Adding muscle but don't want to give up running

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RoyalMoose11
RoyalMoose11 Posts: 211 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Any folks have success with adding muscle without having to give up their high cardio (in my case running) routine? I've read a lot of mixed feedback on the topic and was wondering what others thought. I'm in half marathon training so I'm averaging 11-15 miles/week and I'm also doing StrongLifts (and seeing results though I'm not sure the weight I've added since I added it towards to end of my weight loss plan and now I'm on maintain mode).

Also, for adding muscle, how much of my calories should I eat back after running? I tend to run enough to burn 800-1300 calories at different distances.
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Replies

  • ZeKiplinatell
    ZeKiplinatell Posts: 38
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    I don't want to give specifics, because I'm no know it all... however, by my understanding, the lower your bodyfat % is, the more likely you are to burn muscle for fuel *(given certain other aspects are not met)*. Since you are trying to add muscle, you MUST eat a calorie surplus. I.E. more than you are burning. So whenever you run, make sure you eat those calories back! I may be wrong on this, but as I understand, when your glycogen stores are depleted, your body will dip into other sources of energy... and this is where the BF% comes into play. If you are higher in fat%, it should pull "most" of the energy from those stores (given your heart rate isn't too high, or your exercise too intense). However, when you are lower in BF%, it may increase the likelihood for your body to convert protein into glycogen... if you're eating plenty of protein, it would convert from your pre-workout meal... if you are too low, it will cause catabolism, and draw from your muscles. I feel like that is why many distance runners consume simple carbs WHILE running. To keep their glycogen stores full, therefore reducing the need for your body to seek for alternate sources of energy.

    As I said, I may be completelllly off on all of this. But this is just what I think.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Well, runners take in food during running to avoid bonking (depleting muscle and liver glycogen). But I agree that the OP really needs to stay in a calorie surplus to add muscle mass while continuing to run. 11-15 miles a week is pretty low mileage though - I'm pretty sure that it will increase as training progresses.

    It's a good question, for sure!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Any folks have success with adding muscle without having to give up their high cardio (in my case running) routine?

    You mean like this guy? He runs 3-4 hours a day....

    cristiano-ronaldo-1-435.jpg
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    try taking some whey protein and mct oil prior to your longer runs. it should help you from catabolizing muscle. also, make sure your training is either in zone 2 (very aerobic) or very intense HIIT type training. don't do chronic cardio like running hard against your lactate threshold every run all run. that will kill your progress in running and lifting.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    There are plenty of successful runners who have continued to run while bulking, including people on this website. Enjoy eating all the foods.
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
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    At what bf% do you need to start being really concerned about this? I lift 3 days a week and then spin for an hour afterwards. My bf% is somewhere around 25-26%. I think I have enough bf to not have to worry about this yet. Right?
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
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    As above, run as much as you want, just make sure you are still eating in a surplus
  • obsidianwings
    obsidianwings Posts: 1,237 Member
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    At what bf% do you need to start being really concerned about this? I lift 3 days a week and then spin for an hour afterwards. My bf% is somewhere around 25-26%. I think I have enough bf to not have to worry about this yet. Right?
    Being concerned about what specifically? OP is trying to add muscle which I am assuming at this point in time you are not?
    Do you mean you are worried about losing muscle as well as fat when running? If so, as long as you are eating adequate protein, and lifting, your muscle loss will be limited :)
  • blackcloud13
    blackcloud13 Posts: 654 Member
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    Agree with all the above. You just need to keep eating! (lots of protein, mild calorie surplus)
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
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    At what bf% do you need to start being really concerned about this? I lift 3 days a week and then spin for an hour afterwards. My bf% is somewhere around 25-26%. I think I have enough bf to not have to worry about this yet. Right?
    Being concerned about what specifically? OP is trying to add muscle which I am assuming at this point in time you are not?
    Do you mean you are worried about losing muscle as well as fat when running? If so, as long as you are eating adequate protein, and lifting, your muscle loss will be limited :)

    I guess what I'm confused about is what level of cardio is too much and then starts to eat at muscle. I'm in a deficit so no muscle gains but don't want to take away from what I have. A girlfriend of mine thinks I could add more while a pt thinks what I'm doing is taking away from strength training.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    try taking some whey protein and mct oil prior to your longer runs. it should help you from catabolizing muscle. also, make sure your training is either in zone 2 (very aerobic) or very intense HIIT type training. don't do chronic cardio like running hard against your lactate threshold every run all run. that will kill your progress in running and lifting.

