Most runners know the benefits of strength training ... but actually picking up the weights is a different story. While strength workouts can improve your running economy, build force behind your stride for faster speeds, and help you fight off fatigue late in a race, the fear of it interfering with your miles is real.
Research does indicate that certain types of resistance training can take longer to recover from than running (especially easy days). But that doesn’t mean you should ditch the weights—you just need the right schedule to balance both your weighted workouts and your running so you maximize your aerobic capacity right along with your strength and power.
The good news: You don’t need a ton of strength training to see the benefits. “When it comes to number of strength sessions per week, two is the golden rule,” says Matt Jones, personal trainer, running coach, and founder of Run Strong Academy based in Cardiff, South Wales. “That might be two or three as you base build or cut down to one a week closer to races—but two per week is kind of a sweet spot to aim for.”
Within that general rule, there’s a lot of variation. Depending on the time of year, your running mileage, and whether you have a race coming up, you’ll want to adjust the kind of exercises you’re doing, amount of weight you’re lifting, and sets and reps you tackle with each session.
To make those adjustments and align your lifting with the rhythm of your running schedule, follow the five steps below. This will also allow you to build strength when it counts, sharpen power for race day, and stay healthy through every season.
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5 Steps to Maximizing Strength Gains Without Sacrificing Running Performance
1. Observe an Offseason
You don’t have to be an elite athlete to take some time off each year. After a big race, it makes sense to go easy for at least a month.
“An off-season doesn’t mean no running at all,” says Alex Armiento, certified personal trainer, avid runner, and club leader at Life Time Middletown–Red Bank in New Jersey. Instead, he says, dial back your mileage by 20 to 40 percent, lower your intensity, do few, if any, races, and feel free to do other forms of cardio (cycling, rowing, swimming) in lieu of some of your running.
While you’re running less in the offseason, think about devoting more energy to strength. “Some form of strength training should always be a part of a runner’s program, but the offseason is when it can be more of a priority, and strength adaptations actually occur,” says Armiento.
He advises three to four sessions per week, if possible, and Jones says lifting on non-running days is ideal for optimal gains in this phase of training. If you do have to lift and run on the same day, prioritize the strength workout by starting the day with that workout, then doing your run after work (or about six hours later).
2. Build a Good Strength Base
This time off from aggressive race training is a great opportunity to establish good movement patterns for your strength workouts. Focus on moving through a full range of motion and prioritizing core strength and bilateral compound moves (like squats, hinges, and push-pull exercises), says Armiento.
That said, because running is a single-leg movement, says Jones, you should gradually introduce unilateral exercise—and include some in every phase of your strength plan. He advises working in some lunges, step-ups, and single-leg deadlifts and glute bridges.
“This is your hypertrophy, or muscle-building, phase,” says Jones. During this chunk of about four weeks, he recommends focusing on a bit more volume and less load. Think three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps with 60 to 90 seconds of rest between sets. You don’t need to lift to failure here, he says; aim to finish at a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 6 to 7, with 10 being all-out effort.
Again, during this base phase, make strength workouts your priority, lifting on non-running days or starting with strength if you double up. Two to four days a week of lifting is a good goal.
3. Get Stronger by Lifting Heavier
After four weeks or so of hypertrophy training, focus the next chunk of your training on gaining strength. This means heavier weight and lower volume; go for about three to five sets of four to six reps, with two- to three-minute rest between sets, aiming for an RPE of 8 to 9 by the last rep. This is where you can aim to lift toward failure, meaning that last rep should feel very difficult (without form breaking).
“Typically, you’ve already got a movement foundation, so you’re moving more efficiently and want to start adding in power here,” says Jones.
But don’t think that you need to push the intensity to get your heart pumping during these strength workouts, he adds. Give yourself adequate breaks, which will keep your heart rate lower throughout the session.
