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After running for a few days, my legs became thicker and harder instead of thinner. What happened?
After running for a few days, I feel my legs are thick and hard. The reason is that my legs are thick because of muscle congestion and muscle tension caused by running. This thickening and hardening can only be solved by combining sufficient stretching and rest.

Let me share some leg relaxation exercises after running:

1. Leg stretch

Step 2 stretch the front of the thigh

3. Hip stretching

Step 4 stretch the back of the thigh

In addition to stretching above, if you want to thin your legs when running, the posture and time of running are also very important. The suggestion of running posture is to land on your feet first, then land on your feet and jog. This running posture is very similar to that of a race walker. You can compare it. The calf of race walking is not thick! Of course, this kind of running posture puts a lot of pressure on the ankle. It is recommended to buy running shoes with padded heels.

The second is the running time. Many people say that it takes 30 minutes to burn fat. I can only say that the first half of the sentence is correct. It only takes more than 30-40 minutes to run each time, but in fact, there is fat consumption in the first 30 minutes, but the proportion is small, and the proportion of fat consumption is even greater after 30 minutes.

Of course, if you want to lose weight, you'd better start with the whole body. Partial weight loss is not realistic, so you can add some opening and closing jumps, forward kicks, bobby jumps and mountain climbing runs. Choose four actions at a time, each action is 30 seconds, with a rest of 65,438+00 seconds between actions and a rest of 20 seconds between groups. Repeat for 4-6 rounds, and each group will try its best to finish. This will help you lose weight, that is,

Please ask questions if you don't understand!

Answer any questions!

In recent days? If you understand correctly, your exercise should have just begun, so it's a little early to draw a conclusion.

Generally speaking, people who have just started to exercise, leg congestion leads to muscle swelling and tightness, which will give people a sense of degeneration and brawniness. As far as the intensity of jogging in fitness is concerned, it is not easy to thicken your legs. Unless your previous exercise foundation is poor, it is possible to make a slight but not obvious change in the thickness of your legs.

So don't worry, keep exercising, and consult more fitness seniors or coaches around you. I wish you early success.

Running has become the first choice for many people to exercise because of its simplicity, cheapness and effectiveness. But any kind of exercise needs methods. Many people worry that running will make their legs thicker. In fact, running (here refers to jogging and long-distance running) will not make your legs thicker, but will make your legs thinner. Incorrect running will make your legs thicker.

So, how do your legs get thicker?

First of all, there is a kind of leg thickness after running, which is temporary. That is, after running, the muscles are congested and swollen, and the legs will look thicker than usual, but they will soon return to their original state. This kind of thick leg is fake thick leg. Some people are scared away by this phenomenon and stop running.

Secondly, after running for a while, my legs became thicker, especially my calves. This is what we should focus on.

Fat legs, that is, those round fleshy legs, will not be discussed, because this is simply obesity caused by excessive calorie intake (eating too much) and has nothing to do with running.

Muscular thick legs, that is, those strong angular thick legs, will be discussed.

Can jogging lead to thick muscles and legs?

Our body lines are outlined by the shape of muscles, which are composed of bundles of muscle fibers. Muscle fibers can be divided into two categories: "fast muscle" and "slow muscle". Their proportions are largely innate. Some people are born with more fast muscles (with sprint talent), some people are born with more slow muscles (with long-distance running talent), and most ordinary people are half fast and half slow. In terms of volume, the slow muscle is thinner and the fast muscle is thicker.

In addition, the proportion of fast and slow muscles in different parts of the body is also different. For example, the fast muscle of triceps brachii is more than other hand muscles 10~30%, while the abdominal muscles and deep muscles are generally more slow muscles; The proportion of slow muscle in calf soleus muscle is high, and the proportion of fast muscle in gastrocnemius muscle is high.

-Characteristics of fast and slow muscles-

Slow muscle, also known as red muscle. It is characterized by slender, slow contraction, small strength, but hard work, many capillaries (so called red muscle), strong oxygen transport capacity, and more effective transport of waste. Suitable for endurance sports, such as long-distance running.

