Other/Mixed Running skinny fat?

[conor78]

Ive been doing a bit of training for a half marathon the past 4 weeks and I'm getting out twice a week. I'm still doing resistance work through KB and dorm barbell work. Anyone it's been a while since I trained with marathon/endurance runners. I was surprised to see a lot of guys who are running 60 miles plus a week and don't seem to be reaping the benefits in terms of body recomp..This isn't a scientific study by any means just a general observation..for me cardio seems to help with fat loss but I would do it with resistance or use 400 m runs for fat loss
You would think running 60 plus miles a week would shift a lot of body fat.. Interesting..

 

[Antti]

What makes you think running makes you lose fat? When one looks at long distance runners, for example in olympics, they aren't that toned or muscular.

IIRC Dan John claimed in Easy Strength that running increases fat%. I also read about a danish study, where sedentary people we're put on a regime to train for a marathon, and that after the event, their fat% had not practically changed at all.

Maybe the difference is bigger if there is a lot of extra weight on a person.

 

[Rayhzel]

Getting fatter has something to do with hormones if I am not mistaken. Also has lots to do with food of course. Too often runners eat way too many carbs

 

[Steve Freides]

@conor78, IMHO, the problem with many distance runners is that they train too fast and it becomes a stressful experience in the wrong way. Good resources on running will help you figure out a pace that's right for easy days, and easy days should be most of most runner's training. Not so slow as to be "junk miles" but not so fast as to step into the zones reserved for speedwork and tempo running, both of which should be done only in small doses for most distance runners.

The book I've mentioned over and over here is Jack Daniel's "Running Formula" which gives very specific paces for different kinds of running training, and everything is based on recent race performances. This book helped me set, although it's nothing to write home about, a lifetime PR at 5k at age 45.

-S-