Personalized Marathon Training Plan Guide

Preparing for a marathon requires a systematic training plan. RunBox AI coach creates a customized 16-20 week marathon training plan based on your fitness level, goal time, and available training time.

Why Choose an AI-Customized Marathon Training Plan?

Personalized Assessment: Based on your running experience and fitness condition
Smart Adjustments: Training intensity optimizes automatically with progress
Scientific Pacing: Based on your target finish time
Injury Prevention: Reasonable intensity progression to avoid injuries

how muscle men run marathons

A muscular man wants to run a marathon, and according to the basic principles, there is usually only one way:

Genetic engineering.

Haha, hahaha...

Last March, I established a running group called the C12 Iron Pumping Running Group. As the name suggests, the members are all muscle-bound guys from the gym, self-proclaimed as the Meat Running Group. Initially, we organized a 5-kilometer run every one or two weeks, following the principles of gradual guidance and subtle influence. Everyone enjoyed it, and we could gather 20 to 30 people each time, chatting and laughing while running. However, as the distance increased to 10 kilometers and 15 kilometers, the number of participants dwindled, and their expressions became increasingly twisted and grim. Eventually, everyone turned into chronic late risers, citing reasons like early morning company meetings at 6 AM, hangovers, or simply showing medical records. As the group leader, I had to beg and plead to gather enough people. Now, I'm preparing for a full marathon alone, earning the nickname 'Lone Wolf of the Wasteland.' I think I might have misjudged the group's positioning from the start...

Currently, those who consistently rank on my running group's leaderboard don't even train their muscles.

Muscular men cannot afford to lose muscle mass.

Muscular men cannot skip their sleep!

I understand the reasoning. After all, I've been training muscles for years. But why do I encourage muscular men to run and get excited? Because their diet is typically high in protein and carbohydrates, leading to high uric acid, kidney stones, fatty liver, and even cardiovascular hardening beneath their strong muscular exterior. Strength training is beneficial for health, but high-intensity strength training combined with high intake inevitably leads to problems. Therefore, the importance of aerobic training becomes evident.

Aerobic training is particularly effective for weight loss and dehydration. It can turn a fat person into a thin one by consuming both muscle and fat. For muscular men, reducing fat and increasing muscle definition doesn't heavily rely on aerobic training; adjusting the diet is more crucial. Even for the general population, purely from a fat loss perspective, I don't recommend marathon-level aerobic training. Marathon training involves complex energy supply mechanisms, and no matter how advanced your training methods and concepts are, you can't prevent muscle loss during training. The body is smart and will adapt to low-intensity, long-duration exercise by reducing muscle mass, which is a high-energy-consuming tissue unnecessary for marathon running.

Therefore, for muscular men, the value of aerobic training lies in cardiovascular protection and enhancing cardiopulmonary function. Whenever I see muscular men who never do aerobic exercises, I feel distressed and try to change, refresh, and subvert them, only to be called meddlesome. But I don't give up. I forcibly add them to the group, bombard them with check-ins from runners every morning, torture them, show them pictures of beautiful women running, and if that doesn't work, treat them to meals and give them red envelopes. Eventually, they have to consider starting to run. (The last part is made up by me)

Back to the initial question, how can muscular men run a marathon? I just said I don't recommend running a marathon for fat loss, so why am I running so enthusiastically? I'm not sure, maybe it's because I can leave beautiful photos on the marathon track.

This year, under the persuasion of a few members of the Meat Running Group, I signed up for the Hefei Marathon full marathon. Back in the day, I persuaded them to run, and now... karma. Signing up means preparing for the race. Although I can casually run a half marathon, a full marathon requires serious preparation. My main concern, which is also why most muscular men are reluctant to run marathons, is how to maintain muscle mass during marathon training and the race while successfully completing the race.

Preparation is divided into three parts: strength training, aerobic training, and diet and supplements. Before preparing for the full marathon, my training was mainly strength training, with 6-7 strength sessions per week and 4 aerobic sessions per week, each not exceeding 10 kilometers, occasionally 12-15 kilometers, with a monthly mileage of 120-160 kilometers. Since I couldn't maintain a low-fat, low-carb diet year-round, I relied on a lot of aerobic exercise to control body fat, eating family meals and finishing my two kids' leftovers.

However, for a full marathon, this amount of aerobic exercise is insufficient. So, the first step is to increase aerobic training from single 10-kilometer runs to 13-15 kilometers per session, running on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Due to the increased single-run distance, rest becomes crucial. Rest on Fridays and Saturdays, and run 21-25 kilometers on Sundays, with 30+ kilometers a month before the race. Regarding training intensity, I believe it can be increased within one's ability, but don't chase speed. A full marathon tests patience, not speed. From my long-term observation, muscular men usually have a higher pace than those who don't do strength training, given the same height and weight. However, muscular men have a high BMI, often above 25 or 26, and their weight is generally higher than normal. Achieving the same pace as someone with a BMI of 21 or less is unlikely, and even if achieved, it puts immense pressure on the joints. So, I emphasize again, don't chase speed; finishing the run is enough.

