Transcription
You've probably heard it before: strength training makes you slower. Running too much kills muscle growth. But guess what? That's a complete lie. You can run faster and build muscle at the same time if you train the right way.
I'm a sports scientist, physiotherapist, and former professional athlete. Today, I work as an Elite Performance specialist, and I've helped hundreds of people do exactly that. I'm going to show you exactly how to set up a full week of training to maximize your muscle growth, avoid the interference effect, and still be able to go for that long run.
And I'm not just throwing out theories here. Research proves that you can build muscle and run faster at the same time if you get these three things right: training intensity, nutrition, and recovery.
But first, we need to understand why people think that running kills muscle growth in the first place. And it's because of something called the interference effect. You see, in 1980, a guy named Robert Hixon proved that doing strength training and running impaired strength gains compared to just doing strength training.
Now, to me, that makes a lot of sense. If your body only has the resources to build one thing, then it's going to prioritize the thing that it thinks you need the most. So, if you run the most, it's going to make you a better runner. But if you lift the most, it's going to make you stronger.
But fortunately, there are ways to get around this. So, we are not doomed to either be skinny and able to run, or buff and not able to complete a 5k.
So, what's the secret? Well, the biggest challenge is that muscle growth and endurance are often seen as opposites. You see, running burns a ton of calories, making it harder to grow muscle. And building muscle requires more calories, making it almost impossible to eat enough if you're also running a lot.
But here's the thing: your body does not only rely on food for energy. With the right training and nutrition strategy, you can basically force your body to use your fat stores for energy and then build rock-solid, hard muscle.
So, how do we do it? There are four key steps to making this work, starting with nutrition. Think of your body like a plant. If you don't give it enough water, it withers and weakens. Too much water, the roots drown, and it won't grow. But with the right amount, the plant stays strong and healthy.
Just like giving the plant the perfect amount of water, you need to give your body the perfect amount of calories to build muscle and improve endurance. You can't be in a massive calorie deficit, but you also don't need to eat like a bodybuilder.
If you want to run fast and build muscle, you first need to know your maintenance calories. Think of your maintenance calories as your baseline. If you eat below it, you lose weight. If you eat above it, you gain weight. But if you want to run fast and gain muscle, you need to get it just right.
To find your maintenance calories, you have a few options. You can use an online calculator, or you can track your intake by eating the same amount of calories every day for 1 to 2 weeks and then track your weight. If your weight stays the same, you found your maintenance calories.
Once you know your maintenance, adding 100 to 200 calories per day will help you build muscle without any unnecessary fat gain, which is exactly what we want because more fat will make you run slower. But this only works if you dial in your protein intake and your strength training, which we'll cover in a second.
But first, you need to know why you can't go into too much of a calorie deficit. In fact, a 2021 meta-analysis found that when people were in a caloric deficit greater than 500 calories, muscle growth stopped completely.
So, here's the takeaway: you need to be at maintenance calories or slightly above it at all times. And protein is crucial. Running already breaks down muscle tissue, and so does strength training. So, if you're not eating enough protein, then your body won't have the building blocks to make you run faster and build muscle.
Aim for at least 1 gram of protein per pound per day, or 1.7 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. When you have hard training days, then go for the higher end. And when you have easier days, then go for the lower end.
And please, don't cut carbs. Carbs are fuel for your running performance. Low-carb diets might work for weight loss or ultra-endurance, but if you want to run fast and build muscle at the same time, carbs are your best friend.
But nutrition is just one piece. If you don't set up your training the correct way, then all those extra calories won't make a difference. I'm going to show you exactly how to set up a full training week to avoid the interference effect and make sure that you're gaining the maximum amount of muscle and running the fastest possible with every single training.
But I need to show you the different types of training that you need to do, starting with the right form of strength training. This is where most runners get it wrong. Many people believe that high repetitions with a low weight in circuit training is the best way to strength train for runners. I used to think that way too. I mean, it seems logical.
But you should really think about strength training as upgrading your car's engine. If you only focus on endurance, your car will have a tiny engine. It will be able to go far, but it won't go fast. But when you build strength and power, you're building a bigger engine that will make it possible for you to run faster for longer with less effort. And research supports that heavy strength training and explosive strength training is far superior to building both speed and endurance.
