How to Balance Running and Weightlifting
Photo by Alora Griffiths @aloragriffiths
When, How, and Why to Do Running and Weightlifting Workouts
By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach
I’ve been running for most of my life, and weightlifting was always a secondary workout to improve running. Then I became a personal trainer and learned more about all the benefits of weightlifting — from preventing muscle loss while aging to boosting metabolism and improving strength and speed. And through my own training, I experienced the transformative power of weightlifting — losing weight, running faster, and most importantly, getting strong and feeling more energized in daily life. But with limited time (and sometimes motivation), I know it is hard to figure out how to get in your running and weightlifting workouts, and when and how often to do weightlifting and running. We’ll look at the science behind weightlifting and running and offer tips for scheduling your workouts.
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Benefits of Running and Weightlifting
Strength training offers many benefits for runners — including improving running form and efficiency, boosting running speed, and helping prevent injuries. Whether you’re training for a 5K race or a marathon, resistance training can help you get stronger and become a better runner. Weightlifting improves your muscle strength and fatigue resistance, helping you to push through tough runs and races with greater speed and efficiency.
Regular resistance training improves your running performance, helping to increase your endurance, strength, and power when running. Research shows that strength training improves running economy - oxygen and energy use - by 2% to 8%, as well as time trial performance by 2% to 5%, which could shave a minute or two off your 10k race times.
Weight training also helps improve your stability and evens out muscle imbalances, reducing your risk of running injuries.
How to Do Weightlifting for Runners
Many runners are afraid of weightlifting because it looks intimidating, or they are afraid that muscle building will make them bulky or too fatigued for running and cardio exercises. The opposite is true, however, as weightlifting improves your muscle strength and power, so you will be less likely to get fatigued while running.
In the short term, yes, you do not want to do a heavy leg weight workout and then go for a hard run, but you can learn the best strategies to balance your running and weightlifting routine so that you reap the rewards of strength training while still allowing your body to recover between workouts.
In contrast with what most runners think, doing many reps of low weights is not as effective at helping improve running speed and performance as higher weight amounts and lower to medium reps. According to researchers at the Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University in Melbourne, middle and long-distance runners benefit the most from doing consistent weightlifting two to three times a week for six weeks or more to see maximum results in improved running speed and efficiency.
The researchers recommend weightlifting at 60% to 80% of one-repetition maximum or the heaviest weight that can be lifted with maximum effort in a single repetition, for three to six sets of 5 to 15 reps. I usually keep it simple and advise doing three sets of 10 reps for runners who are strength training, and we work on increasing weight amounts gradually.
Weightlifting Myths
Many runners worry that they will get bulky from weightlifting or that lifting weights is not specific enough for runners because it requires different movements. But the reality is that weightlifting will boost lean muscle and train neurons to fire more effectively, which translates to improved running efficiency, VO2 max, and higher speeds. Weightlifting helps condition the body to perform better when fatigued, which includes running fatigue.
And weightlifting does not make people bulky unless they are training at their maximum lifting capacity and eating a very specific, high-protein diet, and following a bodybuilding plan. If you are doing weightlifting workouts two to three times per week, you will in fact see a more toned and defined physique over time and will most likely lose fat, since weightlifting boosts metabolism and improves lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat.
Many runners are stuck in a fitness plateau and want to lose weight or “get fit.” The solution is to start doing weightlifting consistently and to improve eating habits.
Scheduling Your Running and Weightlifting Workouts
The tricky part of training is often in the details — should you weightlift before running or run and then lift weights? The key is to allow your body enough time to recover so you can perform well in your running workouts and weigh training workouts.
To balance running and weightlifting, generally, it’s best to do your runs at least 6 hours before your weightlifting workouts. And avoid scheduling a hard run the day after a hard weightlifting workout. For instance, if you are doing a run and weightlifting workout in a day, do your run in the morning and hit the weights in the evening. This allows your muscles time to recover from your run.
If you lift weights and then immediately run, you will feel a heaviness in your limbs, especially if you did a lower body workout with exercises like squats and deadlifts. If you have an easy run day planned, you may be able to get away with this, but do not do a high intensity run like a speed workout or long run after weightlifting.
Here is my recommendation for a sample training schedule with running and weightlifting workouts:
Monday: Easy Run
Tuesday: Morning - Speed Workout/Tempo Run, Evening - Weightlifting Upper Body + Core
Wednesday - Rest day
Thursday - Morning - Base Run, Evening - Weightlifting Lower Body
Friday - Afternoon/evening - Base Run
Saturday - Rest Day
Sunday - Morning - Base Run or Long Run, Evening - Weightlifting Full Body + Core
When you run in the morning and do weightlifting later in the day, give yourself at least 3 hours to recover from your run and if possible, at least 6 hours. If you have an easy run planned, you may be able to run and then do your strength training workout. For harder runs, though, give yourself a few hours for your major muscle groups to fully recover.
Base run days are done at a relaxed pace, one at which you could keep up a conversation. See our Base Run Tips for more on how to do base runs. Check out our speed workouts section for more sample speed workouts.
If you’re just beginning with a weightlifting workout at home, check out How to Set Up Your Home Gym for pointers on what you need to get started. And download our free Dumbbell Abs Workouts and Women’s Muscle Building Workout Program for strength training programs you can do at home.
Happy running and happy weightlifting, Wolf Pack, and stay strong!👊👟
Related Posts: Nutrition for Runners Guide, Running Speed Workouts for Every Race Distance, Runner’s Guide to Weight Loss, Running Essentials: The Base Run, How to Do Lunges for Runners
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.
