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Does Running Build Muscle? Here’s How:

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FitBudd

Experts have proven that cardio exercises such as walking and running are a great alternative to staying fit and healthy. But apart from being healthy, another question people have in mind is whether running also helps build muscles or not. Read more to find out.

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If you notice the athletes, especially the ones who participate in running, a few are muscular while others are not. So, an overall perspective is that running alone does not help in muscle building. But still, several ways indicate that running can help strengthen your muscles. So, the question should be, how does running build muscle?
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What does running do to the muscles?

Before knowing whether running helps build muscles, it is crucial to understand what running does to the muscles. Regular running exerts pressure on your lower part of the body and offers strength to not just the muscles but also the bones.

Apart from leg muscles used in running, even hip muscles are helpful in this form. Thus, practically all the muscles in your lower body part that are involved in the activity of running gain strength.

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How does running build muscle?

So, since it's established that running does not contribute to the building of muscles, then the question is - how do some runners build great muscles in their legs and arms? Well, here are some specific training methods that mostly all runners who wish to develop and strengthen their muscles follow:

Change in Training Method:

Running is a continuous process, and according to fitness experts, constantly undertaking an activity can only strengthen the muscles but cannot help build the muscles. If you take an example, performing regular crunches in a single form may strengthen your ab muscles but will not bring out the six-pack abs that you desire. Similarly, just running in a single form will offer strength to the muscles of your legs and hips, but you need to add variations in your running skill to build muscles.

Depending upon your capabilities and stamina, you can include and try out different running variants, such as high resistance running, in which you need to run on a slope or elevation. Now, when going for high-resistance running, you can swipe between fast and slow running. Similarly, it is essential to take breaks in between to break the monotony.

Apart from the high-resistance running, you can try other forms of running like sprint intervals. In this method, you run at a fast rate for 30 seconds, then take a break for 1 minute and repeat the process.

If you are looking for slow-twitch muscles, go for long-distance runs where you run continuously for an hour or so. Then, combine this running strategy with recovery runs or jogging for 30 minutes every alternate day.

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Include Other Exercises:

So, while running muscles worked in strengthening your legs, it is time to include some other forms of exercise to build the muscles up. So, if you're not getting into different types of training that consist of running, then you can include other muscle training exercises in your regime.

If you are someone who runs regularly and also wishes to build muscles, then there are some exercises that you can perform regularly. You can either hit the gym or arrange the equipment at home for performing all these exercises. Some exercises you can include for building your leg muscles are hack squats, deadlifts, hamstring curls, split squats, leg press, leg extensions, and walking lunges.

Combine these exercises with the regular running regime to increase your muscle strength or lower body and build up the muscles to get a heavier look.

Many people also seek an answer to the following question - does running build muscle in arms or not? The simplest answer is that it depends upon the activities you combine with running. Of course, while running, you will be swinging your arms too, which will strengthen only your arms' muscles. In addition, you must include exercises such as push-ups, tricep extensions, bench presses, and others to build muscles.

Change Your Diet:

When you are running, you are burning a high amount of calories, especially when you are involved in long-distance running, but you can never build up muscles if you have a deficiency of calories. Hence, if you wish to build muscles, eating a nutrition-rich diet is imperative to cover up the calorie deficiency in your body.

One way of doing so is to consume healthy carbohydrates before running. You can find healthy carbohydrates in options such as sweet potatoes and brown rice. As these food items are rich in calories, it lets all your calories drain while you are running. The remaining calories can accumulate in your muscles.

Now, just after your run, you must intake food items rich in protein. The protein-rich diet will help repair the broken muscle tissues and help you regain the lost calories. Some common food items known to offer a high amount of protein are eggs, tofu, and fish.

Thus, a combination of healthy carbohydrates and protein will help you in building muscles if you are following the diet routine properly for your run,

Running is an excellent exercise method to stay healthy and maintain a fit lifestyle. But running will never be enough if you are trying to gain muscles. You must follow certain tricks to enjoy running, stay strong and fit, and build muscles in your arms and legs. Following the right diet regime and the training modules mentioned above, along with running regularly, can surely offer surprising results in building the muscles you desire. Download best personal trainer app to Build muscles.