So, here's an example of how to structure a strength training protocol. We start by doing 5 to 10 minutes of dynamic stretching with full-body movements like arm swings and leg swings. Then we do 5 to 10 minutes of progressive cardio from easy to medium pace. Then we move on to the main workout where we start with two exercises for power.
First, we do power cleans where we do five sets of three to five reps. Then we move on to a counter movement jump, also with five sets of three to five reps. Next, we move on to some pure strength work with three sets of four to six repetitions on each leg of Bulgarian split squats, and then we do the same with single leg deadlifts. Finally, we do some pure muscle building with three sets of 8 to 10 reps of pulldowns or pull-ups, and the same with dumbbell bench press.
For injury prevention, we finish the workout with three sets of 10 to 12 reps on each leg of cable hip abduction and some single leg balance drills. But the key is effort. A recent meta-analysis highlighted that training effort is crucial for muscle growth, regardless of whether heavy or light weights are used. If it feels easy, it's not helping you build muscle.
So, before we put it into a weekly schedule, let's first talk about how to set up your running the right way. A lot of people think that running kills muscle growth, but sprints actually help build explosive power and muscle. So, here's how to integrate running into your plan.
First, we need to incorporate some sprint training. This could be something like 30 to 50 meter all-out sprints or 6 to 10 second hill sprints. Next, we need to do V02 max work. This could be something like 3 to 5 times 3 minutes all out with a 2-minute rest in between, or it could be what's called 10-20-30 intervals, which is probably the best option for runners with limited time. I'll leave a link to the 10-20-30 protocol in the description below.
Finally, you also need a long run every week. Keep it at a controlled effort, and it needs to be somewhere between 90 minutes and 2 hours.
But to completely set up your program, there's still one thing missing, and it's one of the most overlooked aspects if you want to build muscle and run faster at the same time. And it's way more important than you think.
In a study from 2020, researchers found that people who slept less than 6 hours per night gained less muscle and actually accumulated more body fat, despite training the same way as those who slept 7 to 9 hours per night. Recovery is what allows your muscles to grow and your performance to get better.
So, here's what to do: Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Take 30-minute naps on your heavy days to boost your performance. Prioritize active recovery days, so like light jogging, mobility work, stuff like that.
So, how do we put all of this together in a complete program where we minimize the interference effect and we maximize recovery? We need to use two different strategies. The first strategy is what's called proper sequencing. Now, that is just a fancy word of saying when and how you plan your training. Make sure that you schedule your strength training sessions on separate days from your running workouts, or at least as far away from each other as possible. This is to make sure that your strength training sessions are not compromised by the fatigue from your running. If you have to do it at the same time, then prioritize doing your strength training first, otherwise you won't be able to lift as much, and it will basically just be an extension of your cardio.
The second strategy is to balance high-intensity training days with low-intensity training days throughout the week. For example, follow a high-intensity strength workout day with an easy run day.
So, before I show you a complete weekly schedule, you're probably wondering, who is this even for? Can anyone do this? I'm going to be honest with you, some runners will have an easier time gaining muscle than others. Here's who will benefit the most: beginners, because people who have never lifted or run before typically see a ton of gains in the beginning. And also undertrained runners. If your strength is weak and you start doing strategic strength training, you will often see a ton of muscle gain. If you've been training hard for years, progress will be slower, but it's still possible if you dial in your nutrition and your training.
So, what are the downsides? Is it even worth it? This approach works, but it's not as fast as purely focusing on one thing at a time. If you primarily want to build muscle, then having a dedicated muscle-building phase will be better. And if you primarily want to run faster for longer or have an event coming up, then having a performance-based plan will probably be better. To be honest, the best approach will probably be to build muscle for 3 months while maintaining your running, and then try to run faster for longer for 3 months while maintaining your muscle, and then keep alternating like that.
But if you want to do both at once, here's a complete weekly schedule:
Monday: You do strength training.
Tuesday: You run V02 max intervals.
Wednesday: You do strength training.
Thursday: You do a long run of 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Friday: You do strength training.
Saturday: You run sprints.
Sunday: You rest.
So, here is the TL;DR for you: Create a small calorie surplus so you don't starve your muscles. Aim for at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Do heavy lifting and sprinting for muscle mass and power. Use V02 max sessions and long runs to improve your running. Prioritize sleep and recovery.
And if you want a complete plan to run faster for longer with less effort in just 50 days, then check out this video next.