September 2005

The question-of-the-month for September comes from Dan in Ohio, 40 year old who wants to gain muscle mass and compete in a natural bodybuilding show as well as run in a marathon.  His question is:

Dear Mike: 

I am new to bodybuilding and plan on entering a natural bodybuilding show later this year.  I have also signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon the week after the show.  Will running the extra miles effect my weight training results?  

Dear Dan:   

Thank you for visiting my site and submitting a great question.  Yes, running too much (i.e. training for a marathon) can have a detrimental effect on gaining muscle mass and building strength.  Many bodybuilders do very little, if any, cardio in the 'off-season mass-building' phase.  Once contest preparation begins, which is usually 12 weeks prior to the contest, a controlled cardio program is incorporated into the bodybuilder's regimen.  Since you will be training for a marathon, it may be a bit more challenging for you during the off-season as well as during the contest preparation phase.  Bottom line, bodybuilding and marathon running probably don't complement each other very well.  With that being said, I still think you can accomplish both of your goals.  Below I have outlined some tips that will help you with your challenging endeavor:

• Keep your calories high enough to compensate for the running

• Make sure you replenish your system immediately after running and weight training

• Incorporate glutamine and BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) into your supplement program (check out these links for more information: August 2003 Tip-of-the Month, 3 Most Important Supplements)

• Stay in tune with your body to avoid overtraining

I hope you find this information helpful and I wish you well in your preparation for both events.  Again, thank you for submitting a question.

As always, don't forget to visit the Past Qs & As and my Training Tips section for more great tips and training info.

Until next month, train hard and stay healthy.

Mike Francois

Do you have a training question for Mike?  If so, visit our Ask Mike section and submit your question.

Note: Before embarking on any nutrition, supplementation, and/or training program, consult with your physician or other licensed health-care professional.