Build Muscle Mass While Running

[VEGRUNNER]

I am a 36 year hard gainer that enjoys both lifting and running. I only weigh 150 pounds and would like to gain 10-15 pounds of muscle. How many miles a week do you think I would be able to run and still gain muscle mass?

[Mini Forklift]

To briefly answer your question, IMHO I believe that you can still maintain your strength and muscle on 3 days of weight training per week. 3 x weight sessions a week might not sound like a lot, you just have to make those sessions count. Intensity is the key and greater emphasis should be placed on that rather than how long you spend in the gym; you can definately get a solid workout in in just 30-40mins

 

Bear in mind that as your mileage increases your ability to build/maintain muscle will theoretically lessen, so you need to make sure you adjust your calories accordingly. You possibbly need to increase your calories a little to cover all of the run training you're doing. Even just adding in a couple of extra small meals a day could bring your daily calories up by as much as 500cals (make sure you are consuming enough healthy fats as well ~ avocados, raw nuts, coconut oil etc). You should also be aiming to keep a reasonably high protein intake for a few reasons: 1) it will help to reduce the risk of injury 2) it should help preserve muscle mass 3) protein will help to facilitate optimal recovery (especially muscular) after exercise.

 

I'm not sure what you do for your legs in the gym, but personally when I am in a running phase (rather than when I'm powerlifting) I change the exercises to lessen the chance of me getting any DOMS a day or two afterwards. With regards to muscle soreness, when I'm running I HAVE to drop squats as the DOMS do me no favours; I tend to prefer more functional exercises that will benefit the running itself, emphasising things like plyometrics, more hamstring moves, leg press over squats etc.

 

As a sidenote I also make sure I bump up my magnesium intake as well as taking a large amount of omega 3's (the ones I use are algal sourced). Magnesium is really important and something that every runner should probably be taking, and I find the omega 3's to be beneficial in terms of optimising my recovery as well as the other well known proven benefits. Oh and before I forget, welcome to the forum VEGRUNNER MF.

[Mini Forklift]

PS: Do you consider yourself a runner first or a lifter, because depending on what your answer is will change my answer as to how many miles I think you should be maxing out at

 

If your primary goal is to add muscle (which it sounds like it is), I personally wouldn't want to be running more than 3 miles a day. You weigh more than I do (I'm down to about 132 at the moment lol), so I'm assuming you are naturally pretty lean with a good basal metabolic rate.

 

Good luck with all of your goals!

[VEGRUNNER]

Mini Forklift,

 

Thanks for the information. I will definitely up the calories and go with the three days per week of weight training. I would have to say that I consider myself a runner first (I have been running competitively on and off since I was 12 years old), but my primary goal right now is to gain some weight. Most of the races that I currently compete in range from 3-5 miles. Right now I am just starting a weigh training phase for the summer and then start a running phase in October and then a powerlifting phase in January. I should also mention that I compete every year at the Arnold classic 5k pump and run in March and my main goal for that event is to bench my bodyweight 20 times (I currently do 15) and run a sub 20 minute 5k (I currently run a 21 minute 5k and in college I ran a 15 minute 5k).

 

What do you think of the following weekly mass routine?

 

Monday - Chest/Triceps

Tuesday - Run (3 miles)

Wednesday - Legs (includes 3 sets of squats and 3 sets of deadlift)

Thursday - Off

Friday - Back/Shoulders/Biceps

Saturday - Run (speed workout)

Sunday - Run (3-5 Miles)

 

Thanks again for helping me out with this.

[JubNZ]

Good stuff here MF! I'm trying to be careful in this regard to, I really want to put on mass, but I find myself naturally getting in too much cardio for my own good (especially now that I have a bike and need to save $$ so minimal public transport). Going to really try and get more calories in I think.

[knomad56]

Great Q&A here, very helpful.