Possible to Gain Muscle as a distance runner?

GBPack93

Hello, I've got a question that I am looking to have answered.

Is it possible to gain muscle while doing long distance running? I am currently 5'10" 150 lb male that runs over 60 miles per week and lifts weights 5 days a week and I was wondering if anyone had any success gaining muscle while running this much. Personal reasons aside I would like to get up to about 170-175 and I don't care too much about fat gain since I can just take it off if I don't like the way it looks. Based upon my TDEE I would likely need around 3500-3800 to maintain, so roughly 4100-4300 to gain depending on the workout day.

So my questions are

Has anyone had any success gaining muscle while doing this?
What was the experience like and what did you do to gain?
How did this affect your running (speed and endurance)?

Fithealthyforlife

I'm not a runner, but I would think that as long as you ate the right amount and got enough rest, it could work. The things that worry me are using up all your energy on running, and the creation of catabolic hormones (from running). It's worth a try though...it might take longer than you want it to. There are definitely other people burning off your amount of calories, and eating enough, with active jobs, who manage to build muscle. Hopefully some runners will respond.

karl39x

I think it is very hard for runners to gain anything but I'm sure it can be done.

cwolfman13

If you can eat that much on a consistent basis, day in day out...but that's a lot of food.

TheRealParisLove

Yes, but get yourself a personal trainer. This is going to be hard work, involving waking up in the middle of the night to chug protein and spending a lot of money on supplements like creatine. Forget having a social life, as working out, eating and sleeping is going to take up all your spare time.

Or...you could just run less often.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

If you can eat that much on a consistent basis, day in day out...but that's a lot of food.

This. You need to eat well above TDEE for this to work at your activity level.

You'd get a lot further gaining mass if you completely cut out a couple days of running and one day of lifting.

slcobb001

My son is an ultra-marathon runner... 50 to 100 mile runner. He says you have to choose.. lean thin for running or bulked up for other sports. You run the best with strong thin muscles. So it is what you want. You can run distance with bulked up Muscle but you will perform better with the slim strong muscles from running.

stepplax

Should be possible. TDEE takes into consideration your activity level and it's my understanding that you don't have to vary calories for off days. I stopped "eating back calories" for workouts and whatnot and seems to work for me. Now, it's affects on leg hypertrophy...

bumblebums

You're a good size for a runner, but for a lifter, you are puny (forgive me).

You should decide what you want to be when you grow up--a good distance runner or a strong lifter. These activities work at cross-purposes, and you have to prioritize one and use the other as an assistance activity. Lifters can get by without running, but runners generally need to do some strength training to avoid injury. You are still young, and you can probably maintain your level of activity for some time without hurting yourself too badly, but I would suggest focusing on something.

timbrom

I'd recommend reading Starting Strength and Practical Programming for Strength Training if you're serious about adding muscle. You won't be able to really do the Starting Strength program with running that much (it'll kill your recovery), but those two books should give you the knowledge base you need to design a program that fits your needs.

Why are you running so much? Do you just like it, or are you a competitive (something) that requires that much distance running?

But yeah. You're going to have a to eat a positively ridiculous amount of food, probably north of 5, even 6,000 calories a day to gain muscle with that level of activity. One recommendation is to drink a gallon of whole milk a day. Baby cows get big drinking whole milk, and you can too. Lots of good protein, fat and carbs in milk.

bumblebums

I'd recommend reading Starting Strength and Practical Programming for Strength Training if you're serious about adding muscle. You won't be able to really do the Starting Strength program with running that much (it'll kill your recovery), but those two books should give you the knowledge base you need to design a program that fits your needs.

Why are you running so much? Do you just like it, or are you a competitive (something) that requires that much distance running?

But yeah. You're going to have a to eat a positively ridiculous amount of food, probably north of 5, even 6,000 calories a day to gain muscle with that level of activity. One recommendation is to drink a gallon of whole milk a day. Baby cows get big drinking whole milk, and you can too. Lots of good protein, fat and carbs in milk.

All of this, too.

XMan714

Yes, you can gain muscle as a distance runner. It's not likely that you will gain any size, but you can still develop dense muscle. A weightlifter's diet and a runner's diet are on the opposite sides of fitness. In my opinion, you're going to have to sacrifice a little and reduce your mileage running. Otherwise, like others mention you would need to eat so many calories to compensate for all your activity. For me, the increased muscle has had positive results in my short distance speed, but definitely impacted my long distance endurance.

KathleenMurry

It is possible if you're lifting really heavy (4 rep failure rate), eating LOADS of protein and eating at a calorie overage every day (which will be tough if you're pulling in big mileage AND lifting).