    Oh God, don't take MCT oil before a run (or at least try it first). It triggers MAJOR gastric emptying in me at the amounts suggested to use. A peanut butter sandwich is a great way to get fat and protein before a run. :smile:
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    At what bf% do you need to start being really concerned about this? I lift 3 days a week and then spin for an hour afterwards. My bf% is somewhere around 25-26%. I think I have enough bf to not have to worry about this yet. Right?
    Being concerned about what specifically? OP is trying to add muscle which I am assuming at this point in time you are not?
    Do you mean you are worried about losing muscle as well as fat when running? If so, as long as you are eating adequate protein, and lifting, your muscle loss will be limited :)

    I guess what I'm confused about is what level of cardio is too much and then starts to eat at muscle. I'm in a deficit so no muscle gains but don't want to take away from what I have. A girlfriend of mine thinks I could add more while a program thinks what I'm doing is taking away from strength training.

    You aren't going to gain muscle unless you are in a surplus. I doubt you will lose what you have gained if you make sure you are at maintenance. Figuring out what that number should be though, will take some trial and error.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    I guess what I'm confused about is what level of cardio is too much and then starts to eat at muscle. I'm in a deficit so no muscle gains but don't want to take away from what I have.

    Unless you are eating at a large caloric deficit and running 99th percentile distances, this isn't something you need to worry about. If you want to put your mind at ease, do some bodyweight resistance exercise a couple of mornings a week.

    And if you're in a deficit, why is this in the "gaining weight" section? You can't gain weight while in a deficit.
  • tracieangeletti
    tracieangeletti Posts: 432 Member
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    I shouldn't have asked the question here but one of the previous replies to op's question made me think of it. Looks like I'm safe in doing my cardio! Thanks for the answers!!:smile:
  • RoyalMoose11
    RoyalMoose11 Posts: 211 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback.

    I'm not sure about my BF%- don't have the tool to measure and I lost a lot of weight quickly so I think I also have loose skin there which may mess up the results (about 100 lbs since June).

    Also, as a side note as the OP, I'm trying to eat to maintain then trying to eat back calories. MFP has me at 2,900 in maintenance mode (6'5, 217lbs) so I've been reading up on ways to hit my goal. I'm also tracking macros (40p/30c/30f) to help me with my food intake to figure out what I should/shouldn't eat.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
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    Just make sure to cover your calories so that you're eating at a surplus. That may take some figuring out on your part to get your TDEE right. You're aren't going to eat into your muscle at your distances.
  • mjudd1990
    mjudd1990 Posts: 219 Member
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    I'm bulking (at 233lbs right now) and I still run 2-3 times a week at distances of 5-8 miles. Just be sure you are eating more complex carbs to help refill muscle glycogen and ensure you stay in a calorie surplus. Collegiate and NFL players run their *kitten* off and yet still put on muscle. It all just comes down to how many calories you're ingesting. Calorie deficit = lose weight, calorie surplus = gain weight
  • RoyalMoose11
    RoyalMoose11 Posts: 211 Member
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    What foods do you recommend for those kinds of carbs? Every day I make a fruit smoothie (whey/yogurt/fruit) around 10am and green smoothie (kale/fruit/fruit/whey) at 3pm so that adds carbs off the bat. I also throw in some steel cut oats, multigrain bread at lunch, or whole wheat pasta or quinoa at dinners to round out some carbs too.
  • rezn8
    rezn8 Posts: 263 Member
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    I was able to add some decent mass and continued doing some running. I was running about 15 miles a week along with weight training. Eating seems to be the difficult part since you will need to eat even if you are full. Your calorie intake is dependent on your weight/height and your calories burning through both workouts.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    Alot of old school bodybuilders ran...........but that was while cutting.

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