Does running build muscle? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. It gets you out of breath and is a great workout for your heart and lungs, but does running build muscle? It turns out running is actually a surprisingly comprehensive exercise. While it primarily targets big muscle groups in your legs and lower body, it can also work your back, core, and arm muscles too. But if you really want to build your muscles rather than just strengthen them, you’ll need to add weights training to your workout. Everyone’s body is different and reacts in different ways to exercise, so it’s important to find what works for you personally - just like getting the best running shoes or the best running phone holder. We spoke with Esther Goldsmith, an exercise physiologist at Orecco, about how different styles of running can target different muscle groups.

Strength training vs cardio: Which is better during menopause? What muscles does running use? "We think of running as using the muscles of the legs, with the majority of focus on the big muscle groups: the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calfs and hip muscles," explains Goldsmith. But will running regularly actually build all of those muscles? The answer depends on your general fitness levels. If you go from very sedentary, and not running at all, to running three times a week then yes, you could see some of those muscles start to build. "Usually when we talk about building muscle, we are referring to something called ‘hypertrophy’, which is an increase in muscle mass," says Goldsmith. If you go from being very sedentary to being a regular runner, www.PrimeBoosts.com then you might start to see this in some muscles. But running is much more likely to strengthen those muscles, rather than build them. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.