David Goggins.

 

I’ve been trying to figure out whether running helps or hinders what I want to accomplish. I have never been a big guy but have put on some muscle at the gym. I’m putting together a plan to get more serious about my lifting, eating, and sleeping. I’m 29 years old, aware of my age, and gaining muscle is not getting easier.

At the same time, fitness (in a broad sense) and all the benefits that come with it are important to me. Endurance and good cardiovascular health need to be maintained if not built on. So, I am conflicted about how running fits in to all this.

 

Also, David Goggins.

 

Elite runners are super fit but look like they could be snapped in two. Of course, David Goggins (my hero *swoon*) is both jacked and runs a lot of miles. In a perfect world, that’s how I would be built.

Meanwhile, there is lots of fitness advice that advocates against running if you want to gain mass. Some take a more refined view that distance running is problem, but sprints are helpful. Jeff Cavaliere, of AthleanX fame, takes the latter view. As many of you know, I have enormous respect for his advice, but I’m not satisfied with his answer here.

 

David f*cking Goggins.

 

Enter The Bioneer. I can thank YouTube’s algorithm for exposing me to this guy. I have watched about a dozen of his videos. My initial impression is he knows his stuff. The caveat being that while there is plenty of legitimate science focused on many areas of fitness, I don’t think there are many definitive answers due to the complexity and variability in human biology.

This is my way of saying I may be talking out of my ass about this topic. Hmmm, sort of reminds me of last week’s article. Anyway, the Bioneer video is worth watching if you care about the topic. The short version is you may lose a little muscle in the short term. But there are significant long terms benefits that greatly outweigh a short-term setback. Running reduces stress. That means you will reduce cortisol levels (think of all those informercials showing the shrinking body if you take their pill). Running improves your fitness/endurance so muscle building workouts can go longer and/or harder. You will also improve your body’s ability to distribute oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. The overall effect is to make you more anabolic. Of course, running also helps you get and stay lean.

I guess it’s time to start running.

This week’s music does not have any hidden meaning. I just love this tune.