Can a bodybuilder run marathons? (2023)

Can you be a bodybuilder and run a marathon?

Running 42.2km in one go is pretty tough no matter who you are and where you do it. Even if you're a whippet-thin club runner tackling a flat road race in perfect weather, it's still no simple feat.

Long Slow Distance Runs: Twice a week, ideally on days you're not in the weight room, do an easy run for 30 to 60 minutes. In concept, the low-heart-rate LSD run should be nothing new for bodybuilders; it's the same slow, 120 to 140 bpm cardio they've always done on the bike and stair-stepper to burn off fat.

“I think the most important factor in determining whether or not someone is ready for a marathon is consistency,” he says. “You can be an extremely fit person, but if your weekly mileage was all over the place throughout training, your natural fitness alone cannot create a successful 26.2-mile race.

Is it possible to put on muscle and be a runner? Of course it is! If you're following a strength training regimen and you get your nutrition right, there is no reason you won't be able to put on lean muscle mass; it just requires some planning and a bit of simple math.

Running definitely builds muscles in your lower body, like your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. It continues to build muscle as long as you are constantly challenging yourself. All you need as a proof is to look at any runner's legs to know that is, in fact, the truth.

“Their bodies just aren't designed for it,” he says. “Bodybuilders are carrying 30, 40, 50 extra pounds of muscle, and that weight puts too much wear and tear on joints. And anyone who's ever done any bodybuilding at all knows running burns up muscle.

A 2012 meta-analysis of 21 different studies concluded that the more days per week you do cardio, and/or the longer your cardio sessions are, the tougher it'll be for you to build body muscle and strength. According to the study, cardio sessions that exceed 20-30 minutes, three times per week are not recommended.

Sprinting. Another great exercise that can improve your chances of hypertrophy, sprinting is perhaps the biggest gem of cardio based exercises. Though many bodybuilders, particularly larger individuals, may find jogging to be a bit easier to bear, sprinting can actually improve muscle growth on a specialty treadmill.

Eight to ten miles is a good benchmark for a first-time marathoner. Another reliable benchmark is having completed a half marathon. If you can run 13.1 miles, you are ready to train to run a marathon!

How difficult is running a marathon?

The 26.2-mile marathon is a challenging running event because of its duration. After two hours of running (by the 20-mile mark for fast runners), the body runs out of carbohydrates and glycogen (stored energy in the muscles) and begins burning fat stores in the body for fuel.

Running coach John Honerkamp recommends capping long runs at 3.5 hours. “A 20-mile run is more mental than physical,” he says. “In most cases, there is no benefit to running more than 20 miles before race day, and there can be significant risks of overuse issues or injury.”

Yes, you can do powerlifting and running at the same time, but it depends on how specific we need or want to be with our powerlifting training.

Keep a slower pace. Your muscles won't melt away if you ramp it up (eventually) to jogging three or four times a week. As long as you get in the habit of programming it right, these runs will actually help you recover from heavy lifting sessions once you do get back to the gym.

A commonly overlooked component to marathon training, however, is weightlifting, or strength training. Although not essential, you can supplement your marathon training program with weightlifting workouts to improve your overall fitness level.

Too much cardio can interfere with muscle growth—but so can too little. Performing cardio 2-3 days a week seems to be the sweet spot for complementing your training gains without putting your muscle at risk.

Another good way to build and maintain muscle while training for a marathon is to incorporate weightlifting exercises on the days when you're not doing long runs. This will not only help you build muscle but also make you stronger and faster. You will want to do core, glute, and upper body exercises.

So two weeks before your marathon, if you're doing anything super heavy: squats, deadlifts, anything like that, then you're going to want to cut that out of the training cycle that second week.

You'll probably say “no problem.” The runner would have the lean, straight legs with angular quads, lean hips but little definition in their outer glutes, and tight rears but not especially lifted ones. The dancer would have the curvier legs, the defined, lifted glutes, and the more compact, firmer looking muscles.

Can you run and bulk at the same time?

High intensity cardio burns far too many calories to incorporate into your bulk. This means that you need to stick to low intensity exercise that promotes cardiovascular health without burning too many calories. Walking, jogging, cycling and elliptical machines are all good options for this.

Myth #2: Building muscle will cause you to become slower and less flexible. This one goes back to the old days when people described bodybuilders as being "muscle bound" and "bulky". Contrary to what you may think, building a significant amount of lean muscle mass will actually speed you up rather than slow you down.

