Is long distance running hindering my muscle gain and 6 pack

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chrisbcreme1
chrisbcreme1 Posts: 60 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
All,


I would say that im in very good shape. 5'7" 155lbs Moderate abs but not rock hard . My last half marathon time was 1 hour 29 minutes (although this was in November of 2011). But i am a very good distance runner. Im at a point now where i want to lose body fat and gain muscle mass. It is a tricky thing to do. I usually run 4 times a week and generally each time approximately 4-6 miles. Is this hindering my muscle mass gain. I am in the gym lifting about 5 days a week and i take whey protein and a high protein diet to have approximately 1 g protein /1 lb of body weight.

My question is should i cut out the long distance running and just do sprints. My friends keep telling me that my long distance running is killing away my muscle production. My secondary goal is my abs. I need to do more ab workouts, but is long distance running helping or should i stick to sprints to get more ab results?

Any help would be greatly appreciated



P.S. Im just afraid that if i cut out the long running and increase my calorie intake to gain muscles that ill get a gut. Thats my biggest fear

Replies

  • EAlexandraB
    EAlexandraB Posts: 98 Member
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    Yes. Distance running will inhibit muscle gain and cause you to produce/retain belly fat by increasing your cortisol levels. This article (http://www.kellysfitness.net/files/Futility_of_Aerobic_Exercise.pdf) and countless others explain why.

    Switching to HIIT interval training for your runs should keep you burning fat, and adding weight training will provide muscle gains.

    If you keep your calories in check, you shouldn't get a gut from cutting down on your distance.

    Also, make sure you're getting enough protein! At least 1g/lb of lean body mass, more if you're trying to put on muscle.

    :)
  • efoley2
    efoley2 Posts: 7
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    Yes. Distance running will inhibit muscle gain and cause you to produce/retain belly fat by increasing your cortisol levels. This article (http://www.kellysfitness.net/files/Futility_of_Aerobic_Exercise.pdf) and countless others explain why.

    Switching to HIIT interval training for your runs should keep you burning fat, and adding weight training will provide muscle gains.

    If you keep your calories in check, you shouldn't get a gut from cutting down on your distance.

    Also, make sure you're getting enough protein! At least 1g/lb of lean body mass, more if you're trying to put on muscle.

    :)

    Thanks you so much for the link. Very helpful information. I have been aerobic ally training for several months...running 25+ miles per week without any weightless results. I thought it was metabolism, but really it may be due to a lack of speedwork. Thanks again.
  • chrisbcreme1
    chrisbcreme1 Posts: 60 Member
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    thanks so much for the article!
  • jetness
    jetness Posts: 1
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    Chris- I am curious did you ever end up cutting back on the running and adding in more weights? If so, how did your results come along?
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    Yes. Distance running will inhibit muscle gain and cause you to produce/retain belly fat by increasing your cortisol levels. This article (http://www.kellysfitness.net/files/Futility_of_Aerobic_Exercise.pdf) and countless others explain why.

    Switching to HIIT interval training for your runs should keep you burning fat, and adding weight training will provide muscle gains.

    If you keep your calories in check, you shouldn't get a gut from cutting down on your distance.

    Also, make sure you're getting enough protein! At least 1g/lb of lean body mass, more if you're trying to put on muscle.

    :)

    The article she posted is simply fascinating and illuminating.

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