Even an Olympic Marathoner Made This Mistake

ByDave

One of the biggest myths I hear is that gaining muscle will make you slow.

And like every myth,

There’s a grain of truth that gets distorted into lore.

Yes, if you suddenly pack on 20 pounds of lean muscle mass,

Your run times will suffer.

Every extra pound of bodyweight usually adds a few seconds per mile.

That is real.

But as a natural athlete training for selection,

  1. Rapid muscle gain will not happen
  2. You’re not at risk of building “non-functional” muscle

With proper training, increased muscle mass has synergistic effects on endurance.

Here’s how:

1. Improved Power to Weight Ratio

How fast you run is a direct result of how much force you can generate. It is why former Olympic Marathoner Ryan Hall is such a proponent of strength.

The stronger you are, the more force you generate into the ground. That translates to faster sprints, harder rucks, and more explosive movements. Strength training and building muscle mass will make your existing musculature more efficient.

199 - Running, overcoming challenges, and finding success | Ryan Hall

Listen to Ryan Hall @ 2:24:

2. Greater Resistance to Injury

Muscle also protects you from injury. Just imagine being 5’9 and 140lbs at selection. Imagine having a 70lb ruck on you and carrying the same weights as the 180lb guys by your side.

Entering selection with low levels of muscle mass puts you at greater risk of injury.

But, if that guy who is 5’9 and 140lbs, slowly puts on 10-20 lbs of lean muscle, that weight becomes like body armor. A stronger back and legs will enable his ruck feel lighter, stronger shoulders make overhead carries easier and easier, and his body will be overall more resilient and durable.

3. Muscle Mass Is a Slow Adaptation

As I alluded to earlier, you don’t have to worry about getting too big. At the fastest, you may gain a couple pounds of muscle mass per month. And most lifters will gain 15lbs in their first year of training.

As long as your strength and endurance training are tailored to the selection, the muscle you gain will be targeted towards selection.

Hope you found this helpful! Keep training hard

P.S. do not use this as an excuse to dirty bulk. We want lean gains!

I'm a coach with a passion for helping athletes dominate the toughest selection courses in the world. Over the years, I've trained well over 100 athletes for Special Operations selection courses, including SFAS, RASP, Air Force A&S, BORTAC, SWAT, and MARSOC A&S. My mission is to bridge the gap between traditional performance training and the unique demands of tactical and military athletes.

I got my start coaching hybrid athletes, blending strength, endurance, and hypertrophy training to achieve peak performance. As I worked with more tactical and military athletes, I realized there was a need for a specialized approach tailored to the grueling physical and mental challenges of SOF selections. This realization drove me to focus on prepping SOF candidates for success, combining cutting-edge research, proven training methodologies, and real-world experience.

Whether you're preparing for selection, seeking to level up your fitness, or simply curious about what it takes to thrive in these elite environments, I hope you'll find the information I share helpful.