While leg day is important to hit as a bodybuilder, running can reach those muscle groups that may get overlooked, or at least not looked at enough. Running at a steady pace in between weightlifting days can also increase muscle mass and prevent muscle deterioration.

For bodybuilding, pull-ups alone aren't enough to develop the upper body. The exercise must be performed in conjunction with free-weight lifts for optimal results. Even when performed without additional weight, pull-ups directly target muscles that will require rest and recovery time the following day.

No. If you do cardio incorrectly, it can slow your rate of muscle growth by interfering with your strength training workouts and dampening the anabolic effects of weightlifting. But it won't make you lose muscle if you sidestep these blunders, which is easy to do.

Running after lifting will not ruin your workout. Trainers agree that it's perfectly acceptable and effective to run either before or after weight lifting.

Most bodybuilders usually find that 30-40 minutes of cardio, four to five days a week, is about the limit for burning calories and increasing definition, while maintaining size. Figure fitness athletes usually do three days a week but more high-intensity interval training (HIIT cardio).

I embraced cardio training when my Hollywood career took of. I didn't have time to train for hours as I used to, so I needed a way to burn extra calories and work my heart in shorter, more efficient workouts. These days, I combine cardio and weight training in the same session.

Go for a strong, brisk walk on an incline on a treadmill, a light run, or bike for 20-30 minutes. Follow with a mobility-focused workout. BONUS: Add cardio into your strength routine by doing sprints after your warmup before you hit the weights.

Yes. Bodybuilders do cardio. A bodybuilder's main goal is to focus on whatever gets them to their goal the quickest, while keeping as much muscle on their frame as possible. This is important to note because it dictates their cardio entirely.

What is the average marathon time?

According to Run Repeat's investigation, the overall average marathon time worldwide is 4:29:53. Breaking it up by sex, the average time to run a marathon for men is 4:21:03, and the average time to run a marathon for women is 4:48:45. The goal of this study was to look at recreational runners.

Average time

If you finish a marathon in under 5 hours, you've done well. Most men finish a marathon in under 4.5 hours. Most women finish in just under 5 hours. If your time is around this mark, be satisfied with your results.

Most runners take between 16 and 20 weeks to train for a marathon. As you build up to the race, your heart, muscles and mind need to be conditioned for the exertion ahead, so following a strict training plan which gradually ups the ante and improves your fitness and stamina is very important.

The hardest mile of the marathon is usually between miles 18 through 23, though it's not going to be the same for every runner. Generally, a runner can hold a steady pace for the majority of the race before feeling a physical wall where the pace becomes difficult. Mentally, the race becomes tougher, too.

Less than 1% of the population in the U.S. has completed a marathon, according to RunRepeat. The average marathon time for women worldwide is about 4 hours and 45 minutes. The average marathon time for men worldwide is about 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Hitting the wall, also called “bonking”, is a common marathon experience that unfortunately, has caused thousands, if not millions, of runners to miss their PRs and even drop out of races. But the good news is, you can avoid hitting the wall with proper training, fueling, and race pacing.

A big breakfast on race morning might cause stomach upset. Instead, try to eat at least an hour before the race. Many people opt for easy-on-the-stomach carbohydrate foods, like a banana with peanut butter, toast and jam, a granola bar and a piece of fruit, or some sports drink/juice.

Immune system. Finally, studies have shown that the immune system is severely compromised after running the marathon distance, which increases the risk of contracting colds and the flu, especially if you intend to keep training hard in preparation for your goal race.

If you happen to miss one there is no need to panic. It's ill-advised to skip to the next distance, considering that long runs can jump up by two miles at a time. For example—if you skip a planned 12 mile run, jumping from 10 miles to 14 can be problematic, opening the door for injury.

Avoid or limit alcohol, foods with added sugars and deep-fried foods. In addition to your diet, whey protein, creatine and caffeine can be useful supplements.

Does cardio ruin muscle gains?

It's a fitness myth that cardio causes your muscles to shrivel up or prevents them from growing. What's crucial, however, is that cardio doesn't limit your capacity to perform strength training. Equally, recovery is key for muscle growth, so make sure you aren't overtraining.

For many bodybuilders, Pasta is their primary carb choice; they eat in the morning, pre-workout and post-workout, and even before going to sleep when bulking.

