Get Bigger Muscles by…Walking??
Yes you read the title right, I am going to tell you how to get bigger muscles by … (drum roll please) walking! Heck I am going to tell you how to get a ripped body and six pack abs by…not some magic supplement (that only costs $69.95)…or some mysterious just found “miracle berry” from central South America…but by something that is free and you can do every day…walking. Read below and you will see what I mean.
Oh and to all the ladies out there, don’t skip over this article…as these rules apply to you also for getting that sleek “toned” look you are going for (don’t worry about “bulking up”, it won’t happen)
The Secret To Get Bigger Muscles
I had a client I was consulting with recently who wanted to gain some more lean muscle (Yes I know all muscle is “lean”…but many “claim” to put on muscle, when it’s really more fat and water retention).
He worked out long and hard several times a week, did intervals after the workout and also other activity on the side trying to stay “fit”. But he wasn’t making any progress in putting on real muscle and leaning out at the same time.
I told him that the problem was “him”. He was getting in the way of “allowing” his body to build muscle and burn fat by not following the basic rules:
- Muscle Builds When You are NOT working out
- Workouts Break Down Muscle but Recovery Builds Them
- Hormones are Vital to Whether You Build (or Lose) Muscle
- Your Workouts and Recovery Should be Geared for Hormonal Responses
So instead of only trying to force down 5000 calories a day trying to gain muscle (and most people usually just end up fat and bulky looking), why not just do the simple things right in the first place?
Workout For The Right Reasons
We go workout to “hopefully” challenge our muscles to grow bigger. This involves enough stimulation through resistance/volume to signal muscle growth by the body. Included will be the signal of muscle building hormones such as Testosterone. We can also signal GH which is key in helping us recover and burn fat.
What happens when we overtrain? Well how about our Testosterone and GH levels can drop. How are we supposed to build muscle if those are in the gutter? Hit the weights some more? I think not.
"Stimulate and Don't Annihilate"...solid advice
As seen in this past article, the study done on people using Testosterone and not working out, vs people working out and not using Testosterone…ended up with the people using Test with no workouts gaining MORE muscle than those just working out! So hormones make the difference!
Workouts should be geared to have enough stimulus for hormonal muscle growth, without going overboard and suppressing them. As said once by (edit) Lee Haney, “Stimulate and don’t annihilate” when you go workout. Seems like good advice to me.
You Build (Or Not) Muscle 24/7
So we have gone to the gym to use some weights, stimulated our muscles and now what? Well as soon as you leave the gym you are now in “recovery” mode. This is where the real magic happens for building muscle (or is supposed to).
What you do for the rest of the day, night and into tomorrow…will determine if you are really going to build muscle. Simple enough right?
So why do so many people go back to the gym, workout the same muscles, go do some other intense cardio workout all in the name of being “fit”? More is not better in this case and is probably the reason that so many fail to see any real results year after year.
My advice to any average client that comes to me wanting more muscle is usually these simple recommendations (because I know what 95%+ of people’s problem is)
- Eat enough foods (without going extreme to make you fat in the process)
- Lift only 3x a week (45min max)
- Buy an XBox, Relax, Sleep and Walk as your fastest Speed
Anything else is NOT allowed. Unless you are some professional athlete who needs to train or go to practice, stop doing the same things over and over again when they were not getting any results in the first place! Your idea of being “fit” is probably making you worse off.
Continuing down that same road is just what we call “insanity”…doing the same things and expecting different results.
Post Workout “Intense Cardio” May Be Killing Your Gains
The biggest mistake I see with anyone is the inability to “stop” doing more and more fitness. Cardio/jogging junkies, gym addicts and the likes. This is also the case with the cardio after a workout.
We have all seen the studies about intervals and how they increase fat burning (or really how they increase the “fat releasing” hormones such as GH). But slapping on a 30min interval session after 30-40 minutes of intense lifting is not going to work out.
