“Every sport is unique in its own way, it has its characteristic features that are signed on those who run it. At first sight, the characters of the individual trainees are visible. When you put the struts and marathons beside you, you will know who is who. Everyone has their genetic prerequisites for a certain type of sport, but this does not mean that the ectomorph could not gain muscle mass and the endomorph could not run a marathon. It’s just a lot more work and it’s much more of a diet, “explains John Wolf, Coach of CrossFit Iron Land and Nutrition Advisor.

If we are runners on long runs and do not have the top results, but rather the overall fitness and workout balance, it is not a problem with a bit of patience to get some extra muscles. It helps us not only achieve the desired appearance, but also improve body firming and gain more strength, which we will appreciate in everyday life. If we decide, we have to adjust the two components: training units and diet.

Strength training: your weight and exercise are sufficient

“Certainly, it will be necessary to supplement the aerobic load for strength training and high intensity training. Under force training, however, we do not have to imagine the lifting of heavy 200 pounds dumbbells, “says John Wolf, with the fact that it is initially rich enough to work with his own body.” The ideal conditions for this type of training can be found in crossfit gyms. Here you can still develop your fitness and at the same time the gym is destined to work with your own body (trapezes, circles, boxes, ropes, etc.).We will not shut down complex and static machines here, “he adds.

As far as the basic training plan is concerned, consider that you will need to include the force component at least twice a week, provided two or three more training sessions are running.” Another option is to include a power part in every running training,” recommends John Wolf.“Generally, one should practice at least three times a week in order for the body to be able to respond and switch to the athlete mode,” he adds.

“I would base the development of the force component on the work of my own body: squats, handles, Englishmen, various kinds of leanings, shingles on the bar, work on circles. All of these exercises can be applied more or less anywhere, which is an advantage, “recommends the coach and at the same time strongly emphasizes the main principle of strength training – doing all the exercises technically right. Otherwise, you may experience more problems than exercise, or the results may come much later than in the case of high-quality exercises.

“For example, the Crossfit Boxes focus on the correct handling of the exercises, where you can instill the technique in your head and you are able to practice the exercises anywhere and yourself,” says John Wolf.

Muscular dynamics provide simple tools as well as fast sprinters

For a beginner, but also a runner who does not want to get a bodybuilder figure, but rather just shape and shape, his own weight is enough. However, to develop muscle dynamics, it is not a matter of pulling even some simpler (but not quite light) tools. An example might be good old medicine and a practice called wall ball, that is, throw a ball from a squat on a target at a height in front of you.“Wall ball beautifully develops the force component and at the same time strengthens the center of the body and develops our dynamics,” explains John Wolf. It has to be recalled that the center of the body often neglects the runners, which leads to an unstoppable attitude during the run, back pain or lower performance.(We wrote about the strong center of the body as a basis for each sport.)

“Another great helper is kettlebell – a grateful, assistant we can take everywhere with us to engage in the exercise with the whole body and weighing up the resistance we have to overcome – which is what we want,” says the coach. Again, he draws attention to the need to perform the exercises correctly and to the fact that the basics of weight lifting significantly affect our dynamics and body work in general. This will be useful not only in running but also in everyday life.

Asked whether the muscles can be picked up by running, John Wolf is positive. Marathoners and other lovers of endless races will have to prepare for a dramatic change in their cross-country training. “We need to change distances and intervals between intervals. The persistent is running at a constant pace for a long time. However, if we wanted to develop a force component, we would have to dramatically shorten the range of runs to fifty, sixty, a hundred to two hundred meters and increase the series. Spins should be done at maximum intensity and increased pauses between each repetition – even 1:10 in order to be able to always give maximum performance, “the coach advises.

Eat Grunt: Dine two times and do not forget about proteins

All of these advice would be far less effective if we were not at least basically concerned about modifying the diet. If we go to work, then we will do an hour of training and “forget to” eat, only improve the condition and perhaps even lose weight. “When harvesting muscle, we need to increase the percentage of protein per kilogram of body weight according to individual disposition. In addition, it is necessary to include “pottage” in the form of a hydrolyzate or a gainer. And add a second dinner in the form of cottage cheese or casein drink. Additionally, add macronutrients to work properly, “says John Wolf.

They give advice to not only how to practice but also how to eat to make the result optimal. She knows well that the gastronomic part of the training plan is very individual. “Everyone reacts to something different and there is no exact formula that would apply to everyone. Therefore, it is not wrong to talk to a nutritionist. Food can help us a lot, but it can also spoil our efforts if we do not know it, “he warns.

Moreover, muscles are not just a nicer and stronger figure, more strength or endurance, but also “side effects” that we have to count like a runner, especially if we are aiming to fight for a “box” in races. “Long-distance runners must count on increasing their overall weight with increasing muscle mass, and every kilometer with the mileage they will know. The body consumes more oxygen and will be a little more demanding, “says John Wolf.

At the same time, it emphasizes that for a “common population” that is running for joy, the inclusion of force training in the plan is the best step they can do. “With training, benefits such as strengthening the body, better overcoming daily activities (wearing the purchase, lifting children in the arms, cleaning, etc.), compensating sedentary work and, last but not least, positive changes in our overall appearance and psychic mood,” says the coach. Another (and certainly not a negligible benefit) is the assumption of a faster reduction in weight gain.(About how muscle can help women lose weight, we wrote in this article.)

