinting is great to add to your cardio for variation. Do distance one day do sprints the next time you do cardio. Bodybuilders for years have gone into contests doing double cardio sessions both sessions lasting up to 40 mins-to an hour a piece. Shawn Ray has always said there is no such thing as too much cardio, but there is such a thing as under eating.

Basket ball players are not ripped because of the way they train for basketball. They are ripped because of their genetics. That would be like saying basketball players are tall because of the way they train for basketball. Sure some of them can get heavy, everyone can get heavy-er, but Gary Payton will never look like Warren Sapp! Oliver Miller could, but look at Oliver miller, he trains the same way as Karl Malone but looks way different due to his genetics.

So when you are looking for inspiration and new ideas to help you burn fat, please remember what I have said. Do not buy into the "distance running wont burn fat hype."

P.S. I have sprinters who eat Pizza almost every other day (Against my advise!) and yet they remain fast as lightning and ripped to shreds. It is their genetics to be that way, not their training style.

[SpeedDemon5]

The diets of sprinters is what they want to eat. They made it their whole lives without worrying about it so they eat what ever.

P.S. I have sprinters who eat Pizza almost every other day (Against my advise!) and yet they remain fast as lightning and ripped to shreds. It is their genetics to be that way, not their training style.

HAHA you couldn't be more misinformed.

[bigollie2006]

[jamesyboi]

I would rather look like a sprinter than a marathon runner.

[RainingBlood]

The way you wrote this article makes it seem like sprinters get their bodies naturally without having to do any sort of exercises outside sprinting. You forgot to mention that all these athletes you listed lift weights. Basket Ball Players don't get the muscles they have because they toss a ball all day long. All of these athlete effectively lift weights.
However, I do agree with the fact that HIIT isn't the only method to burn fat. People act like it's a god send, when really it's just another form of cardio.

[Chrissief]

There are some good points in the OP's post, but genetics don't always determine someone's running style.

I was a total NON-runner and weighed 275lbs at my heaviest (some pics on bodyspace of 209lbs). But throughout all of my life, I could never run. I couldn't even do 100m!! We used to do beep testing in high school and highest I got was 2.3...

But in June 2010, after 6 months of training with a beginner's running group twice a week, I became a sprinter and could run 5miles! I lost 44lb over that 6 months! And a further 6 months later, to this day, I am training for my first 10k race and weigh 139lbs. My sprinting is still my strong point, but I'm not as fast as competitive sprinters.

Overall, I think that genetics certainly dictate the type of people for running, but there are cases where that is totally wrong. Adopting all forms of running for weight loss is DEFINITELY beneficial
I do a combination of HIIT, sprint training, LISS/LSD, fartlek and tempo runs.

[otterakl]

You guys realize the OP is from 2003 and nobody responded to it until the red genius about an hour ago? Don't think OP is still waiting for a debate...

[schabowy90]

honestly bro I respect what you say but Im going to have to disagree. Its funny this thread comes up because I was just researching it today.

I used google scholar so i wouldnt get any broscience.

also from my young naive 20 year old experience lol, i must say sprinting and interval training has done wonders for me. Back in HS i did track just for senior year...(weight training followed by sprint training). I lost about 12 pounds in a matter of a couple months (as an endomorph struggling getting past 14ish % bf). Now i cant say for sure that the same would have happened if I ran distance..might have been the same. But the composition of my body would have definitely been different, less overall muscle. but then again i ahve no idea.


but on an end note, im going to leave this here.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...26049594902593

The impact of two different modes of training on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism was investigated in young adults who were subjected to either a 20-week endurance-training (ET) program (eight men and nine women) or a 15-week high-intensity intermittent-training (HIIT) program (five men and five women). The mean estimated total energy cost of the ET program was 120.4 MJ, whereas the corresponding value for the HIIT program was 57.9 MJ. Despite its lower energy cost, the HIIT program induced a more pronounced reduction in subcutaneous adiposity compared with the ET program. When corrected for the energy cost of training, the decrease in the sum of six subcutaneous skinfolds induced by the HIIT program was ninefold greater than by the ET program. Muscle biopsies obtained in the vastus lateralis before and after training showed that both training programs increased similarly the level of the citric acid cycle enzymatic marker. On the other hand, the activity of muscle glycolytic enzymes was increased by the HIIT program, whereas a decrease was observed following the ET program. The enhancing effect of training on muscle 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (HADH) enzyme activity, a marker of the activity of β-oxidation, was significantly greater after the HIIT program. In conclusion, these results reinforce the notion that for a given level of energy expenditure, vigorous exercise favors negative energy and lipid balance to a greater extent than exercise of low to moderate intensity. Moreover, the metabolic adaptations taking place in the skeletal muscle in response to the HIIT program appear to favor the process of lipid oxidation.