That additional cardio is not going to give you a bigger GH boost (more than what you already got from in the initial workout if intense enough) and will just suppress Testosterone levels from the workout (who needs those to build muscle right? Ummm…You do!).
If you workout the “right” way in the first place…you will get enough GH and Test from the workout. With an elevated GH you now have your “fat releasing” hormones telling the fat cells to empty out. So you don’t need more sprints…you just need a slow and steady pace to burn a bit of extra fat (without compromising your Test or muscle building).
Keep Cortisol In Check
Cortisol…we all know this hormone. Many call it a “stress” hormone but it is really a blood sugar hormone at heart. It readies your body for “fight or flight” by accessing more glucose from your liver and other sources…like breaking down muscle for amino acids.
Which has more muscle mass and looks more ripped...a sprinter or distance runner?
This is not something we want elevated after a workout in which we have already broken down muscle and want to go into “repair mode”. So doing some intense cardio that the body will see as a stress and need for more blood sugar, is not a smart idea.
Compiling workouts and intense cardio back to back will only elevate your cortisol levels and lead to no real muscle gains in the long run.
Most that have a high cortisol lifestyle also tend to lose muscle, gain fat (skinny fat look), look more bloated (lack of definition) and have more fat in the stubborn areas such as the stomach and hips. I see this problem with many cardio/jogger addicts.
Compare that to sprinters who workout by doing intense sprints (short…like 60-100meters) with plenty of rest in between and lots of walking around (or other short sprint athletes like pole vaulters as seen up top). They don’t jog. They do short explosions to boost the right hormones and then don’t compromise them with additional stress. This is why when you look at most they are ripped and have more muscle than say your average distance runner.
Blow Out Your Adrenals And You Are Done!
Most people don’t realize the importance of the adrenal glands until they are fatigued and things start going wrong. The adrenals are where you produce cortisol. While cortisol is a natural hormone (as you need it to get your butt awake in the morning), it can also be abused. When cortisol is released too much and too often (excess stress such as intense exercise, mental stress, caffeine), you are going to start wearing out your adrenals.
Adrenals are also responsible for producing DHEA, a precursor to testosterone (and estrogen). So while you are running around at full tilt all the time, you are killing the organ that will help you build muscle.
Signs Of Adrenal Fatigue
Here are some warning signs that you may be on the road to bigger issues. Adrenal fatigue is just the first bad step…it can be turned around, or you can keep going down that road to full adrenal exhaustion…your choice.
- excessive fatigue and exhaustion
- non-refreshing sleep (you get sufficient hours of sleep, but wake fatigued)
- overwhelmed by or unable to cope with stressors
- feeling rundown or overwhelmed
- craving salty and sweet foods
- you feel most energetic in the evening
- a feeling of not being restored after a full night’s sleep or having sleep disturbances
- low stamina, slow to recover from exercise
- slow to recover from injury, illness or stress
- difficulty concentrating, brain fog
- poor digestion
- low immune function
- food or environmental allergies
- premenstrual syndrome or difficulties that develop during menopause
- consistent low blood pressure
- extreme sensitivity to cold
If any of this sounds familiar above…then it may be time to rethink your lifestyle approach to trying to be “fit”.
Slow And Steady Wins The Race…
Going “balls to the wall” will leave you burned out, overtrained, injured and probably gaining more fat if you give up altogether.
If you want success in the long run whether it be with gaining muscle or losing weight (or both at the same time) you need to take it slow and steady. This means smart workouts, plenty of recovery, proper eating, plenty of rest and a lifestyle activity level that won’t overstress your body.
This biggest mistake people make nowadays is doing too much. More is not going to be better, especially if you are doing it with too much intensity and too often. Your body just doesn’t work that way and your hormones won’t respond optimally.
So while you can still go for an occasional run or bike ride, go play some sports…in general, along with lifting/resistance training, the smartest thing you can do…is alot of walking. Not only will this keep your stress hormones down from exercise, but also from a mental level as well.