As an athlete, we know that nothing is free – and muscles any more. According to John Wolf, the perseverance and the quality of the workout are the way to success: “It takes a while for the body to switch to the new regime, it wants to be patient, not to take precedence over quantity and to stay for more than fourteen days,” he says. In such a period, your body will get used to new training, and you will be entertained. And you will also notice first results.

There are three basic components to divide people into somatotypes, i.e., groups according to the physical structure: endomorphism, the mesomorph degree and the ectomorph degree of linearity. Each person includes all three components, but one is predominant.

In the case of ectomorphs or stencils, the linear structure is dominated by the body structure, the ratio of body fat and muscle mass being minimal. Asthenic has poorly developed muscles and skeleton, few fat cells, but a large body surface that causes large energy expenditure with relatively small body exertion and faster metabolism. This logically means that gaining is not easy for him, and with training he should not overdo it. On the other hand, ectomorph people have great preconditions for endurance sports such as running on long tracks, long walks, but also cycling.

What then? Either we will use our skinny characters, we will run marathons, and we will confess that we will explain to the death of the neighborhood that we are not racist anorexics but persistent. Or, if we dream of a figure, a bigger effort is going to be done to boost and count calories and make up the diet. But we do not have to surrender.

It is harder to lose weight than to lose weight

“The problem with ectomorphs is that their metabolism burns without much effort. It sounds strange, but it’s much harder to lose weight than to lose weight. In addition, these people, for example, tend not to eat more than to overeat in stressful situations, “Allison Smith, a holistic doctor, outlines the main cause of thinness.

At the same time, he warns that this is a frequent alibi in eating unhealthy foods: “You will have fried food, a cake, a sweet cocktail. You know it does not do anything with your weight, so you have no problem with it. The consequences are not visible on the weight, but on your health they are signed just like everyone else. “

Trying to gain weight by eating everything that comes to your hand is a mistake. Empty calories give you energy for a while, and you burn it quickly again. It will be hard for you, and if you come in, mostly in the form of fat on your stomach, thighs or buttocks. Apart from other health problems.

Getting healthy means gradually building up muscle mass, with the help of a balanced, nutritious and healthy diet and regular exercise.

Beware of “cheap energy”

A common rule does not exist for all, so it is only general. We can get healthy with our own will, in case of failure, it is advisable to arrange a nutrition advisor or a trained fitness trainer to set up a tailor-made diet and training plan. And it also incorporates your favorite jogging.

The general guideline is to increase the recommended energy intake by 2,000 kJ (less than 500 kcal).You can easily calculate it in one of the internet calculators. A thirty-year-old man, 175 centimeters weighing 70 kilograms, is about 2,200 kcal a day, and if he wants to get up, he should have a minimum of a quarter more. The volume diet can be 12,000 kJ but it has to be balanced with the basic ingredients: this is about 100 grams of protein, 420 grams of carbohydrates and 80 grams of fat. Of course, we mean quality components, not “cheap energy” in the form of cakes.

“I’d recommend eating six times a day, starting with a hearty breakfast of carbohydrates and protein. At lunchtime, it is the responsibility of several courses: soup, main meal with plenty of protein (meat) and even starter or lighter dessert. In the evening we should avoid foods that contain flour. But I recommend cheese, lean meat, vegetables. Sometimes a second dinner is in place – maybe eight o’clock if you first eat at five or six, “says Allison Smith.

The first dinner should contain proteins (fish, dairy products, meat), the other rather carbohydrates (fruits).We should definitely forget about morning and afternoon snacks: fruits (fresh and dried), vegetables with a little cheese, cottage cheese or nuts. You can carry with us in case you get hungry at work. We can also make good chocolate.

Running, workout, meat and chocolate

The basis for diet should be. Now just transform the acquired energy into muscle mass. “Weighing is a very individual matter.Someone in this plan takes two pounds a month, another needs three months. But they are good kilograms, which you do not lose so easily, “says Smith.

If you think seriously about healthy grading and character engraving, you should really take care of your diet as well as regular exercise. Its main component should be strength, at least three times a week for 45 minutes to one hour. If you are not used to strengthening, start exercises to strengthen your muscles (belly, back), then add your legs, arms and chest and do not forget about your back.

Only after a week or two add loads: dumbbells, earmuffs or light weight on the machines in the gym, which you will gradually increase. You can also increase the number of workouts per week. We support the growth of muscle mass by slow but intense strengthening: slow lifting, repetitive exercise in multiple series, slow weight training.

Do not give up running, but do not run “just so. “Do not suffer from too long endurance trails, rather use the run as a great way to warm up your muscles before strengthening yourself. Just half an hour, once a week, give yourself a longer, hourly run. Then move to the gym or home on the mat and go to the exercise.

Muscle mass is most likely to form after exercise. So, after training, treat the protein (perhaps a slice of lean meat for dinner) and also a good quality chocolate supplement to make up your carbohydrates. Do not forget to reward, even after one of the most challenging training sessions, take one rest: increase the intake of carbohydrates by 1 to 2 grams per kilogram of your weight (and enjoy simple sugars) and grab on the other hand. This will help you regenerate your body and pick up energy in the next few days.

Once a week, coaches also recommend a so-called sinful day: set it up for Sunday, and treat yourself to “normal food” with your family, animal fats, something a little unhealthy. But balance it with a quality yogurt or fruit snack and make sure you do not burden your stomach for the next training day.