Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below i know that rest is a very important factor for muscle growth. i was wondering if anyone knows if a good amount of running (3-5 miles/day) can hinder growth, especially if the running occurs after a morning weight training session. should i cut back on the cardio if im trying to get bigger? thanks for the help.
muscle gains and running
- Thread starter sauce9240
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Tom Treutlein
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Doing cardio isn't going to negatively influence bulking pretty much at all unless you're not eating enough to compensate. In order to add mass, you need an excess of calories. It's that simple. If it happens to be 3000 calories needed a day to gain roughly 1 lb. per week, but you run 3-5 miles and that uses about 400-700 (random figures, don't delve into it too much) when you go running, then assume the worst case scenario (700 calories) and eat 3700, rather than 3000. Cardio, or any activity for that matter, is always beneficial. Unless you feel yourself getting run down and possibly overtrained, activity is a good thing. It helps with nutrient partitioning, among other things, and as stated, if you eat enough, you'll be just fine.
combat_action
New member
Well, when I was in the Marine Corps running 3-4 miles every morning and weight lifting at night, I was 180 lbs. Fast forward 2 years later with once a week cardio 246 lbs at 18%. I always ate a ton of food. In my experience, long distance running hindered my muscle gain. That's why in the grunts the only Marines who were big were the ones who got fap'd out to side jobs such as lifeguarding, ect. They didn't have to run and could concentrate on lifting without long running.
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Tom Treutlein
New member
You never said what the case was, first off. Second, don't try and say that you didn't gain weight due to the fact that you're "different". There are basic principles and general rules of thumb that apply to everyone. You will never be an exception. If you have a positive energy balance, you will add weight, be it fat or mass. Apparently, despite being a big eater, you didn't eat enough. End of story.
I would recommend HIIT cardio or low-intensity cardio such as walking on an incline treadmill for 45 mins, rather than steady-rate jogging. HIIT and low intensity cardio allow you to lose fat while preserving musclse, which is great for a bulk when you want to keep fat gains in check. Steady-rate cardio tends to make people lose muscle more easily.
Tom Treutlein
New member
Uhm, different kinds of cardio won't cause you to lose more muscle more easily. You'll lose muscle if you're A) lacking adequate protein and/or B) not getting enough calories and/or FINALLY C) not providing resistance for the body to maintain the muscle it had.
Don't spread bullshit about different types of cardio causing muscle loss. That may seem like it on the outside, but there are actual reasons for it.
Don't spread bullshit about different types of cardio causing muscle loss. That may seem like it on the outside, but there are actual reasons for it.
ghettostudmuffin
New member
Well I can say from first hand experience that long steady state cardio can definitely hinder muscle building/weight gain when bulking and can cause you to lose weight and get smaller and weaker.
Imo, sprinting is best for cardio and muscular/powerful physiques.
Also, with long steady state cardio you train your cardiovascular system to be good at that rather than deal with anaerobic stress. which is what you should train your body for if your goal is size and and strength or just power and explosiveness.
Your body can and will adapt to steady state cardio and down regulate fast twitch fibers in favor of slow twitch.
Most people that run an average of 3-5 miles a day or every other day aren't generally what I would consider big or muscular or powerful/explosive.
I tend to stay FAR away from distance jogging, BAH.
Imo, sprinting is best for cardio and muscular/powerful physiques.
Also, with long steady state cardio you train your cardiovascular system to be good at that rather than deal with anaerobic stress. which is what you should train your body for if your goal is size and and strength or just power and explosiveness.
Your body can and will adapt to steady state cardio and down regulate fast twitch fibers in favor of slow twitch.
Most people that run an average of 3-5 miles a day or every other day aren't generally what I would consider big or muscular or powerful/explosive.
I tend to stay FAR away from distance jogging, BAH.
combat_action
New member
GhettoStudMuffin, I'm sure Tom will disagree with you also...
Long duration, low/moderate intensity cardio will deplete glycogen stores. When this happens, you will start primarily utilizing lean muscle for your energy needs. Long duration cardio will break down muscle tissue." Eating alot afterwards and throughout the day won't bring that muscle back magically, will it??
Long duration, low/moderate intensity cardio will deplete glycogen stores. When this happens, you will start primarily utilizing lean muscle for your energy needs. Long duration cardio will break down muscle tissue." Eating alot afterwards and throughout the day won't bring that muscle back magically, will it??
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calebdonnellyusmc
New member
sauce9240 said:
Yes, it can hinder muscle growth. No it doesn't have to.
If you eat enough, running 3 miles at varying intensity(AKA Sprint-jog-Sprint) will not really hurt muscle gains. I would however not do it everyday, and not after leg day. Sprinting is better than just jogging at a steady pace, and I'd recommend sprinting-walking-sprinting if you have a good place for it(1/4 mile track you could sprint the straight, and walk the bends). Sprinting hills/stairs is better still.
Your body will not just use one source of energy to complete a given task, only switching to another energy source once the "primary" energy source is depleted. If someone is telling you that, ignore them. You will be using energy from multiple stores pretty much regardless of what you do, the only thing you can control is the ratio of the stores used.
At a high intensity the main source of energy is carbohydrate and at a low intensity, fat is the predominate source. As there is a limit to the amount of carbohydrate that can be stored in the muscles, high intensity work can only be sustained for short periods. We have large stores of fat(Comparatively speaking) so low intensity work can be maintained for long periods of time.
That may sound like a contradiction to my earlier statement about sprinting being better, but it's not. Sprinting is far more anaerobic than jogging, and, providing you get enough rest and calories, you should be fine.
Tom Treutlein
New member
combat_action - don't be fooled into things like cardio eating away at your fat and muscle stores. It's simple math. If you eat an excess of calories by the end of the day, and are getting adequate protein (one gram per pound), you're not wasting away that muscle. Unless you're at an extremely low bodyfat level already, training on completely empty, and are doing it at a high intensity, for an extended session, and often, the muscle won't dissipate so easily.
I do agree with Ghetto in that, sprinting is the way to go. It's intense, but utilized properly, you end up with mass added to your legs, explosive drive in them, more calories burned (if this is your goal), and do it all in a shorter time than longer duration cardio.
Of course, it's all relative to your goals. If you want to be explosive and powerful, sprinting will do it. If you're in the military, forget about sprinting. Go for longer distance cardio. If you have no real direction to do, there's no reason you can't do a bit of both. Just know that, so long as you have a caloric excess and adequate protein, along with resistance training I might add, you won't lose that muscle so easily.
Then again, this is a heavily debated topic and there's always someone who will agree or disagree with the points I've made. The best you can do is look at your specific goals now, and in the far future, and take it from there.
I do agree with Ghetto in that, sprinting is the way to go. It's intense, but utilized properly, you end up with mass added to your legs, explosive drive in them, more calories burned (if this is your goal), and do it all in a shorter time than longer duration cardio.
Of course, it's all relative to your goals. If you want to be explosive and powerful, sprinting will do it. If you're in the military, forget about sprinting. Go for longer distance cardio. If you have no real direction to do, there's no reason you can't do a bit of both. Just know that, so long as you have a caloric excess and adequate protein, along with resistance training I might add, you won't lose that muscle so easily.
Then again, this is a heavily debated topic and there's always someone who will agree or disagree with the points I've made. The best you can do is look at your specific goals now, and in the far future, and take it from there.
Ripped2Shredds
New member
depends, walking is still really good for the body even at muscle mania size. While bulking, increase calories dramatically, then try doing less intense cardio in the evening. You won't grow as quickly, because you body needs all the calories it can to refuel your muscles after you train. When you run you use them for energy to keep running, limiting your growth
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