Running/exercise advice?

L

lily

New member
I'm 16 and in fairly good shape. I'm 5"7 and weigh 130 pounds (yes, it is a lot :) ).
So today I went running (for the first time in 3 months) and ran 4km in about 20 minutes with two-three intervals. I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to run for, or what distance to cover, but I've never really been a good long-distance runner. Basically I need to gain muscles, primarily on my legs.
P.S. I do about a few sit-ups and push-ups daily, but I can't call that a "work-out"
Please give some advice! Thanks in advance :)
Yes yes, well burning fat is primarily the goal (so long distance it is)
 
Well running long distance will DECREASE the size of your leg muscles. Your body adapts to running, and it finds that lighter legs are easier to move. So if you want to build muscle, long distance is not a good idea, although it strengthens your legs it makes them smaller.
 
I think that the first thing you need to do is to define your goals. "gain muscles" is very vague..do you mean you want bulky muscles like a weight lifter? or do you want to lose weight? Basically distance running can do a lot of body sculpting depending on how hard you work out and what your needs are. There is no right answer on how long you 'should' run...according to who?

If you are just looking to get into shape. Try running 3-4 times a week and increase the distance a little bit each time. In the beginning you may need to walk. That is OK. if you can get to where you are running for at least 20 - 25 minutes without a break, then you should notice that you are looking and feeling better. Note: muscle weighs more than fat..so you can lose inches, but gain weight. == throw away the scale and go by how you feel.
 
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