Those who practice fitness will probably have come up against an almost Hamletic doubt: is it possible to practice both the gym, including weights and the race? Or are they in contrast and devoting oneself to one would exclude the other if not with harmful effects for the organism?
The answer is yes, it is possible to reconcile the two activities without any kind of side effect but, on the contrary, developing more benefits for one’s physical form. But everything must be well-balanced and balanced, so running and the gym will have to be integrated with the right methods, especially if you are young and with a metabolism already quite fast: let’s see how to do it.
Effects of the race
First of all, you need to know the effects of running on your body. Everyone will know that running does consume calories, this basically means burning sugars and muscle amino acids. Therefore, know that running your muscle mass will suffer, inevitably suffering a slight decline.
However, running stimulates the metabolism by maximizing the oxidation of fats and thus helping to avoid and prevent the occurrence of possible muscular diseases. Remember, moreover, to never run on an empty stomach, just because the race burns a lot of energy. Consume, then, a snack based on carbohydrates and proteins about an hour before running.
Effects of the gym
Very often, practicing a gym means working on weight training to develop and tone muscle mass. All this is good for the body, provided it is practiced conscientiously, followed by a personal trainer and the constant supervision of your doctor. In any case, the gym sessions must not be excessive, limiting them, usually, to three per week.
The optimal time to work out at the gym is in the morning, especially when it comes to weights. In fact, in the morning, the body is more charged and full of energy, better supporting effort, and fatigue. If you practice gym to lose weight, you should avoid working too much on the mass to move through the weights, instead of concentrating on toning and shaping the body, to which even the stroke can contribute greatly.
Running and gym synthesis
How, then, to combine the two activities in a healthy way, without one disfavoring the other, or even nullify the effects? First of all, you will have to limit the race to short journeys, avoiding excessively long and too tiring journeys. A striking example is provided by marathon runners, accustomed to training assiduously on long paths, whose body is almost always too dry, a symptom that muscle mass has been consumed by prolonged running.
Also, the consecutive running time will have to be dosed appropriately, never exceeding 30-40 minutes and preferring a slow and constant rhythm to useless ” races ” in speed. Also, do not run for more than 4 times a week and alternate with the days dedicated to the gym instead. Keep a day resting completely: the body needs it!
Finally, categorically avoid the race after a gym session focused purely on the legs. The main risk, in not knowing how to accurately does the combined physical effort of running and gym, is to burn lean mass, going to meet muscular injuries mainly located in the lower limbs.