Therefore, increase aerobic volume without increasing intensity, and reduce frequency. This training frequency ensures four days a week without early morning training, allowing for more sleep. Sleep is crucial for maintaining muscle and recovering energy. Sacrificing sleep for training is counterproductive and forgets the original intention.

As for strength training, I used to train six or even seven times a week, year-round if time allowed. But preparing for a full marathon requires a different approach. The goal of strength training becomes maintaining muscle, not gaining it, unless you use technology (but using drugs increases weight and heart pressure, making marathon running impossible). To maintain muscle, reduce training frequency to 4-5 times a week, avoid strength training on weekends, and get plenty of sleep to have enough energy for long slow distance (LSD) runs. Regarding intensity, I believe it doesn't need to be reduced. Preparing for a marathon isn't like preparing for a bodybuilding competition; fat loss isn't the goal. Maintaining high-intensity compound exercises like squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and rows can maximize testosterone levels. Combined with sufficient sleep, it helps maintain muscle mass. So, you don't need to part ways with your training partners; keep squatting 200 kilograms! But remember, avoid training legs on Fridays, move leg day to Thursday or even Wednesday. You don't want to drag a pair of sore legs during Sunday's LSD, do you?

Some muscular men ask about training plans. If you're already muscular, you don't need a specific plan. Train as usual, just reduce frequency and rest more. Muscles synthesize during rest, and this is even more crucial when preparing for a full marathon. So, I don't advocate high-pressure, high-intensity training for muscular men preparing for a full marathon. Increasing rest is more important to ensure both training and muscle maintenance. Additionally, high-quality intake is essential.

Before morning runs, eat a banana for basic carbohydrate supply. We're not aiming for fat loss, so no need for fasting cardio; the goal is to train energy. If one banana isn't enough, eat two. Also, consume branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). They might not be necessary, but during my muscle-building phase in 2015-2016, I increased aerobic volume and still gained weight from 70 to 80 kilograms while taking BCAAs. So, I believe BCAAs are essential for muscular men doing aerobic training. After the morning run, immediately drink a sports drink to replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes, then have breakfast with fast-absorbing carbohydrates to keep glycogen levels up and minimize muscle breakdown. After carbohydrate intake, consume protein. I recommend whey protein powder for its quick absorption after morning runs. On non-running days, eggs will suffice.

At 10 AM, have a snack with a small amount of carbohydrates and protein.

For lunch and dinner, carbohydrates and protein are essential components. The ratio depends on when you do strength training. Before strength training, we need high carbs and moderate protein. After strength training, we need moderate carbs and high protein (preferably whey protein powder for quick absorption). Compared to aerobic training, strength training burns fewer calories, so not much carbohydrate replenishment is needed. Carbohydrates prevent protein from being used for energy, allowing it to focus on muscle repair. If convenient, I recommend post-strength training supplements with a 2:1 carb-to-protein ratio to avoid the hassle of preparing cooked food. Additionally, during strength training, we need to consume BCAAs to prevent muscle breakdown.

Finally, before sleep, review your daily intake. If protein intake is insufficient, supplement with a scoop of slow-release whey protein powder to release protein gradually during sleep. If sufficient, just go to sleep. Those with the means can eat a small amount of nuts, which are rich in unsaturated fatty acids that promote anabolism at night without increasing fat (non-muscular men shouldn't eat at night). Similarly, during the day, when facing long periods without intake, prepare nuts. Carbohydrates are for short-term energy supply, ideal before and after training, but maintaining energy throughout the day relies on beneficial fats.

For muscular men, I emphasize maintaining sufficient energy levels because muscle consumption is high. If you feel hungry, your body will metabolize muscle. So, muscular men shouldn't go hungry. If you want to maintain your muscles, avoid participating in long-distance hiking or similar activities unless you carry a backpack full of nuts, turning the activity into a picnic. Similarly, limit marathon participation. If you want to run one or two marathons a month, you're probably looking to transition completely. Show me a muscular man on the marathon track?

I've rambled enough. Indeed, muscular men running marathons is a contradictory proposition. Muscles mean high consumption, while marathons aim to minimize consumption. It's hard to have both. I started in the marathon world before transitioning to muscle training, so I've rooted myself in both fields. Fitness enthusiasts like me are rare, and we share a common issue: muscle size doesn't grow much, and running speed doesn't improve significantly. Achieving success in both muscle and marathon requires several times the effort of single-discipline athletes. What I've mentioned are just basic principles. Personal effort is the fundamental factor. After putting in so much effort, what will you gain? Is it worth it? Is it your original intention? Consider carefully before acting.

That's all I have to say. Thank you for reading. Finally, here are two pictures of me and my son challenging the Spartan Race:)