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By Mario Strong
The following event actually happened to me in the summer of 1980. It was mid-August in the Catskill Mountains of New York. What began as a beautifully clear summer day suddenly became cloudy, with cooler ranging temperatures. I was about two miles from my home and the weather was threatening. After a minute or two of hustling down the road, I was surprised by a powerful gust of wind that slapped me swiftly across my face. I realized a cold front was quickly moving into the area and that a storm was about to break loose. As I looked towards an open valley, I felt the wind’s gale grow in intensity. The sky quickly changed dark in color with grayish and blackish hues dominant. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck nearby, as a loud booming thunder rattled the ground I stood on. Another lightning bolt exploded its blinding light close to me; it could not have been more than a few feet away. More thunder, more lightning, increasing until it sounded like tons of dynamite bombing the very countryside where I stood. What had been a calm summer day became Hell on earth as the storm’s gale force winds stung my body with cold rain and chunks of sharp hail.
 Boom! Crack! Snap! I jumped into the air, not knowing which way to go. I looked back to where I had just been standing and stared in disbelief. The storm’s axe had just sliced a large granddaddy oak in half, leaving its giant trunk across the road. Immediately, a voice in my head screamed out: Run! Run! Run! I ran for my life!
I ran with everything I had as I pumped my thighs like a hotrod’s pistons. I pulled my knees up high and stretched my legs as far as I could with each stride I took. As I ran, I felt like a plane racing down the runway moments before take-off. As I jumped over fallen branches and dodged flying debris, I prayed that nature’s axe would miss on her next swing. Within a few minutes, I was back at my home, huffing and puffing, wishing I had a stopwatch. Who knows, the world record might have just been broken. I knew for sure that I’d broken my own record!
You never know when you’ll need to fly with the wind. Having a good pair of running legs is a sure way to help guarantee that you will be able to respond to the call when summoned. To prepare for those times, read this chapter.
RUNNING AND THE BODYBUILDER
Being a natural for life bodybuilder I know the importance running has on my health, muscular development, and training. Because of my running program, I am able to weight train with greater intensity and confidence, knowing that my endurance and stamina are tough enough to withstand any Herculean workout. My body actually pumps up faster with a more fulfilling feeling of self-satisfaction. The same thing happens when I run as blood starts to rush and gorge itself into all of my muscles. After I run a short distance my physique starts to transform; my size increases, my cuts become more pronounced, and my body begins to experience a super pump.
Running also has many other benefits. It helps to remove unwanted fat from your body by placing demands on your energy system, which in turn breaks down fatty tissues to release energy into your bloodstream. By following a consistent running program, your abdomen and leg muscles will begin to reveal their true shape and proportions, helping you to realize their full potential. Running is also an excellent way to relieve unwanted stress, anxiety, and worries. Next time you feel uptight, go for a fast, brisk run, and see how relieved and full of life you feel afterwards.
Two extremely important factors of running are the heart and lungs. Our hearts have been pumping steadily, since before birth, and as with many people have undergone periods of dangerous abuse. Poor nutrition, smoking, lack of exercise, pollution, drugs, and other factors have made this a heart attack-prone society. You really have to give this muscle a lot of credit and should treat it as a pot of gold, for it controls the keys to your health. Participating in a running program will help you build a strong, healthy, and lasting heart.
INCREASE CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS
 As with other muscles in the body, the heart gets stronger with regular exercise. Performing aerobic type exercises increases cardiovascular fitness by improving blood circulation throughout the body. The more a bodybuilder becomes cardiovascular efficient, the more vigorous and longer he will be able to train while experiencing less tiring. When we improve our cardiovascular condition, we also improve the efficiency of our heart, lungs, and other organs. A fit cardiovascular system also helps us meet the every day physical and emotional demands of life more readily.
The better fit our cardiovascular system is the less chance of heart disease. In addition, the better conditioned your heart is the less effort it will have to expend to circulate blood through your body because it can pump more efficiently with each beat. Many factors produce a strong and lasting heart. Because of this, our cardiovascular system has an important role in the quality of our health and lives. Be sure to pace yourself when beginning a cardio program so as not to tire too quickly. Pacing yourself is especially important if you have been relatively inactive.
Your target heart rate is an effective tool in measuring your initial fitness level and in monitoring your progress after you begin a fitness program. This approach requires measuring your pulse periodically as you exercise, so be sure to stay within 50 to 75 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range is called your target heart rate.
The following table provides estimated target heart rates for different age categories. Look for the age category closest to yours and read across the page to find your target heart rate:
Age |
Target Heart Rate Zone |
Heart Rate Max |
20 years |
100-150 beats per minute |
200 |
25 years |
98-146 beats per minute |
195 |
30 years |
95-142 beats per minute |
190 |
35 years |
93-138 beats per minute |
185 |
40 years |
90-135 beats per minute |
180 |
45 years |
88-131 beats per minute |
175 |
50 years |
85-127 beats per minute |
170 |
55 years |
83-123 beats per minute |
165 |
60 years |
80-120 beats per minute |
160 |
65 years |
78-116 beats per minute |
155 |
70 years |
75-113 beats per minute |
150 |
Your maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus your age. The figures above are averages and should be used as general guidelines.
Our lungs are also vital. In our busy and mobile society, the lungs are exposed to thousands of different pollutant particles daily. The main function of the lungs is to intake energizing gases through its respiratory channels and expel toxic gaseous end products of energy production. Our trachea, bronchi, alveoli, and other segments of this system may become clogged and irritated through the inhalation of pollution. This impairment of the exchange of gases, which take place in our lungs, can lead to serious illness and possibly even death. Running, especially sprinting, will help promote heavy breathing, which in turn might help breakdown and release some of these unwanted pollutant particles from our respiratory system.
