Bodybuilding > Running

Troll translation wrote:

Former competitve runner wrote:

I find that I'm doing a heck of a lot better with the ladies and when I tell them that I used to be 25 lbs lighter, they always say, "that's too skinny". I'm 48 yrs old, but look like I'm 38 and look a lot more buff and healthy than when I was running sub 32 min 10K's.

I am 38 and look like I am 28 and don't give a crap what a bunch of shallow martini sluts think about what I look like because I am happily married to someone who isn't so insecure and shallow that they are attracted to insecure muscle dudes wearing the latest Ed Hardy douche cape.

I banged your wife last night, girlyman.

Senor pecho wrote:

Troll translation wrote:

I am 38 and look like I am 28 and don't give a crap what a bunch of shallow martini sluts think about what I look like because I am happily married to someone who isn't so insecure and shallow that they are attracted to insecure muscle dudes wearing the latest Ed Hardy douche cape.

I banged your wife last night, girlyman.

Not my wife you banged last night. Just some STD infested slut that you found lying under the bar after you slipped her a roofie. I guess the Ax body spray didn't get the job done. Go pump some iron with your buds and then go home a try your best not to think about them when you whack it because you are out of roofies.

Way back when in HS and college I lifted - before it was really the sport it is today. At 5'6" my 158lbs got the attention of coaches - in particular wrestling. As soon as I drifted from the sport, like anything, w/in months I flabbed out. Distance running replaced that flab, and for over 30+ yrs. I've remained at around 124lbs. At my age, I run for my head, then my overall health and a few age-related races. But, just recently I have started light weights 3X a week, fashioned after my old HS routine except w/ much lighter weights - much lighter. I gotta say, I do feel better the next day - the muscle groups know they've been worked; but it truly is boring. At 58, I've always felt running would be more beneficial - I truly am a bit perplexed: Some days I want to head to Dick's Sporting Goods and buy more weights and lift myself into a coma, and other days I want to buy a new pair of flats and do a quick 15K in the rain. And being so blasted OCD, I basically do one thing. Hey, you younger guys will get here - any thoughts?

Oh this is good...

Did T-Nation let their kids come over and play?

To each his own...Bodybuilding = Running...Sport = Sport.

A sport is defined as: a.Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

Unless you've actually been in the gym 4-5 or more days of the week for 45-60 minutes banging out set after set then you really have to point of reference to comment from. If you just get in and lift 'watching paint dry', then your intensity needs to be addressed because that type of lifting is NOT good for you. You can't progress without intensity and I'm not talking about the weight on the bar or the number of reps.

It feels good to get one more rep, to lift more weight, etc. It feels good to diet down and reach a goal.

To each his own.

Alan

So what is the one thing you do because of your OCD?

Neanderthals were big, strong, muscular beings. They're extinct.

Homo Sapiens, were, as the book suggests, Born to Run, and seem to be thriving.

Bodybuilding < Running.

it's really funny that you mention this. i just got back from a 5 day kayaking trip here in petersberg, alaska. my brother and I discussed this very thing on our last 20 mile pull today back to the town. i did exactly what the OP initially proposed. after "retiring" at age 23 with a low 4 mile and weighing in at 6'0 and 143 pounds, i immediatly started to put on muscle the day that i stopped running. i mean, i just walked away from it. obviously, as a committed runner, we all have it ingrained into our thick and stubborn skulls that we need to work out 6-7 days a week. i started easy with pushups and situps for a few months, which eventually gave way to pullups and full body workouts in the gym. as i began to see reults almost overnight, i started to do more focused body workouts- usually working out 4-5 times per week. it began to be a joy to go to the gym, just like it was when i first began to run track as a kid. things eventually progressed, where now 10 years later, i have out on 35 pounds of lean muscle. by no means am i musclehead. i am 6 feet, 178, and at about 7% bodyfat. i found that the hard 100 mile weeks that i was previously running has made it somewhat hard to really pack on muscle to my thighs and calves (can you permanently change a white muscle fiber to a red muscle fiber from massive aerobic training?). i can tell you, i feel 1000 times more powerful, and certainly more self confident. i suppose it's a personal taste, but by no means am i some kind of ed hardy muscle man with tight tshirts. i am cut, fit, and very healthy looking. this opposed to the emaciated, white, and tired look that i used to hold. i can't say enough good things about getting into the gym when you are done running. as a runner, i suggest supersetting everything, as this allows a bit of a cardio workout as well. i will be honest: i still head to the track now and again during the summer months when the mood catches me right. there is nothing like strapping on the spikes and flying down the backstretch on a warm summer evening. we never get that out of our blood, i dont think. as far as taking the gym to the extreme with "bodybuilding"- i think it a very pooor choice. once again, like hardcore running, you are becoming overspecialized in an area that really serves no functional purpose in life. that's just my two cents. as you can see, we had plenty of time to discuss the matter on the water today!