Results: Respiratory exchange ratio (mean for bouts 1, 4, and 8) was similar on d-1 for HIFAT and HICHO (0.91 ± 0.04 vs 0.92 ± 0.03) and on d-4 after HICHO (0.92 ± 0.03) but fell to 0.85 ± 0.03 (P < 0.05) on d-4 after HIFAT. Accordingly, the rate of fat oxidation increased from 31 ± 13 on d-1 to 61 ± 25 μmol·kg-1·min

Hormones that have been shown to increase during HIIT include catecholamines, cortisol, and growth hormones. What's interesting is that the rises in these hormones are suspected to contribute to the superior decreases in body fat, compared to aerobic exercise. It's like you injected nitro into your gas tank!!
A 2009 study examined the catecholarnine response of 12 males who completed 10 6-second cycle sprints with a 30-second recovery between each sprint. From baseline, plasma epinephrine increased3-fold, whereas norepinephrine increased 5-fold at the end of sprinting. These significant fat-burning catecholamine responses to HIIT are not produced during moderate, steady-state aerobic exercise that results in small increases in epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Hiit Burns More Subcutaneous Fat

HIIT is going to burn more fat than traditional walking on the treadmill; it was found that comparing HIIT and steady-state aerobic exercise, after 24 weeks, subjects in the HIIT group lost more subcutaneous fat, as measured by skinfolds.

Another study conducted an HIIT program for 15 weeks with three weekly 20-minute HIIT sessions. HIIT consisted of an 8-second sprint followed by 12 seconds of low-intensity cycling. Another group carried out an aerobic cycling protocol that consisted of steady state cycling at 60 percent V02max for 40 minutes. Results showed that in the HIIT group lost significantly more subcutaneous fat (2.5 kg) than those in the steady-state aerobic exercise program. Furthermore, it has also been shown that six to seven sessions of HIIT had marked increases in whole-body and skeletal muscle capacity for fatty acid oxidation.

also layne norton backs up his reasoning on how HIIT is superior.

not sure where it is man youll have to listen a bit
http://www.superhumanradio.com/super...or-suffer.html

[otterakl]

So, that's a no then? Does anybody read the post dates ever? Jesus Christ...

[schabowy90]

So, that's a no then? Does anybody read the post dates ever? Jesus Christ...

lmao WOOPSSS

[RMohio]

So, that's a no then? Does anybody read the post dates ever? Jesus Christ...

I think they search things and find articles and obviously dont read the dates. This has been happening a lot lately.

[Cumulonimbus]

So, that's a no then? Does anybody read the post dates ever? Jesus Christ...

This. loltards

[DRACOMACHINE]

Wow taking things from the grave. *Guys my sprinters in track do show up ripped and muscular (Not bodybuilder sized) but clear capped shoulders, and 8 pack in some cases, and rock hard biceps. *Yes, through training (Weights) they get even more muscular. *Bolt as seen above, he was not that big when he started, but yes he was lean and ripped.

Can you get really fat and then really ripped, of course you can. *The original commercial at the time was showing World class Track athletes, not those of us who have lost 80 pounds, and started doing athletic events. *

Since these times, even I have changed my stance. *I no longer do much cardio at all. *I used to be ripped at 190-200, *now I am ripped at 230. *I found out that regardless of which type of conditioning you do, if you do too much, you hinder muscular gains. *Dexter Jackson pointed this out. *I experimented with cleaning my diet up, and limiting cardio, and bam-I got leaner at a heavier weight.

A lot has changed in 7 years. *Now when I enter my off seasons, I'll do cardio only three times a week, for two weeks, then drop cardio almost all together. *Muscle burns so many calories, you really don't need to do a lot of cardio. *

But first thing first, you need to go through a big muscle bulking phase, clean you don't want to gain a lot of fat. *Then when you cut, you let all that new muscle go to work for you. *I took a whole year off dieting, but it was well worth it. *

Thanks for bumping this thread though.

[msm00b]

The original post was more or less spot on. Sprinting isn't superior for shredding fat. Distance running by itself won't make you emaciated. The degree to which you pack on pounds of muscle is going to very strongly correlate with the time/effort you put in at the gym lifting. As with anything, moderation is key.