Bodybuilding & Cross Country?

cywoo · 06-08-2008, 08:12 AM

i ll be in cross country next season, and i also want to gain muscle by lifting weights.
Do these work well together?
i mean i heard that people lose weight when they do cross country.
i also heard that too much muscle can make you run slow.

bAby norAA · 06-08-2008, 08:19 AM

you "hear" to much. sure if you take in the same amount of calories you do now and up the cardio with cross country, you more than likely will lose weight. Keep the calories above maintainance and you will be fine. with questions like this i take it you havent done much reasearch on your own.

Phil2009 · 06-08-2008, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cywoo

i ll be in cross country next season, and i also want to gain muscle by lifting weights.
Do these work well together?
i mean i heard that people lose weight when they do cross country.
i also heard that too much muscle can make you run slow.

Some people actually find a great balance between cardio and weights, although cross country is a lot more demanding than your typical cardio work. Depending on your intake, how you train, how often you train, genetics, the list goes on... will determine if you are able to make muscle gains whilst participating in cross country.

In a typical person, I would say, the chances of you gaining weight, are pretty low. Too much muscle making you slow, im sure your referring to the fact that muscle weighs quite a bit and will require your body to push harder using more energy when running, especially cross country, which is a high endurance sport. Im guessing you will see strength gains, but very little muscle gains when combining the two.

Phil

Diesel 7 · 06-08-2008, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cywoo

i ll be in cross country next season, and i also want to gain muscle by lifting weights.
Do these work well together?
i mean i heard that people lose weight when they do cross country.
i also heard that too much muscle can make you run slow.

People also loss muscle mass. If you don't use it, you will lose it. Also a vast number of different factors come into play. You will engage more slow twitch muscle fibers, and engage less fast twitch fibers, thus lossing some muscle mass (bad), Calories in vs. Calories out, this can lead to your body entering a catabolic state. Body type, length of levers, form and effeciency, etc...

Diesel 7 · 06-08-2008, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil2008

Some people actually find a great balance between cardio and weights, although cross country is a lot more demanding than your typical cardio work. Depending on your intake, how you train, how often you train, genetics, the list goes on... will determine if you are able to make muscle gains whilst participating in cross country.

In a typical person, I would say, the chances of you gaining weight, are pretty low. Too much muscle making you slow, im sure your referring to the fact that muscle weighs quite a bit and will require your body to push harder using more energy when running, especially cross country, which is a high endurance sport. Im guessing you will see strength gains, but very little muscle gains when combining the two.

Phil

Reps sir.

Diesel 7 · 06-08-2008, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bAby norAA

you "hear" to much. sure if you take in the same amount of calories you do now and up the cardio with cross country, you more than likely will lose weight. Keep the calories above maintainance and you will be fine. with questions like this i take it you havent done much reasearch on your own.

reps as well.

Tyrbolift · 06-08-2008, 08:46 AM

Everybody is pussyfooting around.

Cross Country and bodybuilding are mutually exclusive. Don't even attempt it. It's like saying you want to be a big fat horseracing jockey.

Tommy W. · 06-08-2008, 08:51 AM

Not a good combo. One activity is trying to add muscle, the other activity is trying to strip muscle to be more efficient.
Both sports will suffer. Just wait till after CC season.

tw

Randeep.Singh · 06-08-2008, 09:16 AM

yes you can do them together. Its still about calories in vs out i trained and completed a half and full marathon while still hitting the weights but its not ideal for a lond period of time u may start to feel a little burnt out.

xcmikeyd08 · 06-09-2008, 07:40 AM

from a 4 year varsity XC [cross country] athlete in high school
& a 3 year track varsity athlete.
I know from experience it simply will not work. Putting in 55 miles a week in 6 days, your body will be SPENT in the first place no matter how slow you go and it really is not possible. My body space is from when i quit my 4th final track season to now. I quit what would have been a regional year for me, but i got a job and just wanted to end my highschool to the fullest. And the GF wanted to hang alot.

Im not saying it hasn't happen though, look at Jeff C [4 year ohio state champion + Hot runner for the ohio state] but look at 98% of the rest.

sorry man. but reality is a biatch. Your legs will be in solid shape though!

Tommy W. · 06-09-2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xcmikeyd08

from a 4 year varsity XC [cross country] athlete in high school
& a 3 year track varsity athlete.
I know from experience it simply will not work. Putting in 55 miles a week in 6 days, your body will be SPENT in the first place no matter how slow you go and it really is not possible. My body space is from when i quit my 4th final track season to now. I quit what would have been a regional year for me, but i got a job and just wanted to end my highschool to the fullest. And the GF wanted to hang alot.

Im not saying it hasn't happen though, look at Jeff C [4 year ohio state champion + Hot runner for the ohio state] but look at 98% of the rest.

sorry man. but reality is a biatch. Your legs will be in solid shape though!

repped

RU4A69 · 06-09-2008, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bAby norAA

you "hear" to much. sure if you take in the same amount of calories you do now and up the cardio with cross country, you more than likely will lose weight. Keep the calories above maintainance and you will be fine. with questions like this i take it you havent done much reasearch on your own.

That doesn't always work in real life. You ever been on X country (need I even ask)?

All the running saps your hormones and CNS drive: makes you weak and unable to put on muscle.

unity · 06-09-2008, 12:16 PM

of course you can do both! you just wont be very good at either.

Cuchulainn · 06-09-2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cywoo

i ll be in cross country next season, and i also want to gain muscle by lifting weights.
Do these work well together?
i mean i heard that people lose weight when they do cross country.
i also heard that too much muscle can make you run slow.

It would be a lot easier if you did bodybuilding and sprinting.

brent2886 · 06-09-2008, 02:47 PM

you should really be careful if you do try to attempt the two of these things. i agree that you shouldn't do it. some weight training can be good during XC for overall fitness, but you won't be able to make real gains while running XC. i ate nothing but crap food while i ran xc and was as skinny as a rail; it was only until after a shoulder injury in wrestling and taking myself out of the sport and into the weight room full time that i put on any weight, and that took several years.

if you want to try and train 2-3 days a week with weights to keep some strength, make sure you're getting a lot of good proteins and carbs. otherwise, let it rest until after XC when you can dedicate yourself. not only will both sports suffer if you try to do both, but you'll get sick or hurt yourself doing it; trust me. i had a season of track where i was running 12-15 miles a day 6 days a week, and i got the flu by the end of the season.