Running for Leg Toning Vs Bulking

Are you interested in running to build sculpted, muscular legs befitting a weightlifter, or are you more into the sleek, toned look? You can accomplish both with running regimens; it’s largely a matter of the running program you choose. A quick look at the two most common types of runners — sprinters with their heftier quads and distance runners with their more spindly legs — are testament to how differing styles and approaches affect the make-up and appearance of your legs. Taking a page from their training programs can help you achieve the specific results you’re looking for.

  1. Short and Stout

    • Runners who go shorter distances tend to have more muscular legs.

      Runners with big, muscular quads tend to be sprinters, or short distance runners. Their training emphasizes short, explosive bursts of running coupled with weight training. Weight training, in particular, can lead to bulkier leg muscles because it relies on a process of breaking down a muscle only to have it heal and come back bigger and stronger. A way to replicate this process and achieve the desired muscular look minus the weight room is to run stairs, in an office building, a gym or a football stadium.

    Long and Lean

    • Distance runners, on the other hand, typically have long, lean legs. Running long distances requires a good deal of energy, and the body is great at adapting to burn calories more efficiently. Thus, muscle fiber in distance runners tends to shrink in an effort to become more efficient metabolically. That shrinking results in a taught, toned appearance.

    Weight Training and Distance

    • While the short/stout and long/lean maxims apply in general, it is possible to run longer distances and have muscular-looking legs. The key is to not run too much — 25 to 30 miles a week, tops — and incorporate weight training. Susan Paul, an exercise physiologist and columnist for Runner’s World, recommends a weight program that stresses more weight and fewer sets and reps to build muscle mass. She also suggests running in the morning and weight training that same afternoon, then taking the next day off as a rest day.

    Nutrition

    • Nutrition can be especially challenging for runners who also weight train. The two disciplines tend to have specific nutritional requirements that don’t necessarily complement one another. The recommended levels of carbohydrates and protein can vary depending upon the activity; getting the right mix as you weight train and run will require attention, and possibly the help of a nutritionist.