truth you are seeking wrote:

once again, like hardcore running, you are becoming overspecialized in an area that really serves no functional purpose in life.

what is a functional purpose? there is no such thing.

all purposes in life are made up.

"Humans are built to outrun nearly every other animal on the planet over long distances."

http://discovermagazine.com/2006/may/tramps-like-us

No similar studies for weightlifting / bodybuilding exist. We're about as strong as kittens and not nearly as skilled predators in the wild.

"what is a functional purpose? there is no such thing.'

-dude, seriously. chill out. what other functional purpose is there in life to hardcore distance running than being in shape for hardcore distance running? analaogously, what other purpose is there in life to having biceps so big that you can't get the wallet out of your own pants than bodybuilding?

Mr. Traps wrote:

Muscle is muscle, it doesn't turn flabby. And the great thing about being muscular is that you can afford to gain a little extra fat when you have muscle size underneath it. What looks disgusting is being skinny-fat.

I can't believe no one else caught this! Your total lack of knowledge and disregard of science is stunning!

humans aren't meant to run, they're meant to think

After I was done running, I did the same thing. Lifted for a couple years, got a little bigger, got stronger. Yea, it's great if you want to grab some attention and feel better about yourself, I guess. Whenever I'd run I'd hate the feeling of being skinnier/small and just flat out weak for the most part. Then I realized, I was operating in extremes. I was either only running or only lifting (with some eliptical after sometimes). Therefore, I started to do both in moderation and have been fine, just like some other posters mentioned.

I equate this moderation to almost anything in life. Think about it, a drink or two a day is great for you, more than that is bad, less than that is not as beneficial. Tons of saturated fat is bad, as is no saturated fat. I think you can apply this to just about anything, I'm sure we've all heard of the triangle dealing with the various aspects of life and how if we compromise one for another, it leads to an unhealthy life.

Also, in terms of Yates being an HIT proponent, you should read up on his history if you think that's what worked for him. If he does indeed recommend this today, I would say read up on Mike Mentzger, who did a similar trend, and almost went off the deep end in terms of training theories.

You're spending all your time waxing the car when you should change the oil.

After reading these pages, I tend to agree. I have to resign my self to weight work several times a week. At 58, there's no way I'm going to get faster - but, I can get stronger. (What is it, 1% of muscle mass per yr. guys my age lose?) But, running is and always will be a boon to the cardiovascular system and I can't quit that entirely, either. I'm heading out tomorrow for more weights - and protein powder. Good topic.

I'll lift to gain strength when I get older, so I'm not a frail old man. I'm not gonna try to pack on a bunch of muscle to boost my ego like you guys seem to need. If I put on 5 or 10 pounds that will be more than enough.

And I think some cardio should be a permanent part of your life. Get out and do some mountain biking or something if you don't like running anymore. Your heart is a muscle too, and one you don't want to neglect.

I love to run. This is really why I run. I'm not great at it but I've been doing it a long time. I love the runner's high and the endorphins. I love races.

I've recently begun doing some weight lifting for functional strength, if nothing else. As I age I need to do something to keep my body strong. I don't particualarly enjoy it but there is a satisfying tiredness that comes the next day. I have found it good for weight maintenance. I'll never love it like I love running.

bodybuilders = freaks. Human are not supposed to look like they do and the only real function they have in society is looking good on the cover or a mag or on a stage. After that, their roid rage, baldness, liver diseases, and other things will catch up and ruin their lives. Female body builders are the freaks of all freaks.

weight lifters = normal. It is normal for one to want to improve one's body or self-image. Nothing wrong with pumping some iron for yourself or for the ladies.

Again, you can have a great engine w/ a lousy chassis. For us older guys, our entire musculature is in a state of decline. Since I've neglected it during my serious running years, I have to attend to it now. Maintain, maintain, maintain.