Having a runner’s physique has its perks. They have lean and toned muscles that are highly functional. The best part is that it is pretty achievable. So, if you are a beginner starting to exercise, you can have the runner’s physique. It may be slightly more challenging to attain a toned physique if your weight is somewhat greater than average. But with great effort and determination, achieving it is not impossible at all.
Why Should You Aim for A Runner’s Physique?
Running improves overall health and dramatically helps to improve cardiovascular health. Many have a misconception about a runner’s physique: you should have a tall body. No, you can achieve the ideal form even under 6 feet tall. People who have attained this body have slender arms that have less mass. Since they run with their legs, their hands are not of much use. Besides this, more features mark the person as having a runner’s physique. They help you live healthier lives by strengthening muscles, hearts, immune systems, and many more. So, let’s jump into the features.
The Percentage of Slow Twitch Muscles Is High
Humans have more than 600 muscles, and you use most of them. So, developing the correct type of muscles is essential. For a distance runner, having a slow twitch muscle is a must. While the proportion of each fiber type in the legs is determined by genetics, exercise can change how these fibers perform.
The ideal marathon runner will have a genetically gifted physique with slow twitch and intermediary muscle fibers. Just having blessed with the feature is not enough. They need to train well to function flawlessly during distance running.
The Percentage of Fat Is Low
This is another feature that a person aiming for a runner’s physique must possess. As a result of endurance training and working out, you lose a lot of calories, making you lean and slender. For many people, running is made easier without much resistance because they don’t have extra mass to carry when running.
It gives You Strong Bones
Having a runner’s physique includes having solid bones. Naturally, bones are strong, but when you attain the ideal body, bones adapt to stress by modifying to make them more resilient. Thus, the bones in the lower part of the body become strong, reducing the chance of injuries.
The Rate of Resting Heart Is Low
As the name suggests, it is a measure of the heart rate when you are resting. A typical adult has a resting heart rate between 60 and 100. However, when you acquire a runner’s physique, it will be different.
They participate in rigorous cardiovascular exercise, which significantly improves the efficiency with which their heart pumps blood. That is why athletes or runners have much lower resting heart rates. Their heart rate is often between 30 and 40 beats per minute.
How To Get a Runner’s Physique?
The first and foremost step in achieving the body is to know your body type well. This will help you understand your body’s requirements.
Losing Weight
Your body’s weight and composition significantly impact how well you run. If you weigh more than average, you should concentrate on reducing your body fat percentage and increasing your muscle mass rather than simply losing weight.
Your ability to improve as a runner will increase as you drop more weight. There won’t be any changes in your lung capacity, but it ensures you don’t get tired too soon. So, keep track of your BMI very often. Do not reduce your calorie intake because that will only harm your health, preventing it from working efficiently.
Instead, balancing your running activity with your calorie intake and rest periods is essential. So, with many running exercises daily, being mindful of good nutrition and enough recovery are crucial elements of acquiring beneficial results.
Optimal Running
The right way to achieve a runner’s physique is by running with high intensity for a short time. You read that right. Much research shows short bursts of running with few periods burn more of the subcutaneous fat and increase metabolism. Not only that, but the oxygen debt encourages you to intake an increased amount of oxygen, so you burn even after the running session is over.
With a few weeks of high-intensity running, you can switch to low-intensity running and increase the timings for these runs. This is where you then target specific parts of the body to burn fat, for example, burning belly fat.
Build A Strong Core
But only running will not be enough. To become a more effective runner to achieve the physique, you must exercise your entire body, not just the muscles in your lower body. Building a strong core is also necessary, and you can make it by performing cardio, core, endurance, and flexibility exercises. Building a strong core also helps build stability to work on various activities efficiently.
Develop Stamina
Stamina improves your body’s mental and physical aspects by increasing endurance, which is necessary for long-distance running. Stamina is when your cardiovascular system delivers oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles throughout your body. To increase stamina, always be consistent with one type of workout to become habituated before moving on to the more difficult levels.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a runner’s physique is a way to remain fit and healthy because it makes you look good, but working on getting this form is an exciting journey of ensuring good physical and mental health.
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