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: will running strip muscles ... ?
How much running should a
bodybuilder do ?
Although running is not necessary for building
the ultimate muscle mass or health, it can be used as an effective
change of pace activity to bolster both.
For general conditioning and bodybuilding
(specifically for reducing fat and increasing muscularity), start with
10-12 minute runs (jogs) 2-3 times a week. Stick with both the pace and
the time for several weeks and then increase gradually, working up to
15-25 minutes of running three times a week at the same pace. Take note
of changes in your appearance and how you feel. If you feel tired,
sluggish or otherwise over trained, cut back or substitute other
activities.
High-intensity, interval-type training (such as
10-20 repetitions of 60-80 yard sprints) not only can increase aerobic
power, it's a killer leg workout in itself !
When should a bodybuilder run
?
Again, it depends to some extent on your primary
bodybuilding goals. If that goal is to reduce body fat and you weight
train three times a week, run on alternate days from your bodybuilding
workouts to stoke the fat-burning furnace. If your main goal is to
increase muscle mass or strength, however, you should probably hit the
track on the same days you hit the weights so as to give your body ample
recovery time between training sessions.
If musculoskeletal conditioning is foremost, do
the serious running after the weight workout (light jogging is still
okay to warm up) to spare the muscle and liver glycogen. The exception:
when you do a demanding leg workout. You wouldn't want to run after
training legs for safety reason.
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