PACE YOURSELF
During the first few weeks of your running program stay at the lowest part of your target zone (50%). As the weeks and months go on, gradually increase to the higher part of your target zone (75%). After six months or more of consistent running, you might be able to run comfortably at up to 85% of your maximum heart rate. Although this is fine, you do not have to train at a maximum level to get or stay in good cardiovascular condition. Perform at a pace safe for you.
PRIMING THE PISTONS
Prior to running, it is important to warm up. Lacking the time to warm up means you do not have the time to run. Back, front, and side leg raise movements should be performed, also rotate your ankles in all mobile plain directions. Perform a few free-hand squats, toe touches, jumping jacks, and knee pull-ups to help activate the lower extremity major muscle mass areas. Make sure your body, especially your legs, is primed before you begin to run.
TECHNIQUES OF RUNNING
There are many different techniques, styles, and reasons for running. Ours is going to be geared for bodybuilders. I have found that the more I lower my hips while I run, the more quadriceps and hamstring stimulation I receive. It might look funny to on-lookers but believe me the pump you will receive will be worth it. There are many other important factors to note when running. Styles in foot placement, body arch, and arm movement all have their part and kinetic effect.
At the beginning of the run, I drop my heels and roll off them. As my foot rolls forward, I move the pressure towards its outside edge. Nearing completion of the roll, I reverse the process, bringing the pressure back inwards so that I am kicking up with all my toes. This technique acts as a shock absorber for the feet. It also works my calves thoroughly and improves my coordination.
A vital element in smooth and efficient running style is the position of the body carriage. Try running erect by keeping your upper body’s posture upright. To do this, pull back the shoulders, lift the chest high, and keep the back straight. Next, balance the trunk over the legs and the head over the trunk. Run on the legs.
The arms are a source of speed and power because they have important balancing and driving functions. Keep your fists loose, wrists fixed, elbows unlocked, and shoulders leveled when you run. Remember, hands and arms influence the movement of the legs and body carriage tremendously. Getting your techniques down correctly will make you a precision runner.
RUNNING BAREFOOT
During my teens and early twenties, I seldom wore sneakers when I ran. I just enjoyed the feeling of the rough pavement pounding against my feet and ran barefoot at every chance I got. It did not matter what season it was or what location I was at. If I was going to run, it was going to be barefoot. There were plenty of times during the deep cold of winter when the road was frozen from the sub-freezing temperatures that I would run barefoot for miles. There were also many times when upstate at my Catskill Mountain home, when I would run on the dirt path that encircled my properties lake, which was loaded with pebbles and rocks. The conditions never stopped me from running barefoot, and after awhile, I developed extremely thick calluses on the bottom of my feet that acted as cushions and prevented me from damaging or feeling pain in my soles. These days, I have gotten into the habit of wearing sneakers when I run and I like the variety of footwear available today to meet the biomechanical needs of my feet. Running has become a science and today technology offers us the best products to help us excel at it. Although I will probably take up running barefoot again sometime down the road, for now I’ll just stick to my Nikes and watch for any stones in my path.
COMMON SENSE RUNNING
Now that we understand the proper techniques of running, let’s move on to the next steps. At first, I recommend that you run on a track so your timing and rhythm can be achieved. After a while, you may want to run on roads, beaches, or even across mountains. Wherever you decide to run, make sure that the air quality is the best you can get. Running along fume-spewing highways, factories, and chemical plants is not just stupid, but downright deadly. Use common sense.
When bodybuilders at my Staten Island Bodybuilding Club workout, they usually perform a set or two of light weight warm up exercises. The same principle applies to running. After I finish my stretching exercises, I start to run a slow quarter mile. This primes and prepares my body for the real thing. After the brief run, I stop and rest for about one minute. This lets blood pump through my body and helps me to build inner confidence.
 RUNNING HARD NOW
So, are you’re ready to run? Here’s what I do. I start out slow with short strides and knees low. As I continue to run, I pick up the pace a little at a time, keeping my feet, arms, and body working in rhythm. I am planning to do just one mile, for experience has taught me that this is all I need for a thorough heart, lung, and thigh workout. I divide my mile into four parts, increasing the intensity with each lap until I am in an all-out sprint for the last quarter mile. This is where most of my gains are realized! As I come around the turn on that last lap, I am really flying. I am pulling my knees almost up to my chest and stretching my thighs with each stride until they are nearly ripping apart. You need a lot of mental discipline and willpower during this explosive part of the run. It’s either you make it or you don’t.
After this intense run, you will experience feelings of exhaustion, accomplishment, and self-satisfaction. Now, one mile may be less than some of you have been doing, but it is the quality and not the quantity of work output that serves our purpose. After completing the run, I perform a series of one hundred yard sprints. This shocks my thighs and heart muscle, making them work overtime. It also gives the lungs a real boost, cleansing them through forced breathing.
An important note: Right after completing such an intense run, it is very important to cool down by jogging or walking a quarter to one half mile in distance. When you drive a car and hit the brakes, it sometimes stalls out. The last thing we want is heart failure by not giving this vital organ a chance to slow down to a normal rhythm.
I run just once a week and feel this is all I need to make continued gains with my size, endurance, and recuperative power. I actually become stronger and bigger with these weekly runs. However, when a contest or guest appearance comes around I change my running instinctively to fulfill my immediate goals. When on vacation I usually do a lot of distance running which adds variety to my program. Find out what works best for you.
Enjoy running! It’s healthy, fun, invigorating, satisfying, and best of all, running will explode your gains throughout the universe, as you, the natural bodybuilder, travel on your JOURNEY TO THE OLYMPIAN ZONE!
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