What's your current routine?

I run 5 miles 4 days a week then 10 plus on the weekends with Monday as rest day. I don’t think I can go heavier what do u think I should do for reps and sets then

@Cobrabit

What do u think I should do better to gain muscle
 
Nowadays I work out sorta like Peter Dinklage does. I set the bar low :wink:
 
Moved back into cutting season. Doing 90 mins of cardio 5 days a week.

Mebbe this will be the year I don’t bear bulk in the winter. Mebbe
 
Sportsguy said:
I run 5 miles 4 days a week then 10 plus on the weekends with Monday as rest day. I don’t think I can go heavier what do u think I should do for reps and sets then

@Cobrabit

What do u think I should do better to gain muscle
Click to expand...

First, it's damn near impossible to gain muscle mass with the amount of running you're doing. If you add a heavy weight training on top of that, then you're body isn't going to recover without unnatural supplementation (steroids). There's a reason bodybuilders have a bulk and cut phase with a give and take with each.

To gain muscle, you're going to need to increase your caloric intake and cut down on the amount of calories you're burning running. Yes, you'll likely gain some fat along with muscle, but you can help minimize that by including HIIT instead of long distance running one or two days a week.

Take a look at pictures comparing a marathoner and a sprinter. Both can be similar in weight and body fat, but the sprinter will have a significantly more muscular look. Long distance running primarily uses slow twitch muscle fibers, while sprinting and explosive weight lifting use fast twitch fibers.

There is plenty of info out there to look through to tailor what works for you and your equipment, but my bullet point suggestions would be as follows:

* DON'T forget to squat! The largest muscle group in your body is your legs, which will grow significantly quicker to training than smaller muscle groups. Most guys focus on chest, arms, and abs (beach muscles), but to add muscle mass fast, hit your legs.

* include other compound lifts like bench and deadlifts as your primary 3 core lifts.

* lift 3 days a week, with each day starting with a different core lift. Do a few warm up sets to get your muscles warm and focus on proper form! Then you'll want to do 3-4 sets using a weight that will allow you to only get 3-5 reps using good form! Take a couple minutes between each set to have your heart rate and breathing to return to normal before starting your next set.

* after the core lift for that day is complete, you can focus on more isolated lifts for those muscle groups doing a similar number of sets, but increase the reps to 6-8 using good form.

* after 4-5 exercises are completed, you're likely almost an hour in to your workout and I always keep mine under an hour as testosterone levels start dropping around that time period.

* eat quality whole foods if possible, with protein shakes being a quick and easy supplement to help get additional calories. Get close to 1g of protein for each pound of body weight which can be difficult and expensive using whole foods, so those shakes come in handy.

* don't forget that you'll need carbs and fat as well. I'd suggest a 40-30-30 ratio of carbs- protein- fat to start and adjust to your own body.

*building muscle also requires proper rest, which is why I suggest only lifting 3 quality days a week with a day of rest in between for beginners. Get good sleep as close to 8 hours as your life allows.

* download a calorie tracking app, like myfitnesspal which is free to use and get an idea of your caloric and macro nutrient intake. You can also download a free fitness app like Jefit that you can track your workouts, plan them in advance, and give suggestions for exercises to target particular muscles and what type of equipment you have available.


Like I mentioned, there's tons of info out there and everyone has their own ideas of what is best. If you're a beginner, it may be beneficial to schedule a few sessions with a personal trainer at your local gym. They'll be able to show you the proper form for basic lifts and help you get started. If they're worth a damn, they're not going to try and "upsell" you on all sorts of supplements and BS. There should be a discussion prior to the first session about what your goals are and current level of fitness and experience. They should be there to help YOU first and foremost and not sound like a car salesman.

Good luck!
 
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