Walking as good for cardio as running?

[Dangermouse]

Hello,

I am currently 3months into an excruciating upper- body regime that I have designed myself. I am now looking to incorporate cardiovascular and lower-body endurance work into my fitness regime.

From expericne (please don't point me in the direction of fitness sites, which i've found to either be unreliable or too complex) do the benefits gained from long walking (preferably with a weight) equal that of running?

The only reason i'm asking is because i've recently put on a lot of upper body weight from working in the gym, and am findining it hard to run wihtout suffering excruciating knee, shin and ankle pains. However, I have found it comfortable to carry out walks carrying a weight over a good distance. Obviously, I will start to run, but see it as not worth the risk at the moment.

From your experience, does walking offer the same cardiovascular adantages as running or not?

Cheers.

[PhilM]

In short, no, running is vastly more beneficial than walking in terms of general fitness, although long distance walking (whether yomping or tabbing) is good for you, but has its limits!

To take a quote from a favourate book of mine, Fighting Fit by Adrian Weale:

The only difference between walking a distance and running it, I have been told, is the time it takes you to do it. In terms of energy used and muscle strength gained, this may well be so, though I doubt if there is any direct comparison in cardiovascular improvement. If you are training for SAS selection, you are going to have to get used to a lot of walking, over hills and carrying a rucksack, but that is different from the excercise walking advocated by a number of gurus nowadays. Personally, I find it hard to take seriously the sight of grown men and women striding around my local park waering lurex tights and determined expressions. There is no doubt walking improves your fitness, but nothing like the factor you will achieve by running, swimming or cycling.

Hope that answers your question mate?

[Artist]

Dangermouse

I see from your profile that you are a student. So I am taking it as read your are under 18 years of age unless your well into a Uni Course.

Don't even attempt to run with weight on your back! Run by all means, nay problems with that. Walk with weight on your back, be it along a street or over a Moor. I did it when I was a kid as did most of us when we had to lug a bloody great bag full of books n stuff to school each day.

Don't try to do heavy reps in the Gym, just do light reps.

All the Corp wants are people who are slightly fitter then the average bloke. Upper body strengh will be your downfall if you attempt a PRMC.

Why? you ask. Ever heard of Grid Sprints? Just try doing them with an upper body akin to Arnold Dobberywhatshisname the Governer of California and you will find out sharpish. The average Bloke on earning his Green Lid is akin to a racing snake.

It's whats between your lugholes that counts really in the Corp. I've been there, got the T Shirt and like to think I know what I'm talking about. I was thin as a rake when I passed out of training but could wack on a bergan, fighting order, rifle, radio and all the other stuff and hack it nay wucking forries because of my mindset, as could all the other blokes who earned the Green Lid.

You don't have to be a Superman to hack that Lid. You just need to be a wee bit more determined and bloodyminded than 99.9% of most other people.

Artist

[fubar84]

The thing that well really grip your sh*t though is that bloke on your selection who is built like a tank and still smashes you on the bleep test by reaching lv 15.

[wetanddry_51]

Yep, bang on artist. Mate, if you have just been building your upper body, i think it is going to take some hard work to get your cv up to scratch. I would start doing cv now, start easy, and make sure you ask your gym to show you some knee strengthening excercises, (quads and hamstrings especially) on my prmc, there were lads who looked nails but in actual fact couldnt hack it. Long walks are great! dont overdo it, and start building your cv up slowly. Hope ive helped.

[spanners]

as an ex serving pongo,and visitor to this site because i have a son currently doing RM RT i sometimes get amazed by some users who think that to pass prmc and RT you have to be super fit you seem to get obsessive about figures and times,iknow there are certain criteria to be met, but just get out ther and run,fast slow how you feel.do the press ups pull ups situps just work hard you will get fitter. the hard bit on prmc and rt is the mind, get that right and keep the jack in demons out of your head you wont fail on fitness or jack on fitness it will be something else.
just go out there and train dont bother with the gym.the great outdoors is the best gym,put in the effort work hard and get the head right and you will pass,

[Dangermouse]

Cheers all

I'm 21 and into a uni course, and have done a lot of cv work in the past - running, swimming, cycling. However I find it hard at the moment to run long distances without developing pain in my knees. I put that down to the fact that i've got skinny legs, so wanted to use walking for both CV and to build up my lower body strength/endurance. I also play football and do circuit training as well as the gym. I am hoping to apply over easter and maybe do a PRMC either during the summer or as late as christmas, and will do a lot of cardio work prior to them. In just need to build lower body strength in my legs so that then I can reintroduce impact work again. I go walking around the Machinllef (thats not how you spell it I know) area if anyon knows it, and find that I am quick over a distance. My plan is to start going on longer walks througout the Snowden area