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I would love to see resistance training looked at in comparison to distance running, which is usually what's meant by "exercise" in this context. The theory beh

I would love to see resistance training looked at in comparison to distance running, which is usually what's meant by "exercise" in this context. The theory behind jogging for exercise is that you'll raise your calorie output, but as the article states, you may just end up compensating by being less energetic throughout the rest of the day or feeling hungrier and eating more. The idea behind resistance training is that you apply a stress to your muscles, and in response to that stress your body dedicates a higher than normal percentage of the calories you take in to repairing and rebuilding your muscle fiber. Anecdotally, I've been powerlifting for the past 2 years or so as my "exercise", and while I weigh about what I did two years ago, my body looks completely different. Weightlifting may not cause you to lose weight, but no one actually wants to lose weight, they want to lose fat.

paulcole 9y ago
Do you think that distance running doesn't apply stress to the muscles?
- mikenew 9y ago
  Anabolic and catabolic stress is dramatically different. Just compare the body of an olympic marathon runner vs an olympic weightlifter. The limiting factor for jogging is usually your cardiovascular system, and you stop when you feel exhausted, not when your leg muscles can't move anymore. That's why it's referred to as "cardio". In weightlifting you stress your muscles to near the point of failure, not your cardiovascular system.
  - paulcole 9y ago
    > Just compare the body of an olympic marathon runner vs an olympic weightlifter Is this a useful comparison? Olympic marathoners are small people who are extremely weight conscious. Olympic weightlifters are also very aware of their weights as they compete in weight classes. > The limiting factor for jogging is usually your cardiovascular system, and you stop when you feel exhausted, not when your leg muscles can't move anymore. No offense but this is just telling me you're guessing and don't know much about distance running or jogging. Most average people who run for exercise stop because they've finished their workout not from exhaustion.
    - mikenew 9y ago
      I used to be a distance runner but had to stop because of an injury, and I'm now a powerlifter. So yes I do know something about it. What is your point? Are you trying to argue that distance running leads to the same level of muscle hypertrophy as weightlifting?
- fahayekwasright 9y ago
  Not hypertrophy. Totally different.
- tacon 9y ago
  This post[0] compares pictures of a champion marathoner vs a champion sprinter, and asks which one you would prefer to be. Research shows that steady state activity like running leads to some loss of muscle mass. Why would the body keep any extra weight if the minimal muscle mass wasn't going to failure? [0] https://thehappybody.com/blog/enduring-vs-charging/ https://thehappybody.com/blog/enduring-vs-charging/
  - jacobolus 9y ago
    Both professional marathon runners and professional sprinters are huge outliers who start with particular atypical body attributes and then aggressively train to optimize for very narrow competition. Then on top of that you are talking about men's macho/sexualized fantasies about their body shapes, not their carefully considered decisions about practical abilities to train. Most people don't actually want to look like pro sprinters in practice, but would prefer a more typical fit body shape. There are many physical activities which will result in different development. How about dancing, rock climbing, hiking, martial arts, rowing, yoga, ...? And how about just moderate exercise/practice instead of pro-level devotion.
    - mikenew 9y ago
      I think the overall point here is that your body is going to adapt to the stresses you expose it to. While it obviously won't be as extreme as a professional athlete, distance running will cause your body to adapt by improving cardiovascular efficiency, muscular endurance, and so on. It will not, however, cause muscle hypertrophy (in fact it may cause atrophy), and, contrary to popular belief and evidenced by this study, it may not help reduce bodyfat. This isn't exactly new either; there have been studies about this since decades ago[0] Virtually any form of physical activity is good for your body. If you want to be a rock climber then do that; if you want to be a distance runner than do that. And expect your body to adapt accordingly. But if your goals are centered around aesthetics and body composition then you should choose something that will lead you toward those goals, and if your ideal aesthetic is low bodyfat and high muscle mass then distance running is not likely to help you. [0] https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2007-1024949 https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/1...

paulcole 9y ago

Do you think that distance running doesn't apply stress to the muscles?

mikenew 9y ago
Anabolic and catabolic stress is dramatically different. Just compare the body of an olympic marathon runner vs an olympic weightlifter. The limiting factor for jogging is usually your cardiovascular system, and you stop when you feel exhausted, not when your leg muscles can't move anymore. That's why it's referred to as "cardio". In weightlifting you stress your muscles to near the point of failure, not your cardiovascular system.
- paulcole 9y ago
  > Just compare the body of an olympic marathon runner vs an olympic weightlifter Is this a useful comparison? Olympic marathoners are small people who are extremely weight conscious. Olympic weightlifters are also very aware of their weights as they compete in weight classes. > The limiting factor for jogging is usually your cardiovascular system, and you stop when you feel exhausted, not when your leg muscles can't move anymore. No offense but this is just telling me you're guessing and don't know much about distance running or jogging. Most average people who run for exercise stop because they've finished their workout not from exhaustion.
  - mikenew 9y ago
    I used to be a distance runner but had to stop because of an injury, and I'm now a powerlifter. So yes I do know something about it. What is your point? Are you trying to argue that distance running leads to the same level of muscle hypertrophy as weightlifting?
fahayekwasright 9y ago
Not hypertrophy. Totally different.
tacon 9y ago
This post[0] compares pictures of a champion marathoner vs a champion sprinter, and asks which one you would prefer to be. Research shows that steady state activity like running leads to some loss of muscle mass. Why would the body keep any extra weight if the minimal muscle mass wasn't going to failure? [0] https://thehappybody.com/blog/enduring-vs-charging/ https://thehappybody.com/blog/enduring-vs-charging/
- jacobolus 9y ago
  Both professional marathon runners and professional sprinters are huge outliers who start with particular atypical body attributes and then aggressively train to optimize for very narrow competition. Then on top of that you are talking about men's macho/sexualized fantasies about their body shapes, not their carefully considered decisions about practical abilities to train. Most people don't actually want to look like pro sprinters in practice, but would prefer a more typical fit body shape. There are many physical activities which will result in different development. How about dancing, rock climbing, hiking, martial arts, rowing, yoga, ...? And how about just moderate exercise/practice instead of pro-level devotion.
  - mikenew 9y ago
    I think the overall point here is that your body is going to adapt to the stresses you expose it to. While it obviously won't be as extreme as a professional athlete, distance running will cause your body to adapt by improving cardiovascular efficiency, muscular endurance, and so on. It will not, however, cause muscle hypertrophy (in fact it may cause atrophy), and, contrary to popular belief and evidenced by this study, it may not help reduce bodyfat. This isn't exactly new either; there have been studies about this since decades ago[0] Virtually any form of physical activity is good for your body. If you want to be a rock climber then do that; if you want to be a distance runner than do that. And expect your body to adapt accordingly. But if your goals are centered around aesthetics and body composition then you should choose something that will lead you toward those goals, and if your ideal aesthetic is low bodyfat and high muscle mass then distance running is not likely to help you. [0] https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-2007-1024949 https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/1...