Running is not exactly the first thing you think of when thinking of strength building as an ectomorph, but I’m bringing it up for a couple of reasons:
- I found a fantastic article that vastly improved my running technique. The article is: An approach towards proper running technique.
- Cardio exercise is often overlooked when building strength simply because it’s not conducive to that aim. But it’s important all the same for your overall fitness. What’s the point of having big muscles if you feel unhealthy? The goal should be a balance, not simply striving for bulbous arms and legs.
Anyways, in terms of the article I read, makes plenty of great points about proper technique but there are two parts that I feel need to be highlighted:
Strides should make very light “fwap, fwap, fwap” sounds NEVER loud CLUNKS!
…this was huge for me. I’d always feel self conscious as I’d run because it felt like I was causing light tremors and sonic booms with each stride. And I sort of was. The next day after reading this article I corrected my technique and aside from adding an effortless feeling to the entire process, I felt less pain in my legs and my plodding along wasn’t the source of explosive thuds.
Running was designed to be done barefoot. It was our own brain growth and the development of our frontal lobe that first gave someone the idea of wrapping the feet with leather to keep them warm, and later padding to help keep them safe. Over these last thousand years, shoes have now become extensions of our feet that have the ability to amplify their characteristics.
Modernism has a downfall however. Shoes from early childhood are the reason why most people have lost the ability to run. Shoes provide for a margin of error which negate the immediate bad effects from improper stride. Thus, proper form is not self developed during our childhood and through adolescence many of us lose stride. Improper stride is inefficient and directly relates to the general consensus of running being dull, a headache, and most of all, hard!
Uh oh, my hippie-like approach to life is showing. Yes, I’m a barefoot walker and yes, I do feel it’s a healthier way to get around. But of course, there are situations where shoes are necessary to avoid stepping on glass or being kicked out of swanky locations. For those situations I have a pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes, which look like regular shoes but emulate barefoot walking (and running) beautifully.
Interestingly enough, this was the first time I’d ordered shoes online and they’re also the most comfortable concoctions of synthetic leather that have ever wrapped around my feet.
So yeah…
Running may not help you bulk up (sprinting might help build your leg muscles, but I’m no expert) but it’s a fulfilling activity that gets you moving which is perhaps the most important thing. Don’t attach yourself to strength training entirely – there are other worlds to enjoy.
(But running in excess will have negative effects like over training does – especially if you want to gain weight – do it in moderation.)
