Is running "useless"?

[Merc009]

Maybe this post is dumb but I have to know

When you lift weights, you build muscle which needs energy 24/7 right? which means fat loss even if its slow, but when the run is over...the run is over?? no more fat burning? huh?

maybe you burn more calories while running but your glass of milk has half of what you just burned so..

[cryingstrat69]

as long as you eat the same amount of healthy calories as you burnt off, it will not affect muscle growth. running, to me, is the best way to define your abs

[814Saint]

as long as you end your day on a surplus of cals youll build muscle
plus running is good for one of the most important muscles in the body the heart
also good for the lungs and endurance

[Diddii]

your heart is a muscle, why shouldn't you train it?

[JohnUSA]

^ good stuff. some people say " running shakes your brain up, makes it bounce around in your skull, some people say running hurts your knees/ joints...


but.... why have people ran been running for decades...
gotta be good for you

[bond734]

Definitely not useless, its good for your heart but also a great way to relieve stress.

[supmuhhumbruh]

Definitely not useless, its good for your heart but also a great way to relieve stress.

A few points of contention

1. I don't see most people running. And in the context of running I assume you mean long distance/prolonged aerobic activity. In that case I see most people falling - Their stride and mechanics are terrible and their body is registering them as falling, which leads to a nervous system shift and thus making "running" a bad idea. If you have a great stride, then I have no problem with running.
2. That being said there are plenty of better ways to condition your heart than prolonged aerobic activity
3. Metabolically and hormonally, there are many better options than running for conditioning and fatloss

[vincerich]

Serious questions aren't stupid, but with that being said, wtf are you talking about? Running has major benefits beyond burning calories, so it's not useless. If you don't want to do it, find an alternative.

[Green54]

A few points of contention
2. That being said there are plenty of better ways to condition your heart than prolonged aerobic activity

...Like?

[BB4239]

Running - Is one of the best overall conditioning exercises for the human body & mind. There are countless benefits.

Is it essential for bodybuilding? No. But then again, no particular exercise is essential for bodybuilding. There are substitutes for every exercise.

[supmuhhumbruh]

...Like?

Kettlebell swings/snatches are a fantastic means of conditioning - for just one example

Sprints are another great alternative - Anaerobic work has a carryover to aerobic capacity but not so much the other way around

Prowlers/sled pushing and pulling is yet another

The options are endless, and as for long/trudging runs, I see them as time that could be better invested elsewhere if your goal is conditioning

[rnlindne]

Maybe this post is dumb but I have to know

When you lift weights, you build muscle which needs energy 24/7 right? which means fat loss even if its slow, but when the run is over...the run is over?? no more fat burning? huh?

maybe you burn more calories while running but your glass of milk has half of what you just burned so..

Do a google search of "running afterburn". You burn a ton of calories even after long/intense cardio. When I was training for a marathon last year I always noticed how hungry I constantly was even for days after a long run. I guess it depends a lot on how far/fast you run though.

[mjlindne]

but.... why have people ran been running for decades...
gotta be good for you

decades??? try millions of years.

[djansen]

your heart is a muscle, why shouldn't you train it?

weights do not train your heart?

do a set of squats and check your pulse.

[DrunkParkRanger]

Maybe this post is dumb but I have to know

When you lift weights, you build muscle which needs energy 24/7 right? which means fat loss even if its slow, but when the run is over...the run is over?? no more fat burning? huh?

maybe you burn more calories while running but your glass of milk has half of what you just burned so..

The greater your LBM, the more cals you will burn at rest, that's correct if that's what you are trying to allude to
You will not continue to burn any meaningful amount of cals after your done lifting, and cardiovascular exercise will typically burn more per amount of time (assuming similar intesity)
that said, you definitely don't have to run to lower BF, diet alone can do that
Tried to clear up a few things, but your post is so vague its hard to tell what your really asking

[first blood]

as long as you eat the same amount of healthy calories as you burnt off, it will not affect muscle growth. running, to me, is the best way to define your abs

Terrific cardio and great for the legs

[Fury22]

Sprints are great.

Running sucks.

[Runner99]

it's a completely different type of high. 90% of your runs are gonna be tough and will probably suck, but every once in a while you get that perfect day when you're just cruisin and it feels effortless.

plus, it's a fun way to show off all your weightroom work when you rock miles along the beach durin the summer

[Fury22]

is the best way to define your abs

what?