Nothing calms the soul like a slow walk outside in nature (leave the Ipod at home, unless you want to listen to some relaxing music). Walking will help the body heal, recover from exercise, burn extra fat (with elevated GH levels from working out), keep inflammation under control and lead to a long and healthy life.
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32 Reader Comments
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This is a very timely article for me! Lately I feel like I might have some adrenal fatigue… This week I had a cyclo-cross race on Sunday, Crossfit workouts Monday-Thursday, then Saturday is Fight Gone Bad IV (a crossfit sponsored event). This morning I woke up with what feels like a hangover, although I had no drinks and went to bed early. Maybe I’ll take the dog for a good long walk instead of Crossfit tonight.
Do you think that intense exercise in short bursts (like 30 minute bike race, or doing 60×225 deadlifts in 2 minutes), would fatigue the adrenals? Or is it more the chronic cardio, and long drawn workouts?
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Mike;
Spot on. While I’m training for 5K’s and working in some Kettlebell WODS, most important time for me is some easy down time done often.
Ballroom dancing is a hoot and I get in both mental and physical workouts.
Thanks for the good article.
Jay
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“solid advice from a guy with plenty of muscle.”
It should be pointed out that Ronnie Coleman (and his peers) uses certain substances that account for the bulk of his muscle. His “solid advice” isn’t the primary causal factor for his bigger muscles. The pills and syringes have done the work here. Let’s not degenerate into a glossy, Weider-like, misleading muscle rag.
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Good article.
Just to clarify, are you against sprints or intervals on off days?
Like lifting M-W-F then no sprints/intervals on T-TH?
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@Mike – Fatigue and recovery are going to be individualistic. As a 21 yr old is going to be able to recover much better/faster than a 40yr old (just how life is). That and it depends on how fatigued/overtrained you are now…..as the more damage you have, the slower you are to recover. Strength is a strain on the CNS, adrenals are hooked into that….so hence when you are fatigued your strength will suffer as well. You have to find the right balance….for me that is lifting heavy 3x a week (30-40min) with occasional sprints and other things. Doing a high intensity workout daily is just going to fry me and then have me doing nothing down the road.
@Jay – So true, especially when you find something you enjoy and can relax with. Didn’t peg your for a ballroom dancer, Good stuff!
@Dave – Yes we all know most pro BB (bodybuilders) use Test and other “helpers” (I would be a naive SOB to think otherwise….plus I know many people in that industry and could tell you about all the drugs including diuretics and Prozac that are used). But…even still with Test you would think the best way would be to workout more? Not so fast…even with hormonal treatments you want to not reach a point of “annihilation” and compromise recovery. It still takes smart training to put on that much mass and definition even with that extra “help”, otherwise every knucklehead in highschool taking Test would look like him. All in all…I liked the quote, and it seemed to fit in nicely with the point being made…but no worry about this place turning into a Flex magazine site, as that is probably the only mainstream BB reference you will find on here.
@AJP – Like I mentioned above….some people can recover quicker than others. If your lifting sessions are intense enough and trying to promote GH response, then I would cut out the sprints or just have them 1x a week max. Of course if you are 18 you probably can get away with it….but if you keep that up forever my guess is eventually you will hit the burnout wall. That’s not to say short cycles of more intensity can’t work (as long as you have off weeks to recover)….but for me (and my clients) I promote and live the slow and steady route….as I did enough damage in my younger “indestructible” days to know better now. That and consistency over longer periods of time has given me (and clients) better results than any overdone quicker route (which leads to burnout and a hault to all training).
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Mike,
Great article. Just a brief correction, I believe Lee Haney is famed for saying “Stimulate, don’t annihilate” not Ronnie Coleman.
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Mike OD Reply:
@Omar – Could be…as I am not one who follows the BB based sites anymore. But if that is the case….bodybuilding.com needs to change it up as well: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/danp4.htm. Either way….who ever said it…or if both said it…..still a great quote.
