Running to get cut

[JimBo123]

my definition of cut= skinny, as in low body fat

So ive finally gotten into my head that rep/weight scheme does NOTT determine your appearance(am i right on this?)!! it will only determine the amount of strength i have (again, correct me if im wrong). so im probably going to start lifting fairly heavy.

Now that i know that only body fat will determine the look of your muscles (clearly seen or not) i want to add in cardio into ... well my life, because i plan on eventualy making this a daily thing, hopefully (or every other day?).
Now im too cheap to buy one of those HR monitor watches that are like 80 bucks (im a kid with no job! i live off holiday money and my parents!) and im pretty sure my parents wont get me one this christmas because there giving me the gift of a plane ticket to korea for this coming break

So i was wondering would it be possible for me to just like runn my butt off everyday to get cut(and keep working out of course)..? Cuz thats what those cross country kids seem to do and they are pretty daang cut

[BjsAust]

First off you should try the search function on the boards .

Cut = low bodyfat. To a certain degree low bodyfat has nothing to do with what type of exercise you do, its just the proportion of fat you have v's the rest of you. Exercise of any kind is just a mechanism to move that proportion. That said obviously some exercise types are better than others.

What it comes down to is that running (or any cardio) burns fat while you're doing it. Weights burns fat while you're doing it, but also increases your metabolism which means your body burns more fat (well, energy) the rest of the time as well.

Rep/Weight scheme has a big factor in determining your appearance. For instance if your amount of bodyfat stays the same, then by increasing muscle mass you in fact lower your percentage of bodyfat. Put another way the smaller your muscles, the more fat you need to lose to bring them out. The type of weights can also have an effect on how your muscles look both at rest and in motion. If you want to look ripped it helps if your muscles look full and ready for action!

As for running though (or any cardio) its generally accepted that HIIT works best. The general theory is to sprint for a period, then rest for 3 times that period. For instance me, I'll sprint for 30 seconds as hard as I can (in my head I'm thinking the speed I'd run in a 200 metre foot race) then walk/job for 90 seconds. After that I repeat as many times as I can. Always do a good job warming up first of course!

The reason for doing HIIT is it burns more energy in the same time than just jogging for that period does. Since the only way running really helps get rid of fat is through the energy you use while running, it makes sense to use the form of running that burns the most for that period.

Best news is you dont need to spend any money on equipment [img]smile.gif[/img] . Just find a park or oval and go for it! Dont do it every day, do it like 3 times a week or so. You need to recover from running, just like you do weights.

[chris_f]

JimBo... side note, if you long distance run, you'll probably look ethiopian. I don't think distance runners look cut so much as they look scrawny.

Look at sprinters though. They're big AND cut... hence HIIT! enjoy [img]smile.gif[/img]

[BamaDave]

Originally posted by sharkbait31:
JimBo... side note, if you long distance run, you'll probably look ethiopian. I don't think distance runners look cut so much as they look scrawny.

Look at sprinters though. They're big AND cut... hence HIIT! enjoy [img]smile.gif[/img]

In the 10K and 20K races I did this Fall, I noted that the top runners for the most part had low body fat and fit-looking physiques. I wouldn't descibe them as "Ethiopian" in a sense that they looked starved. They were not, however, muscled up like Olympic sprinters. The more heavily muscled runners were nowhere near the front of the pack. I finished in the top 10% of both races and don't recall a "big" guy ahead of me (I'm not big, either, by any stretch -- but not as thin as many who finished ahead of me).

At any rate, I don't believe that long distance running dooms you to an anorexic physique, but it is also not the best thing to do if your primary goal is retention of lots of muscle mass.

[jwrives]

Generally your sprinters are more built because they work at it. Most people underestimate how important upper body strength is to sprinting. Also generally the closer you get the 800 meter runs and above, those guys tend to be much leaner because that gives them an edge going longer distances where efficiency in running becomes more important.

[JimBo123]

hmmm so long distance or hiit? do you think it would be a good idea to do both because i play soccer and training for long distance would be good for me, but i also want to compete in martial arts and i understand hiit is more suitable for fighting(like going all out in a short period of time).

oh yeah and BjsAust, im going to try to lower my body fat by running so what kind of rep scheme is good for getting cut???

[JimBo123]

BUUUMP i need to know, can i do both long distance and hiit?

and also some input on rep scheme would be nice.... to get cut

[gobbla]

Short Answer...Yes.

IMO (which will likely lead me to being lynched soon) you can't compair yourself to an elite athelete or draw conclusions from your training from how an elite athelete looks unless you're willing to be and train like an elite athelete.

Elite long distance runners have no need to be bulky and it actually hampers them so they typically don't have an aggressive eating\weight lifting regiment. They are generally skinny because it helps them be as successful as they are. They also need to have a certain amount of fat on them or they wouldn't be able to complete the runs\rides...they'd die.

Same thing with sprinters (IMO). You're running a shorter period of time...you need massive amounts of strength\power for a short period of time...so you train to achieve that. Their training\diet reflects.

So how does this pertain to you? As an AMATURE you're not going to be the best of either so don't get particularly stressed about either group. Every day I see guys that have all the endurance in the world and put up huge weight and they LOOK like they can put up huge weight. If you're not going to be putting in 50-100 miles worth of running a week then doing stress it.

What I see as the most important factor is "What do you enjoy doing and what are you willing to continue doing?". HIIT is a great way to make the very most of your time. Edurance training isn't as effeciant but it can be effective just the same. What do you WANT to do.

[jwrives]

I can only tell you what works for me personally but I get the best results when I run 3 miles 2 times a week, HIIT for 30 minutes 2 times a week, and do a 5X5 heavy weight routine 3 days a week (something like RRD)

But I also think that if your goal is to "get cut", it has more to do with diet and nutrition than with what exercise routine you follow.

[Kam]

I am just starting to get into a HIIT routine with running, previous to that I was running 20-30 miles/week at about 8 min/mile pace 3-6 miles per run. Lastnight I did 8, 80 yard sprints followed by a 40 yard walk and then a 40 yard jog. This workout "felt" pretty intense as I was sucking air by the end of each sprint and my HR felt much higher than it does in distance running.
Its important to remember to lift hard and heavy when you are cutting since you will have to lower you daily caloric intake. Your body will naturally want to get rid of muscle before fat. Since it takes more energy to maintain the muscle. When you go hard and heavy it sends a signal to the body that it has to keep the muscle so you will burn the fat.