My track coach says if i lose more weight ill run faster?

Question

im 120 and like 5"5 what do you guys think and what can i do to lose weight?

Answer 1

Emily, first you and everyone else here needs to understand that your coach didn't call you fat. What he/she said was that you needed to lose wieght to become quicker and this may or amy not be true. Everyone has what is called an optimal preformance weight. That is the weight at which a person will achieve the most out of its potential given the desired results and body structre.

Let me give you an example: I had a girl I had been coaching for three years in the triple jump. She was by no means fat, as a matter afact she was one of the healthiest people I have ever met. But she played basketball, and she had gained muscle mass to be able to withstand the pounding she took while playing. Over the three years she had gained about 30lbs of muscle. And all three years she had watched her jumps slowly decline. Her form had gotten better she just didn't have the explosiveness she had before. Now was she fat...NO. Was she over weight, not for basketball, but for T&F yes. We had to have many long talks about it because she was extremely competitive and it really upset her to get worse year after year. I told her that there was nothing wrong with her wieght if she wanted to play basketball (which I knew was her first love) but that she was just to heavy for her body type to have the explosive nature that she had had in the past. It was hard for me to tell her that, because I didn't want her to think I was calling her fat. But there is truth in optimal preformance weight.

Answer 2

To run faster (or farther), the best recipe is very simple: practice, practice, practice. No other advice works better.

When you train to be a runner, losing weight is a very poor advice to give. While I'm sure your coach is a fine one, on this one, he/she is just flat wrong. Certainly, leaner runners who have less weight to carry will typically run faster. However, by going on a diet, you are also losing critical nutrients that would have given you an edge in your competition. Those critical nutrients are usually carbs and protein, although there are others too.

Also, as you continue training, your body will be adjusting to your newfound athleticism, making your weight go a little bit up and down. Let your body figure out how to best manage your weight. It knows best. You will undoubtedly start feeling more hungry as you train harder. You need to replenish your body with lost nutrients so that you can be a stronger runner. What you will also find is that as you train harder, your body will become leaner naturally so that you reach your optimum weight anyway.

Answer 3

Just eat healthy and keep training hard. Thats about my weight, but I know that after a few weeks of track, I'll have lost most of my winter weight and be a lot speedier.

Weighing less makes you faster because you don't have to exert as much energy to carry yourself along. I know that the very fastest runners on my team are VERY skinny, but also have muscle. All they do is avoid candy, eat healthfully, and train A LOT.

To lose the weight faster, try working out a little bit extra each day, lifting weights, and maybe substituting your lunch with a salad or healthy sadwich/wrap.

Answer 4

it's true, i have to lose weight too, and i'm only 115. My coach said the same thing, he said if I lost a few more pounds I' be quicker. He told me to just eat healthy, and after a couple weeks of track I'd have the weight lost. so I don't know what you should do, but I'm going to try not to eat junkfood lol i'm bad at that! good luck to you!

Answer 5

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Answer 6

track coach lose weight ill run faster

Answer 7

If you lost more weight that might help, but you should really try perfecting your form as well. Simply running technically well can produce better results. Aslo I don't know your events, but if it's sprinting then you want to practice coming out of your blocks clean and hard. Weight should not be the only factor holding back your running times.

Answer 8

120 pounds is not alot of pounds first of all and losing weight is kinda one of the things that help you run faster but all skinny people can't run fast some is as slow as aturtle and some of my friends are 13 & 14 and 130 something pounds and are hecka fast so your coach is half right and half wrong

Answer 9

He needs to be reported!!! 120 is the low end of a healthy weight for your height--you are perfect!!! My husband had a running coach in college like that--it still affects him to this day. If you are in Jr high, or High school tell your parents and have the coach reported.

Answer 10

I would definitely be leery of losing weight. Anorexia is becoming a serious problem for many track athletes. Eat healthy and train as much as your comfortable doing. Your proper weight should set itself, don't try and lower it.