Well developed physiques tend to leave clues…
If your currently running to try and develop your physique like I was many moons ago use these 3 steps to get your progress on track and goals in line whilst still being able to enjoy your favourite past time.
Start Weight Training
If you take away one piece of advice from this article then this should be it. Stimulating muscle fibres is incredibly important. You won’t be able grow wider set of shoulders pounding the streets.
Utilising full body weight training sessions can be extremely advantageous in the initial phases of your training.
Reduce Your Calorie Expenditure
Cutting back on your expenditure will allow us to utilise calories in way which is more congruent with the environment required to develop muscle tissue. We can do this by simply reducing your running output (not exiling it all together).
“Won’t cutting back on my running reduce my fitness levels?“
Definitely not, follow these simples guidelines to build muscle without sacrificing your CV:
- Stick to a designated rest time (45s-60s)
- Pair upper and lower body exercises as supersets
- Keep rep ranges moderate to high (12-15)
- Ensure your stimulating muscle tissue with enough load (progressing to the lower end of your rep ranges)
Increase Your Calorie Intake
Runners historically survive on higher carb, lower fat/protein diets to ensure there’s enough fuel available for training sessions. It’s time to ditch this approach and begin creating an environment where muscle tissue cannot just survive but thrive in order to transform your physique. Use this formula to build a starting point for your muscle building diet
- Protein intake 2g/kg of body weight
- Fat Intake 0.5g/kg of body weight
- Carbohydrate intake 1.5-2.5g/kg of body weight (take the higher end approach if you would consider yourself lean)
Want to know the approach we use with our clients during their initial phases of training at Pioneer Performance? Grab it free here