The two don't go well together though. You might actually wear yourself out. Focus on being a runner, or focus on gaining muscle.

Are you trying to improve as a distance runner? If so, don't gain the muscle mass. You're at a great weight. Focus on BF %.

I'm currently working with a coach on getting competitive at the 5 KM distance. He told me to quit lifting weights. There is only so much muscle you need to be a great runner, anything more will get in the way and weigh you down. I do a lot of calisthenics to strengthen my core and improve my posture. Sometimes I will incorporate weights, but no more than 10 lbs. We're focused on getting me down to an ideal race weight which is right at the bottom of my BMI and lowering my BF % .

eric_sg61

Yes, you can gain muscle as a distance runner. It's not likely that you will gain any size, but you can still develop dense muscle.

How can you gain muscle without gaining size but yet still gain density to said muscles.

scott091501

Hello, I've got a question that I am looking to have answered.

Is it possible to gain muscle while doing long distance running? I am currently 5'10" 150 lb male that runs over 60 miles per week and lifts weights 5 days a week and I was wondering if anyone had any success gaining muscle while running this much. Personal reasons aside I would like to get up to about 170-175 and I don't care too much about fat gain since I can just take it off if I don't like the way it looks. Based upon my TDEE I would likely need around 3500-3800 to maintain, so roughly 4100-4300 to gain depending on the workout day.

So my questions are

Has anyone had any success gaining muscle while doing this?
What was the experience like and what did you do to gain?
How did this affect your running (speed and endurance)?

My primary question would be why? Adding weight is going to make running harder. Your power/kg ratio will be effected. Not to mention the muscle you build from lifting (type IIa and IIx) are not the type of muscle you use for running (type I). Then there is the recovery aspect and the toll it will take on your CNS.

If you want to excel as a runner use weights to address muscle imbalances and to do injury prevention type stuff (strengthening hip muscles, core, glutes, etc).

CarsonRuns

Why?

How did this affect your running (speed and endurance)?

The heavier you are, the slower you will be. Science says 1-2 seconds per mile per pound off your pace.

So, you need to decide what you want to be. Big and strong, lean and fast or all over fit.

tgh1914

I'm sure this is not what you want to hear, but not really man. You can gain WEIGHT if you eat enough, but muscle, not really, not with that much running. The whole concept of gaining muscle requires that you lift with enough of a load that your muscles need to be broken down sufficient to build up during the rest & recovery period. But when you are also doing that much running, there is not enough r&r to let them build back up. During the time your body is trying to recover it'll instead be sapping more energy & catabolizing existing muscle tissue. It's gotta come from somewhere & it sounds like you don't have much fat to offer up.

For those who really want to run while also trying to gain muscle you can either take it really easy (slow jog) which I'm sure you're not excited about as a runner. Or you can go with HIIT; spring - rest - sprint - rest, which I'm thinking you're probly not excited about either. Like others have said, you gotta make a choice with this kinda thing.

All that aside, it is possible for a true beginning lifter to temporarily get an increase in muscle mass despite whatever else you're doing. Noob lifters are kind of the exception to the rule. But it would be temporary and probably not significant gains.

RunsForFood

My son is an ultra-marathon runner... 50 to 100 mile runner. He says you have to choose.. lean thin for running or bulked up for other sports. You run the best with strong thin muscles. So it is what you want. You can run distance with bulked up Muscle but you will perform better with the slim strong muscles from running.

^This! I think you should probably pick one thing to really be your focus. You are a distance runner, how many big muscled runners do you see at Marathons? Probably not many.
Could you do both? Yes. But it would be SO much work, and having more bulk muscle will slow you down in running.

IronAngel26pt2

I run long distances and I lift. I struggled with fat gain while training for my marathon. I feel like that was related to all the sugar I ate tho.... My body feels best when it is fueled by sugar so that is what I did. I did NOT have muscle loss I continued to make gains in the gym. I LOVE to lift heavy. My 1 rep max continued to go up.

I run now on no sugar since I am not training for a race. My next marathon I plan on training on no sugar for experimental purposes. Right now I am only running 20-30 miles a week because I am training for a powerlifting event. I love to run and will not give it up but I only have so much time in a day.

Send me a FR if you would like. I will not argue with all the “science” on the forums. I speak from personal experience.

Snow3y

You could... But it'd take so much damn longer and take a loooot of dieting to get it right..
Remember though, if you're gonna gain, chances are you're going to slow your performance in long distance running.

No_Finish_Line

one does not compliment the other really. like if you were set on running sprints would be much more productive.

if you focused on one or the other you'd have better results of one over the other (obviously). I'd say you could but you'd have to eat quite a bit to stay anabloic