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Solid advice although I don’t particularly subscribe to the suggestion of sitting in front of the tube and playing video games. But I understand the point, just relax. It’s probably the toughest concept for people just starting out. The old “more is better” mentality is hard to break!
Mike
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Your suggestion to refrain from intense cardio following a strength workout contradicts Alwyn Cosgrove’s advice to only do it following a strength workout… now I’m confused.
In Lou Schuler’s and Alwyn Cosgrove’s New Rules of Lifting, it is indicated that if individuals strength train e.g. every other day and do their cardio/edurance/etc training on their non-strength days, the body will have to choose, so to speak, between building muscle and building endurance… and it will most likely choose endurance.
The fix, they say, is to do your cardio immediately following your strength session. I don’t have the text at hand to get the specifics, but they say that evidence shows that following that method, strength gains are not compromised.
FYI Alwyn’s post-stregth cardio suggestions consist of HIIT sessions of increasing intensities from week to week.
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I’ve done it both ways but for me there is no question that when doing (intense) cardio, before working out does the trick. I can no longer even imagine intense cardio after a workout. And on my off days I just wanna have fun.
Michael
Nutrition and Physical Regeneration
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I’m with ya every step of the way, (speaking of walking), LOL. Back in the day I was instructed by a wise man that told me my workouts should never be more then 35 sets or 1 hour, whatever comes first. When you only have 1 hour to knock it out, so to speak, I can make it very intense. Then I eat and eat some more. As far as weight control goes, I don’t eat if I’m not hungry and I avoid empty calories.
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Great post!
“This biggest mistake people make nowadays is doing too much.”
As a physical therapist, working with lots of people who are not really athletes, this is also true.
At the end of the working day (or should we call it sitting day?) day feel a need for physical activity. But they also need rest and recuperation.
Here in Belgium, people now really start understanding and implementing the need for physical activity, but they forget the need for rest and recuperation. So they go to the gym and ‘do cardio’ 3 to 4 times a week, with very little result if you consider health.
Of course they feel good just after the ‘cardio’, but on the longer term they feel their energy levels drop, get stressed about getting to the gym, …
I totally agree with this post that the answer to the apparent paradoxical need is doing few, brief high intensity workouts, and doing lots of easy physical activities (such as walking).
And I really like the way you chose the title: attracts attention AND really true. Thanks for this post
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Looking at that comparison picture between a marathoner and a sprinter, I wonder if the sprinter’s upper body muscle also comes mostly from his sprint training. If so, how often does a sprinter usually train?
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With regards to the cardio portion of the article:
1. Do you have any sources for your claims?
2. The picture contrasting the jogger and the sprinter say nothing about their resistance training habits, their diets, and it neglects genetic muscle build.
3. Can you offer a time-frame after a resistance training session to do cardio? What’s about weight-lifting “off days”? In one part of the article it says to “get an XBox” implying that you need little cardio intensity and elsewhere it implies intense cardio like running and biking. can you elaborate more on this? It seems a little clumsy in how its written, no offense.
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Solid article Mike. I agree that the big benefit from walking is not the muscles used, but the almost therapeutic effect. It’s such a great way to counter the cortisol that’s released when we work out (or after a day in the office). It also encourages healthy conversation with your wife/partner which makes it a double wammy in my books!
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Hi Mike,
if you can, Id ove to hear your advise on this.
Im a female,25 years, 5,7 tall, 177lbs ( I know…). Im eating low carb – paleo way for a few days now, and I think I got the basics down when it comes to nutrition (just the basics!
) because Ive been reading about it for quite some time before I started.
My aim is obviously fat loss. How do I go about it with exercising? Starting next week I have an access to gym so I thought Id join for 2-3 sessions a week. But should I just start with lifting and strenght training? Ive never done that.
Or do you think I should wait until I slim down a bit and start exercising after?
Because I dont want to build muscles under a layer of fat – that way I would end up looking even bigger than now. I want to just look lean, not very muscely.
