Balancing strength training with running can feel confusing. Many runners worry lifting weights will slow them down, while lifters assume running will eat into their hard-earned muscle. Realistically, combining the two unlocks better performance and sustainable fitness routines, regardless of whether you train at home or in the gym.
This guide walks you through how strength training and running support each other, and how to build a plan that matches your goals.
How do strength training and running work together?
Contrary to popular belief, there are at least eight benefits to including both running and lifting in your training split.
- Run further and be less tired: Strength work improves muscular endurance and joint stability. Stronger glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core muscles maintain your form for longer and reduce energy waste. Essentially, you’ll reach your next distance PB quicker with less running effort.
- See body composition changes faster: When your goal includes fat loss and a more defined physique, combining lifting and running helps you burn more calories while building the muscle that shapes your body.
- Less hunching and more confidence: Targeted strength training reinforces a stronger core and upper-back strength, which runners often neglect. Improved posture reduces lower-back pain and aches, as well as refining movements to be as smooth as possible, whether you’re strolling in the city or running longer distances.
- Getting over it is getting through it: It’s almost too easy to battle your demons in a strength training session or on a long-distance run in terrible weather. By combining running and lifting, you’re building your mental resilience through pacing, patience, and endurance. You’ll tackle anything in your way from this newfound focus.
- Keep your feet laced up, not iced up: Running is a repetitive, high-impact movement, and when your muscles, tendons and ligaments suffer, you really know about it. By consistently training different loads and styles, you reduce injury by mixing it up, meaning fewer setbacks and more achievements.
- Better stability on all floors: Runners may develop overuse patterns or one-side dominance, especially if you only run on a treadmill or the same paths. Strength training addresses any muscular imbalances through targeted isolated movements, especially on your weaker side, and creates better alignment in your running form.
- Return to training quicker: Strength work improves blood circulation and tissue resilience, while running enhances aerobic capacity, helping you to recover more quickly between lifting sessions. Over time, this combination lets you train with higher output and less soreness.
- Mixing it up makes it sustainable: We’ve all experienced a lull in our training, when sessions feel boring and the dopamine rush just isn’t the same. When you opt to alternate between weight training and running, you’re stimulating your brain and body by changing the sensory inputs. You’re avoiding monotonous workouts and creating a sustainable habit.
How to Build a Running and Strength Training Workout Plan
The best running and strength training workout plan is the one you can maintain. Your plan should adapt to your rhythm. You may prefer to lift heavy first thing and wind down with a run after work, or maybe you want to soak up the morning sun and shake off the stresses of your day with weights in the evening. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s consistency. Here’s what you should consider when building your plan:
What Are Your Fitness Goals?
Ask yourself what you’re training for:
- Performance: Prioritise running but add 1-3 strength sessions weekly.
- Strength or physique: Lift 3-4 times a week and use shorter runs to support heart health.
- New activity: Commit to at least 3 sessions per week, focusing on full-body strength and mobility, so you can find your groove.
Your goals determine your training ratio, not the other way around.
Where Should You Fit Workouts into Your Lifestyle?
Just because you’re mixing strength training and running doesn’t mean you have to double your training sessions. Focus on building a routine you enjoy and is sustainable for you, instead of forcing a workout split and hating every rep and stride. This could mean a short morning jog instead of a commute or a strength session during lunch.
Don’t Neglect Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs
Even if your schedule’s tight, every strength training workout or run should include at least 5 to 10 minutes before and after to warm up and cool down. Warm-ups raise your heart rate and activate key muscle groups, and cool-downs help manage soreness and mobility. Adding this short element to your running and strength training plan allows you to train consistently without pain.
Fuel Your Body Properly
There’s the saying, “You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet”, and it’s true. Both physical activity and what you eat influence how efficiently you’ll achieve your training goals. Eating the right food before a workout can impact your performance, as well as what you eat afterwards impacting your recovery.
Use Equipment That Supports Progressive Strength
Knowing what equipment you need for your sessions and designing a well-equipped setup makes balancing training so much easier. Access to dumbbells, kettlebells, adjustable benches, and a stable squat rack supports progressive overload without overcomplicating your routine, whether you’re at home or in the gym. Excellent-rated equipment, like our reviews on Trustpilot share, also reduces injury risk and ensures your technique improves over time.
Planning To Mix Your Workout Plan?
Balancing strength training with running (or vice versa) is an effective way to improve performance, reduce injuries, and build a body that moves well on every surface. With clear goals and smart scheduling, anyone can combine the two without feeling overwhelmed.
If you’re ready to elevate your fitness plan, the right equipment makes all the difference. Explore our case studies to see how we can help transform your space, or if you’re a commercial gym owner, get in touch with Wolverson’s specialist design team to find out how you can maximise your equipment for your customers looking for a streamlined training shift.
