Many athletes assume that you can focus on building muscle through weight-training. Alternatively, you can build your endurance and fitness, and get lean, by running. And there is nothing in between the two but wasted efforts.
In truth, there is no reason why you can’t have them both. All you need to do is shift up the way you train, essentially making it more challenging and varied, and you will be able build the mass that you are looking for, even if running is your preferred method of working out.
The results to working out in a way that meets both of these goals speak for themselves. That is the reason why so many people turn to specialised personal training schedules and programmes which offer a full-body workout that increases mass and endurance at the same time. These workout approaches make running the crux of the routine to get the best of both worlds from athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
This guide will show you how to do just that. By simply tweaking a few small points in your workout schedule to accommodate for a more complete series of fitness goals you will be able to account for building stamina while also building muscle.
Tips for building muscle together with stamina
Push for Longer Distances
One of the most effective ways for a person to gain mass while running is by simply increasing the distance you go in a single session. Granted, you will need to run quite a distance further but it is effective. Here’s how it works.
Your body builds mass using growth hormones to fuel your muscles. Your body will only produce a certain amount of it unless it is put under extensive strain, the kind of strain that comes with extreme long-distance running. So by increasing your distance drastically, you are essentially encouraging the production of growth hormones in your body, which are directly responsible for building mass.
Introduce Intervals to Your Running Routes
While varying your entire workout schedule is one way to build mass as a runner simply changing your running routine can essentially have the same effect in terms of building muscle. The trick is to find ways of making your current route all the more challenging by doing intervals at different speeds, each separated by brief periods of active rest where you are still jogging.
By adding bursts to your runs, you will start building muscle in your legs. A word of caution, though, is not to overdo it and risk injury. If you need to take a shorter route to increase the intensity of your workout, do it.
Do you have some uphills near your route that you’ve been avoiding? Introducing them to your run for sporadic changes in incline will also do a lot to build muscle while running.
Add Additional Workouts to Your Runs
You can make your running route a lot more intensive by simply adding a few extra exercises to it. Set checkpoints for yourself, stop at them and do a few sets of push-ups, squats, burpees or sit-ups. Adding these few extra workouts to your running routine will ensure that you are also building muscle.
Remember: Your body needs Food and Rest
When trying to bulk up it can be tempting to fill each day in your schedule with intensive routines in the hopes that you will see results sooner. In reality, you need to give your muscles time to recover, especially after particularly intensive sessions.
Equally important is the food you use to fuel your body for intense periods of exercise. Eating foods with moderate carbohydrates and plenty of protein will help in you efforts at building muscle. You may find that introducing a supplement, such as creatine to your diet, you will achieve more noticeable results.
Want to Become a Personal Trainer?
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
With a specialised collection of knowledge and a sound understanding of how exercise affects the human body, you can achieve these results for yourself with relative ease and you can help and motivate others to do the same.
If you would like to know more about obtaining a personal training certificate from an accredited college, contact a representative from Trifocus Fitness Academy, or visit our website for details.