Also one question re IF – the point is to keep intermittent, right? Say, I keep regular windows of eating and fasting (e.g. to fit my university schedule) after how long the body adapts? Because at some point it stops being intermittent and becomes like any other normal regime. Is it weeks or months?
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[...] read an interesting article in Fitness Spotlight about walking being one of the best ways to get fit. As for building lean muscle mass probably the [...]
@ Dan – In a sense, yes you don’t want to be doing intense activity every day if your goal is to gain muscle (hence why the article is focused on walking instead). If you want to add in some short intervals (like a few…not another 20min of them) after a workout it won’t do much harm. Although if you are already doing an intense workout in the first place, the need for more intensity when you are done is minimal. You’ll find recovery is individualistic also….and the most important factor is knowing when you are doing too much and backing off.
@ Evan – I am sure the sprinters with the “bigger” upper bodies also throw in some weight training on occasion, but even the leaner sprinters still have good upper body muscles and definition.
@ Tim – 1) What claims are you wanting verified? That people burn out their adrenals? That people don’t gain muscle because they are running around trying to be “fit” too much? I use the years of experience out there training clients, seeing results and watching all the others doing more harm than good in the gym as most of my sources. 2) Yes of course there are other variables, but it does illustrate the point that excess cardio is not going to be an optimal signal to the body to “build” or even “keep” (in some cases) muscle. 3) My “Xbox” line is a fun way for people to know I could care less about their “cardio” when muscle gaining is their only goal. If people want to do “cardio”, there is nothing wrong with doing it after a workout…but I would still say slow and steady (aka walking) is the best way to go. Some may be able to do a few sprints, but we are talking about a “few”…not 20-30 min worth of them. Off days should be slow recovery as well (hiking, walking, enjoybale bike riding), as muscle builds outside the gym….so hence the XBox comes in handy from keep people just going to go back to the gym because they are bored. People can have a slow and steady active lifestyle, without needing to do sprints and going balls to the wall all the time. No offense taken, me always very better at Matth than English anywayz.
@ Elliot – Great point on how walking can help us all on a interpersonal relationship level. Sometimes we just need that quiet slow pace to get focus on the important things in life again.
@ Dana – Exercise is always important, as your muscle obeys the simple rule “use it or lose it”. Seeing how muscle is where you burn your fat too, it makes sense you want to keep around (and increase) the fat burning factories you have available to you. Don’t worry about the “bulking up” part….as once you lose the fat, muscle is much much smaller. For example…if you gained 5lbs of muscle and dropped 5lbs of fat, the scale wouldn’t move but you’d definitely feel how looser your clothes/jeans were fitting. Overtraining can also cause increase in water retention, so that is not a goal. If you want some simple bodyweight routines you can get them here (they are free) http://www.bodyfitburn.com
Re: IF – if you do the same thing daily then yes is it a routine condensed eating window. So change things up…IF longer on non workout days, less on workout days, take weekend off altogether. Just keep the total calories under control and weight loss happens. The body likes challenges and changes.
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So Mike, would you advise against riding my bike home (2-3 miles @10-15 mph) after workouts?
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Mike OD Reply:
Hortense – You’ll be fine, just enjoy your ride and make it a relaxing one.
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Cycling can be quite a relaxing exercise – it just depends how fit you are and how strenuous you’re making it for yourself.
Are you riding home because you enjoy it, or because you’re wanting to get some cardio in? If it’s an enjoyable ride, then don’t let optimum fitness stand in the way. Life is meant to be lived to the full, not restricted because of the right cardiovascular balance!
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Blog is colorful and even interesting too. Links are helpful and interesting.
Great to go through this blog.
Everything is truly said and impressive.
Thanks for this informative blog.
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Cycling can be quite a relaxing exercise – it just depends how fit you are and how strenuous you’re making it for yourself.
Are you riding home because you enjoy it, or because you’re wanting to get some cardio in? If it’s an enjoyable ride, then don’t let optimum fitness stand in the way. Life is meant to be lived to the full, not restricted because of the right cardiovascular balance!
