How to Combine Running and Strength Training to Get the Best Results
When I talk to runners about the importance of runner-specific strength training, one of the first questions is, "How do I fit it all in my training schedule?" After all, with running all those miles, a family, a career, responsibilities, you might not even have time left over to have a life. There's not a whole lot of extra time for strength training.
How do you combine strength training with your running schedule to see the best results?
Runners who strength train are stronger, faster, and more injury-resistant.
Runner-Specific Strength
Before I talk to you about how to fit in strength training into your program, it's important that if your goal is to improve running and reduce injury-risk that you're performing the types of exercises that will help you reach your goals. Not all programming is created equal. A body builder's routine isn't going to give you the performance results you desire. You want to get the best bang for your buck out of strength training, and not waste your time on programming that won’t help your running.
What types of exercises improve running performance and help prevent injuries?
Full-body, multi-joint exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, overhead press, and rows
Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, jump squats
Core exercises such as planks, side planks, dead bugs, bird dogs
Single-leg exercises such as lunges, single-leg deadlift, single-leg bridge, step-ups
Lateral exercises such as side squats, side lunges, side steps, lateral step-ups, curtsy squats, and ski-jumps.
Rotation exercises like lift and chop
Making the time in your schedule for strength training is the best action you can take to improve run performance and help prevent injuries. There is no downside to getting stronger for any athlete. If your programming supports building strength, the benefits include faster running times, improved endurance with good form, and reduced injury risk.
How to fit in Strength Training to Your Running Training Plan
There are a few different ways to plan your running and strength training schedule, depending on your goals, experience, schedule, and priorities.
Plan Strength Training According to Experience Level
If you are currently not doing any strength training, there is no downside to starting small. If you are committed to adding strength training into your routine long term, the best action you can take is easing into it. If you start by doing too much too soon, you'll be sore, frustrated, and probably thrown off your running routine. You have the rest of your life to improve, so starting small, learning the moves, and slowly progressing is the best strategy.
It's important to note that a little soreness is normal after doing new exercises, but extreme soreness is a sure sign that you overdid it. Getting sore should never be the goal of a strength program. It will almost surely be a side-effect at first, but it's not something we aim for or expect after the first couple of new workouts.
For runners new to strength training, I recommend incorporating some runner-specific strength exercises as a warm-up before you run. I have a free five strength-training for runners program that will you get you started on your journey. In this free training, I teach you the types of exercises that are most beneficial to running performance and injury prevention and how to fit them in your running schedule.
Try my free challenge to get started!
In this free program, exercises are done in a circuit fashion, one after another, with little to no rest between moves. You will rest up to a minute, then repeat depending on your running schedule for the day. For example, if you have a longer run on the plan, do the exercises for one or two rounds. If it is a short, easier-effort run, do the exercises up to four times before running.
Again, if you are new to strength training, doing the exercises one time through or maybe twice is all you need to start. You can always add more rounds, more reps, or more weight over time as you get stronger.
As you get more experienced, split it up by time within an hour. If running for 45 minutes, plan on 15 minutes of strength training first. You could split it up by two thirty-minute sessions, or even a longer strength session, combined with a shorter run. I usually don't recommend exercises for much longer than an hour in a single day; generally, never go over an hour and a half. More is not always better and may increase injury-risk if you're overdoing it.
Do the strength exercises on your running days, and allow full recovery on your rest days. It's essential to consider recovery in your running and strength training plan. If you aren't recovering from your workouts, you won't improve. You get stronger, faster, and build endurance in the rest periods after the workout, not during the exercise session. If you add your strength training days on your usual rest days from running, you may be sacrificing the results you desire. You don't improve without adequate recovery.
Example Running and Strength Training Schedule
It doesn't matter if you do the strength exercises and running back to back or if you break it up throughout the day if you don't have a full hour available to train.
Plan Your Strength Training According To Your goals
If your run training volume is higher, such as during marathon training, it’s important to adjust your training to match your goals. When your running volume is high, you may need to lower the intensity (weight) and frequency of your strength training to make sure you are recovering fully.
When you have training runs on your schedule for more than an hour, it's better to do strengthening exercises on a separate day, with at least one or two full rest days from running and strength training, and more if you need it.
During marathon training, fill in your running miles first because they are the priority. Your strength training moves into maintenance mode and can be two 30 minutes full body strength days on easy-effort running days. While I always recommend weights heavy enough to elicit change, usually between the five and twelve rep range, it's usually best to save the max-effort strength training for the offseason.
Example Marathon Training and Strength Training Schedule
During the time of year that you are not training for a specific race, it's a good time to decrease the running intensity and volume and increase the weight training intensity and volume. Lifting heavier weights with low reps during the running off-season can improve top-end strength. This block in your training schedule is a great time to work towards max strength. Getting stronger will benefit your running performance when you cycle back to a race training phase. When working on increasing strength, it's best to minimize running. I like to do this during summer months when the outside running temperatures are hot, and the gyms are air-conditioned.
Example Running Off-Season Strength Training Schedule
You can train to run long distances or top-end speed and lift heavy weights, but you'll get the best results if you train in blocks for each goal. Spend a few months training for an endurance race or speed while keeping strength training in maintenance, and then spend a few months training for maximum strength while minimizing running.
You will keep all three disciplines in your schedule but choose one focus. Focused training on each goal will give you better results over time than trying to do everything at once. You can do all three, with decent results, but if you break it up into training blocks, you can get outstanding results on each goal separately.
What should I do first, running, or strength training?
How To Avoid Over Training When Running and Strength Training
Avoid overtraining by prioritizing rest and recovery which includes adequate nutrition, quality sleep, rest days from exercise, and managing life stress. If your body is dealing with high stress from life circumstances, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, and intense training, you won't be able to recover from exercise, which will inhibit results or lead to injury.
While it's admirable to work hard towards your goals, it's imperative that you learn to tune into the feedback that your body provides and adjust your training accordingly. Heavy legs, achy joints, dependence on caffeine for energy, getting sick more often, having trouble sleeping despite feeling exhausted, and increased resting heart-rate are some of the clues that your body may need more rest and recovery. Listen to your body, be consistent with training towards your goals while being flexible in your approach.
A training plan is only effective if you follow it. However, for injury-prevention, you have to find the balance between structure and flexibility. Don't stick to a training plan so rigidly that you ignore the feedback your body provides; you must have some flexibility in your plan. However, your plan can't be so flexible that you regularly miss workouts and aren't consistently moving forward.
It's about striking a balance between running, strength training, and recovery. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to strength training and running; your programming depends on your age, experience, genetics, lifestyle, preferences, work ethic, priorities, and goals. I recommend experimenting with your own training by slowly incorporating strength exercises according to your goals, keeping track of your nutrition, sleep habits, and your body's response, and adjust accordingly. We can do it all, but not all at once! We can have the best of both worlds: Lift heavy, run far.
Questions? I’d love to help!
Lea
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