[Merc009]

Well I want to lower my body fat but not look like a stick

[djansen]

Well I want to lower my body fat but not look like a stick

diet + heavy weights bro.

[MrMisanthrope]

It works for some people, but endurance running interferes with hypertrophy. It will burn calories off of you, but also keep you smaller than you could be. There are people who pull it off, but that's less commonly successful.

Also, running is the most useful skill in the world, and regardless of what anybody says anybody who is a poor runner is physically useless in a lot of common life situations. However, I'm pretty sure your post refers to "jogging," which is useless bullcrap that should not be done by anybody ever. I don't want to sound like I'm part of the "lift and sprint" crowd, because frankly most of them are fatsos who just do squat, deadlift and bench because they think it makes them more hardcore to not do any "wimpy" exercises, but in discussions of running and athletics they're actually right when they indicate that jogging is f*cking useless.

I personally would say to get off the treadmill and step up your kitchen game, because nobody on a good diet needs jogging to lean out.

[BrenMiller]

Running will actually decrease your ability to maintain lean, big muscle tissue. The best cardio workout consists of some sort of sprinting workout. I recommend to look some sprinting work outs online. For illustration, a marathon runner is skinny while a sprinter contains more lean, muscle tissue. Cardio is an essential part of any workout regime. It is part of the trinity that is cardio, lifting, and diet.

[Mosho]

I dislike running and personally think the only reason to run should be to get better at running. There are other cardiovascular activities one can do that would give him better bang for one's time. I personally find that doing heavy fbw workouts I get the same hr I would running at moderate speeds. Playing drums would be equal to running slowlish and playing a sport like tennis or squash can get pretty taxing on the heart too. All these are activities I love to do and want to get better at. I don't enjoy running so for me it is completely useless. You could say that weight lifting is also useless for someone who doesn't enjoy it and isn't looking for muscle.

[Inspira]

on my off days i spend 20-30 mins running if i cant get to the pool to swim

so yes u should do it....but if ur bulking u could hit hard n heavy weights perhaps

[Greco-Roman]

Running can increase your metabolism, and calorie burning, after you're done running.

I did XC for 3 seasons, and lifted during it, and my lifts went up. This meant I was running 40min+ and then going to lift weights right after. I was fine. Most of the people that say
"Running prevents you from maintaining muscle"
"Running only helps running"
etc.

have never actually went running, found themselves in steady state, and just continued going. Whoever said 90% of running is painful probably never went running much either.

The most important thing is for you to go try it, and see how it helps you. Maybe your own personal metabolism is fine without running. Maybe it would be supercharged with running. People are different. Go try it if you're curious.

[Jimbo48]

Running is useless unless you are being chased by someone with a knife.

[kram157]

decades??? try millions of years.

Well maybe not that long...

[Tyciol]

When you lift weights, you build muscle which needs energy 24/7 right?

Lifting weights doesn't always build muscle, but yeah, it can happen if you do that progressively with good nutrition/recovery. Muscle's more metabolically active than fat, the bodies spends energy repairing it, building new, and maintaining the new. To some degree all cells in the body need energy 24/7 I guess. Even fat cells do, but muscle cells apparently need more or something. I'm not really sure why, maybe the passive tone requires it?

which means fat loss even if its slow, but when the run is over...the run is over?? no more fat burning? huh?

Not true, the body is always burning fat, and if you do an intense run, the body can be involved in post-exercise oxygen consumption just like it can with weightlifting.

maybe you burn more calories while running but your glass of milk has half of what you just burned so..

So what? It's still good volume and a healthy activity. Little as it might seen, weight training doesn't necessarily burn ridiculous amounts either, running combines well with it (though leg training pains should be considered).

as long as you eat the same amount of healthy calories as you burnt off, it will not affect muscle growth.

The body may need to do repair recoveries from running too, it's not merely a matter of calories but other nutrients, protein, etc.

running, to me, is the best way to define your abs

Why? You mean by creating a calorie deficit?

as long as you end your day on a surplus of cals youll build muscle

Building muscle is about more than calorie surplus.

Running - Is one of the best overall conditioning exercises for the human body & mind.

lol mind conditioning

Sprints are great. Running sucks.

Sprinting is a form of running, lol.

Running is useless unless you are being chased by someone with a knife.

I thought it was also important for outrunning girls trying to kiss you like I saw in this commercial.

[xuerebx]

Cardio is very beneficial. Don't just look at things strictly from a bodybuilding point of view. Personally I prefer cycling.