Aim for about two to three strength sessions per week. By now, you’re probably race training consistently, so runs take more of a priority (do them first, wait several hours, then do your strength workout if combining on the same day). But don’t skip your strength work!
4. Add in Race-Specific Strength
When getting into race prep and as you get closer to peak week, in general, aim for two to three sets of 6 to 8 reps of moderate weight, says Armiento.
If you’re prepping for a half marathon (or around the halfway point of a marathon-training schedule), calf exercises are a great addition to your strength plan, Jones says, especially doing soleus exercises.
If you’re training for a full marathon, you should already be doing calf training, and then you can also add plyometric training, says Armiento.
During this time, Jones recommends plyo moves that are unilateral and recruit the same muscles you do during races—like A skips, explosive step-ups, and reverse lunges with an explosive knee drive.
Most runners should skip plyo moves during the offseason and base-building phase because you’re probably not technically ready for them. “The downside to plyometrics if you haven’t established a good base is that they’re quite technical exercises—they’re max effort—and you could risk injury,” says Jones. So ease into them!
Aim to get in plyometrics twice a week (the minimum you should be lifting). Many experts suggest doing them after a warmup and before lifting, so your legs are fresh, as they are more difficult and require power and strong form. You can also add plyometrics to your running warmup.
5. Toward Race Day, Reduce Strength Workouts
“As you get into your training block and the race gets closer, the volume for strength workouts reduces so you’re less fatigued,” says Jones, as a general rule for racers.
But don’t skip out on strength entirely. “Strength training is never optional even during times when it’s not your priority,” says Armiento. Just make sure that you’re not lifting too heavy right before a race.
During your taper, he says, aim for one to two sets of three to five reps, lifting light to moderate weights and focusing on quick movements. It’s okay to drop down to one day a week of strength training during the taper.
Trainer Tip: To keep your legs from feeling fried during long runs, threshold workouts, or interval sessions, keep your strength workouts (especially heavy lifting) at least 24 hours or even 48 hours from those quality sessions.
A Yearly Schedule of Strength and Running, Block by Block
The exact timing of how you break up your running and strength blocks throughout the year depends on when your goal races fall. Jones recommends adjusting your strength and running month by month following the guidelines below. Think about when your biggest races land on the calendar, then count back 16 weeks to know when the ideal time is to reset with a base-building strength phase.
After you’ve gone through the entire block, including at least a couple weeks of recovery, start the entire schedule over—beginning with the base/hypertrophy phase again.
If timing for your upcoming races or other goals means it doesn’t make sense to jump from your recovery weeks right back into week 1 of this block—say, if your next race is 25 weeks away instead of 16 or 18—it’s totally fine to take a couple weeks or a month away from this plan and simply run and lift however you want to.
In fact, says Jones, it can be a really good thing: “It’s important physically, but also mentally, to just give your brain a little bit of rest from it.”
Weeks 1–4: Base
Think of this first month as the start of a new training block, and your strength base build. Focus on hypertrophy (3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps) in your strength workouts, doing them three to four days a week. Keep running mileage moderate with mostly zone 2/easy runs.
Weeks 5–8: Strength
Move into strength building with heavier weights (3 to 5 sets of 4 to 6 reps). Increase running mileage and aim for two to three strength workouts a week. Get in at least one speed workout per week.
Weeks 9–12: Race-Specific
For running, you’ll be increasing mileage and fine-tuning speedwork. For strength, do 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps, and add in calf training and/or plyometrics, aiming for at least two sessions per week.
Weeks 13–16: Taper
Race month! Reduce strength sessions, doing 1 to 2 sets of 3 to 5 reps with race-specific moves like plyometrics. Don’t lift heavy during the taper, but light to moderate weight is okay. Reduce mileage during the taper, with the option to drop down to one strength session per week.
Weeks 17–18: Recover
Recovery time! Drop mileage as much as you need to, and focus on easy runs. Try to continue with at least one strength session a week, but take it easy.
