As a running coach, I always encourage runners to incorporate strength training into their training regimen. Whether they’re lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises, regular strength training can help runners avoid injuries, improve their performance, enhance their endurance, and even boost weight loss efforts, if that’s one of their goals.
Yet many runners find that they just don’t have time in their schedules to dedicate an entire training session to strength-training. Inevitably, common questions that often come up in regards to strength training are:
Can I run and strength train on the same day?
If I do run and lift weights on the same day, which should I do first?
Yes, it’s absolutely fine to strength-train on the same day that you run. Runners shouldn’t be doing any extreme strength-training workouts, so it’s not as if the combination of a run and some strengthening exercises is going to too hard on your body.
That being said, if you’re training for a long distance event such as a marathon, you should avoid doing a strength workout the day before and the day of your weekly long run.
So, Which Comes First?
The answer to the question, What should I do first – run or strength train? really depends on which activity is most important to you – that’s the one you should start with. As runners, our focus is to build and maintain our cardiovascular endurance, so we should run first.
One of the reasons runners should run first is that your run will be more effective when your energy supplies (available fuel) are highest. If you strength train first, you’ll deplete some of that energy, and you most likely won’t run as long or hard as you could if you ran before strength-training.
Also, if you lift weights or do strength training before running, your muscles will be fatigued, which could increase your injury risk. Another benefit is that you’ll burn more total calories than if you lifted first. That’s because most people will be able to run longer and at a higher intensity if they run first rather than getting fatigued from a pre-run strength-training session.
Strength Training Can Be Done Anywhere
You definitely don’t want to strength train every day or after every run. Two to three sessions of strength training each week is enough to get the benefits of strengthening. Some runners do it on a day off from running, or fit it in after a shorter run.
You also don’t need weights or special equipment to strength-train. Here are some exercises that can help runners improve their performance and prevent injuries, and they don’t require access to a gym or any equipment:
- Calf Strengthening Exercises for Runners
- Core Strengthening Exercises for Runners
- Lower Body Exercises for Runners
- Hip Strengthening Exercises for Runners
- Upper Body Strengthening Exercises for Runners
