From the Brickyard | Subject: Can you, and should you, add in other physical activities?
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You’re a Musclebuilder, an athlete, living the lifestyle forging your physique.
But now you’re wondering…
“Can I add other physical activities without wrecking my gains?”
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Yes, but…it depends.
Let’s break it down.
1. The Musclebuilding Priority
You’re a Musclebuilder, and musclebuilding needs to remain the centerpiece of your training week. Everything else—whether it’s sports, hiking, martial arts, or endurance work—has to orbit around your recovery and progress in the gym.
Your body only has so much recovery bandwidth. Muscle doesn’t grow in the gym—it grows between sessions. If you burn the candle at both ends, you’ll stall progress, or worse, slide backwards.
2. Avoiding Overtraining
The #1 trap when adding more activity? Overtraining.
Symptoms of doing too much too soon:
- Sore all the time
- Sleep disruption
- Strength plateauing (or dropping)
- Mood swings, irritability
- Lingering fatigue that doesn’t fade with rest
Don’t gas out your central nervous system or fry your joints. If you’re adding something new, start small and monitor your recovery like a hawk.
3. Match the Right Activities to Your Goals
Not all movement clashes with musclebuilding.
- Walking/hiking? Awesome. Low-stress, restorative, fat-burning.
- Mobility work? Do it. Keeps you limber and injury-resistant.
- Sports or martial arts? Great for mental sharpness and fun—but intensity matters. Combat sports with intense conditioning (boxing, Jiu Jitsu, etc.) might clash.
- Endurance training (e.g., long-distance running)? Now you’re walking the tightrope. It can be done, but don’t expect to hit PRs in both worlds. Pick your primary goal. Musclebuilding and marathon prep rarely make great bedfellows.
4. Time Management Is King
Let’s be real—adding more physical activity takes time. You’re not a professional athlete with hours to burn. Most guys are juggling jobs, families, and responsibilities.
That’s why stacking too much on your plate without intention leads to burnout.
Build your week with purpose:
- Musclebuilding training: 4–6x/week
- Optional activities: 1–2x/week (light to moderate intensity)
- At least 1 full rest day
- Daily movement (walking/stretching) as a baseline
5. Recovery Isn’t Optional
When you add more to your workload, you’ve got to level up your recovery game.
- Sleep: 7–9 hours minimum
- Protein: 0.8–1g per pound of bodyweight
- Utilize massage (or foam rolling) and hot and cold therapy.
- Hydration: Water like you’re a thirsty-ass oak tree
- Stress management: Nature, breathing, solitude—whatever chills you out
- Deload weeks when needed
Muscle is earned and protected through rest.
Final Word
You can add other physical activities to musclebuilding—but do it strategically.
Musclebuilding is a long game. You’re not just building a body—you’re building a lifestyle. Something sustainable. Something strong.
Lift. Move. Rest.
You’re not just training to look good, no, you’re training to become a force.
Brick by brick.
-Brickwall