What is the best build for runners: big and strong like an athlete( not like a football player but bigger than your avg. distance guy), or skinny (galen rupp type). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
What is the best build for runners: big and strong like an athlete( not like a football player but bigger than your avg. distance guy), or skinny (galen rupp type). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
Well for one, anything that doesn't resemble Rojo's beer belly will be decent enough
There have been successful versions of both the muscular runner and skinny runner.
Muscular:
Alan Webb
Chris Solinsky
Nick Symmonds (800 specialist, I know, but also has a 3:34 1500)
Steve Ovett
Skinny:
Galen Rupp
Evan Jager
Every Kenyan...
However, most of those "muscular" runners would still be considered very skinny to most people. they just look relatively muscular to us. Like Im 6' 160, which is still very skinny, but I'm heavier than every other runner on my team.
Vertical hyphen.
Bob Kempainen in his prime was 6' 155lbs. Is that skinny, thin or muscular?
Built is not important, either you are fast or you are not. You can find that out pretty quickly without comparing builds and advantages/disadvantages.
Super lean body is most important. But almost always skinny guys have that but there are exceptions and those bigger but lean runners can run. By bigger, it is nothing in excess of 160 and those bigger guys are all above 6 feet in height.
LFK wrote:
Vertical hyphen.
http://www.racingpast.ca/uploads/euro66.2.jpeg
... who beat Pre again and again.
Well look at those names, that are built and look at their consistency record. Although there may be some that are big and fast. In the end they result in injury, tightness towards the closing of the race, or literally are just carrying around to much weight and fatigue.
Mike Honcho wrote:
Well look at those names, that are built and look at their consistency record. Although there may be some that are big and fast. In the end they result in injury, tightness towards the closing of the race, or literally are just carrying around to much weight and fatigue.
Yes, like with pretty much all runners that's the result of a successful running career.
Sprinters: Jamaicans
Mid-Distance: Kenyans
Long Distance: Ethiopians
Build matters much less than body fat %.
Bestbuild wrote:
What is the best build for runners: big and strong like an athlete( not like a football player but bigger than your avg. distance guy), or skinny (galen rupp type). What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
tendon and skeletal structure are more imporatant factors. Dense bones, short femurs, long tib/fibs, thick dense heel bone, moderate to low arched foot without any depressed (uneven metarsal bones), light bones upper body. Tendons and ligaments that are tight.