I agree with this 100%. Sometimes we adopt workout goals as if our livelihood depended on it, and a slight deviation will cause all hell to break out. Being fit for life is not the same as being fit for a contest of some sort. If the bike riding is enjoyable and fun, go for it! Enjoyment in activity and eating can enhance both even if some “optimal” competitive doesn’t apply to you goal is not being met.
Michael
Nutrition and Physical Regeneration
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Thanks for the responses. I commute to work by bike when the weather allows it. I enjoy biking but I also enjoy walking. I could walk home instead of ride my bike, so I was just wondering whether I was reducing the effectiveness of my workout by biking.
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Mike OD Reply:
@Hort – Don’t give up the bike to walk home (unless it’s something you really want to do). The biking for 15min will be fine as there is much more to the recovery aspect too (like keeping it slow and steady on the non-working out days as well).
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I wish people would stop posting pictures of sprinters with comments about how sprinting is what made them buff and ripped.
Most of these guys spend more hours in the gym, doing serious weight lifting, than they do on the track. And many of them are doing exercises that, as far as studies can determine, have nothing to do with running faster (e.g. bench press, shoulder press, curls), but everything to do with getting the bodies they have.
Certainly, sprinting workouts stimulate GH which, depending on your genetics, can make you bigger, top to bottom… but if you want to look like a sprinter, you need to do EVERYTHING sprinters do, not just run.
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Mike OD Reply:
@Steven – You can rest easy, as the article is not saying “workout like a sprinter to get big muscles” (since walking is in the title too). We know that most also add in resistance training as that usually goes hand in hand with athletes training for power. The point is excessive/chronic higher HR “cardio” will not be an “optimal” environment for building muscle outside the gym, especially for those who are having problems gaining muscle right now (time to re-evaluate what kind of training they are doing). Nutrition also plays a huge role, but the focus here was just on training.
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ARRGH! I want the muscle mass – but I am doing intervals after weight training. I am pregnant so my routine is probably pretty low key for most of y’all. I’ll have to re-evaluate.
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[...] other reading for the week: Going Overhead Are you stretching? Get Bigger Muscles By Walking Are you resting enough? Interview with the Paleo Cookbook Author A Round Up of Cool Links From [...]
You got me with that headline there lol!
Cheers,
Yavor
p.s. could you guys put a twitter button so we can share posts on twitter?
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Who does 30 minutes of interval training anyway…? Let alone after a strength workout? Is that even possible?
I do 10 minutes of high intensity work after a strength session and have seen no adverse effects.
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Very interesting. Unfortunately for me i have a fast metabolism and walking as a workout will not help.
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What about Jack Lalanne?
He goes full pelt for 2 hours every morning, 95 years old, fit and healthy.
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Man I have read so many articles recently that contradict the cardio-craze that has been standard for years! I don’t know what to do any more!
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Mike OD Reply:
@Josh – All depends on your goals. If you want to lose weight….then I would suggest 3x a week some sort of GH producing workout that can either be a full body circuit with weights (reps @10) or some interval training….if you want muscle then I suggest heavier weights and less cardio. Alot also has to do with what you eat (whether you are storing or burning fat). Many people can lose weight just eating right and walking….but for muscle, it’s always a good strategy to keep your stress on your body low…so it has time and resources to build the muscle.
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There are two types of muscle fiber in your body: slow-twitch, and fast-twitch. Slow-twitch fiber is designed for sustained activity, such as riding a bicycle, jogging, dance classes…and of course, walking. If we are currently spending 30 minutes on a treadmill several times a week, at 3 mph and a 5 percent incline. Be daring and increase the speed to 4 mph. thanks mike for the useful blog and I am looking forward to the blog.
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[...] One of my favorite activities nowadays is just walking (outside, inside, anywhere) as I covered the benefits to it in a previous article on how to get bigger muscles by walking. [...]