Fast muscle, also known as white muscle. Its characteristics are rough, fast contraction, great strength, but easy to fatigue and weak aerobic capacity. Suitable for explosive sports, such as sprint, high jump, basketball, etc.

The diameter of fast muscle fiber is thicker than that of slow muscle fiber, and the fast muscle of sprinters is more developed, so the muscles are thick and angular; Long-distance runners are muscular, so their muscles are slender and streamlined.

Different intensity of exercise and different training methods exercise different muscle fibers, and finally show different body shapes and physical qualities.

-Effects of training on muscle fibers-

I heard that muscles will get bigger and bigger with training. If jogging and long-distance running can develop slow muscles, which are also muscles, will it lead to thick legs?

The proportion of muscle fibers is mainly natural. Acquired training can only make a certain type of muscle fiber develop (increase area or enhance endurance), but the proportion of quantity can hardly increase.

Fast muscle fibers will be more prone to hypertrophy with training; With training, slow muscle fibers are more about enhancing endurance and are not easy to become hypertrophy. The characteristics of this slow muscle fiber really make us happy when we are worried about the thick legs ~

In addition, the main energy source of slow muscle fiber is fat (this is really a double happiness). Jogging can not only exercise slender slow muscles, but also effectively consume fat. Long legs seem to be getting closer and closer to us.

-Jogging for a long time will also burn muscles-

Long-distance running will not only make your legs thicker, but will make you constantly consume existing muscles.

Running for a long time will consume a lot of energy, including sugar, fat and protein, including muscle protein. Muscle consumes more than fat, because when fat is low, the body will form protection and will not consume more.

Therefore, if a lot of running consumes muscles, don't worry about muscle hypertrophy caused by running at this time, but worry about lack of strength and deformation of running posture caused by muscle loss, thus causing joint damage-strengthen strength training and maintain muscles.

But! It's not that simple. If you have the following problems, you can't avoid thick legs.

Running like this will thicken your legs.

1, wrong running posture

Running posture is wrong, gluteal muscles and thigh muscles are not mobilized, which leads to overuse of calf muscles. The calf is not thick! How to break it?

The easiest way is to run in small steps and speed up the frequency, which can make many wrong actions too late to do, so as to stay away from the wrong running posture. This is a very convenient way to run for you without proper training.

Of course, it is best to learn the correct running posture and strengthen training. On the one hand, it can prevent thick legs, and most importantly, it can keep you away from injuries and run faster and farther.

2. Don't stretch after running

Muscles have memories. Long-term exercise enhances muscle contraction ability, but it also shortens muscle length, weakens stretching ability and flexibility, which directly affects the stretching and flexibility of exercise, such as heavy and stiff running posture.

After running, muscles are in a state of contraction. If you don't stretch, you will shrink into a ball in the long run, develop horizontally, and finally become thick legs.

Good muscles are soft and elastic in a relaxed state. When you touch it, it will shake like jelly, and when you exercise, you will feel like water. Tension or long-term unstretched muscles will appear stiff and inelastic, which will affect the flexibility and flexibility of joints and greatly increase the hidden danger of injury.

Is there any way to prevent thick legs or make them thin?

If you want to avoid getting thicker during running, or your legs have become thicker or have become thicker, and you want to thin your legs by running, here are several solutions:

1, insist on aerobic jogging

Run at a speed where you can chat easily (generally, the heart rate is 130~ 150), for more than 30 minutes each time, at least 3~4 times a week (once for a rest).

2. Adopt correct running posture.

The upper body is straight (vertical), the hips lean forward with the center of gravity, and the trunk drives the legs to run forward. When running, only pay attention to pulling up the support leg, regardless of the landing of the swinging leg, start from the ground and run forward in small steps with high frequency.

3. Strengthen the core strength

Strengthen core strength training, support the upper body with the core, maintain stability, drive the legs and reduce the burden on the lower limbs. The strength of the calf is less, so naturally there is no need for so much muscle support. With the gradual training and running, the excess fat disappears, leaving only slender slow-contracting muscles.

To sum up, if you find your legs are thick and hard in middle and long distance running, it is definitely wrong. As long as you improve your running method and insist on stretching after running, your legs will only become more symmetrical and elastic, and running will not make you an elephant leg.