It works the muscles of your middle and upper back and your core, all of which are important for maintaining good running form. Because the bench press is done lying down and works just your chest, it doesn't carry over to improved road performance.

While it's true that powerlifters shouldn't engage in marathon endurance runs, that doesn't preclude the dedicated lifter from engaging in cardio at all. In fact, many 12-week powerlifting cycles include cardio as necessary training component.

Powerlifting-style training can improve your ability to run faster or move quickly to a certain extent. This is because strength training can increase force production and develop tendon stiffness so you can move more efficiently. However, competitive powerlifters are usually slower than other athletes.

Many athletes act like running and bodybuilding are mutually exclusive. Do one, and not only is it unlikely that you do the other, but it may be downright impossible. "You'll run away your gains," one side will tell you.

Yes, you can be muscular and run long distances, but it requires careful training and diet. It's difficult to find the perfect balance, but some people are strong advocates for the “hybrid-athlete” lifestyle, while others simply refuse to cross-train.

Will running make you lose muscle? The key is in the combination. Yes, significantly stepping up a running regime, without adequately fuelling your body through food or doing any complementary training, may indeed burn so much energy that you drop muscle as well as fat.

These results suggest that high intensity, short duration running builds leg muscles, while long distance running causes significant muscle damage, inhibiting muscle growth. High intensity, short duration running like sprinting may build muscle, while long distance running may inhibit it.

You can absolutely run even if you're trying to build muscle. Your biggest decision will be which exercise to do first on any given day and what you want to get out of the activity — strength or muscular endurance.

Will running too much burn muscle?

Hips, legs, and the whole core itself is involved in the running process, so over time you'll see results really anywhere, from your legs all the way up to your arms." In other words, running doesn't burn muscles but builds them. Speaking of heart-pumping goodness, here are the health benefits of sex as cardio.

Bodybuilders use cardio for fat loss during cutting phases. Often favouring low-intensity steady state (LISS) cardio workouts such as jogging or cycling. Resistance workouts also count as cardiovascular exercise, so by default, all bodybuilders do cardio.

Keep a slower pace. Your muscles won't melt away if you ramp it up (eventually) to jogging three or four times a week. As long as you get in the habit of programming it right, these runs will actually help you recover from heavy lifting sessions once you do get back to the gym.

Too much cardio can interfere with muscle growth—but so can too little. Performing cardio 2-3 days a week seems to be the sweet spot for complementing your training gains without putting your muscle at risk.

While leg day is important to hit as a bodybuilder, running can reach those muscle groups that may get overlooked, or at least not looked at enough. Running at a steady pace in between weightlifting days can also increase muscle mass and prevent muscle deterioration.

Most bodybuilders usually find that 30-40 minutes of cardio, four to five days a week, is about the limit for burning calories and increasing definition, while maintaining size. Figure fitness athletes usually do three days a week but more high-intensity interval training (HIIT cardio).

Yes. Bodybuilders do cardio. A bodybuilder's main goal is to focus on whatever gets them to their goal the quickest, while keeping as much muscle on their frame as possible. This is important to note because it dictates their cardio entirely.

Running is as good as any other exercise at burning fat under the arm -- that is, it doesn't. There's simply no way to target fat burning to specific body parts. However, when you pair running with a sensible eating plan, you burn fat all over your body, and your arms will shrink proportionately.

You'll probably say “no problem.” The runner would have the lean, straight legs with angular quads, lean hips but little definition in their outer glutes, and tight rears but not especially lifted ones. The dancer would have the curvier legs, the defined, lifted glutes, and the more compact, firmer looking muscles.

Does running give abs?

“Yes, running can help give you defined abs,” said Todd Buckingham, Ph. D., exercise physiologist. But before you get too excited, it's important to note that running alone isn't enough to improve muscular definition in your midsection.

I embraced cardio training when my Hollywood career took of. I didn't have time to train for hours as I used to, so I needed a way to burn extra calories and work my heart in shorter, more efficient workouts. These days, I combine cardio and weight training in the same session.

Cardio is used by bodybuilders to help increase oxygen flow to muscles and burn excess bodyfat. For best results, cardio should only be performed 3-to-4 times per week, on non-resistance training days.

Preparation for bodybuilding competition involves drastic reductions in body fat while maintaining muscle mass. This is typically achieved through a decreased caloric intake, intense strength training, and increased cardiovascular exercise.