How can you prevent muscle hypertrophy (increased volume)?

If you don't eat too much you can't put on muscle.

Very simple.

Well, I guess that makes sense

What's your mpw? If it's 30-40 or above, you'll be fine. Difficult to gain mass when you're pumping out miles.

lift for strength, low reps at a higher percentage of 1 rep max

About 60mpw, give or take a few

Yeah, there's no way you're gonna gain mass that will get in the way of your running at that rate. What kind of lifting are you doing?

Focus on weight-training at least one month a year. Don't be afraid to gain a little weight. It'll soon drop off.

Too heavy wrote:

As a middle distance runner I'd like to be as lean as possible, but at the same time have enough speed to run really well at 400m/800m/1500m. I find strength training a really good way to build speed, but it often comes at the price of increased muscle volume.

Is there any kind of weight training that doesn't increase muscle volume? Or is it any exercises you can do to encumber the hypertrophy that weight training causes? What did Seb Coe do? I know he did a lot of strength training, but he was still a small and lean guy.

There is no kind of effective weight training for runners that does not stimulate hypertrophy; this is, after all, why you lift.

Seb Coe's weight training involved, among other things, moderately heavy loads in basic exercises. Seb Coe was "small and lean" because he was an ectomorph who was training very hard outside of the weight room; his best season (1981), not surprisingly, occurred when he was at his "most-muscular".

Your best bet would be to train effectively in a few basic compound (multi-joint) exercises such as squats, presses, deadlifts, etc. while avoiding isolation exercises.

Estrogen, Soy, Long slow distance.

Spronter wrote:

Estrogen, Soy, Long slow distance.

Exactly, being a little girl and slogging.

Hypertrophy is the best kind of trophy for running middle distance. It increases your power to weight ratio and stamina.

Seb Coe wasn't small and lean, he was a midget. If he were 6 feet tall with the same proportions, he'd be pretty bulky. So would Nick Symmonds. That happens with little guys, they are more endomorphic because their height-to-width ratio is lower.

It's a mistake to consider weight a disadvantage, except maybe for the 1500. The great Juantorena was over 180 pounds. I'm sure bulky old Angelo Taylor weighs quite a bit too.

Man, I was a f***in' idiot back then. Thank God I finally realized that muscular hypertrophy was a good thing.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Hypertrophy is the best kind of trophy for running middle distance. It increases your power to weight ratio and stamina.

Seb Coe wasn't small and lean, he was a midget.

He was about 5'9", which is not particularly short.

Trust me. I used to have your same concern. But, if you are lifting like a middle distance guy should, and have decent mileage and do a long run and don't eat like shit. You will be fine. Do cross country next year.

lol lol lol lol wrote:

He was about 5'9", which is not particularly short.

It's little twerp midget size

6 foot 1 is tall.

Bad Wigins wrote:

6 foot 1 is tall.

I wouldn't call that tall. 6'3" and up is in the 5% percentile (where I am at) and that is tall.

6'1" is pretty average for guys.

actually 5'9" is average for guys

5'6 and below: actor in Peter Jackson movie

5'7 to 5-9 midget

5-10 to 5-11 nearly full growed

6-0 to 6-1 tall

6-2 to 6-4 gangly

6-5 to 6-8 basketball player

6-9 and above: another actor in Peter Jackson movie.

naturally 6-0 to 6-1 is the best.

coach wrote:

actually 5'9" is average for guys

5'9" is ridiculously short in today's world. I would say the average professional male (white collar) is 6'1".

I'm seeing more and more men 6'4" or taller. Even 6'0" guys are being left behind by the world.