Being a runner AND strength training... How?

pinkraynedropjacki

I run 10km & then later that day do strength. I prefer running.

prattiger65

Bump

Azdak

I do both. I lift on M/W/F. Run a 5k on T/Th. Strength training burns more calories because of the after burn. You're metabolism is raging for up to 24 hours after you lift. If you want to strength train to lose fat. Train legs. Squats, lunges, deads, burpees. Legs are the largest muscle group and burn the most energy to work.

Raging? "Glowing" is more like it. Or flickering. There is no consensus, but the better studies I have seen show that the 24hr burn, when it exists, "rages" at about 5-6 extra calories per hour.

heybales

Thanks for all the responses! I think prioritizing is a great tip and I'm glad to know I'm on the right path. If anyone has other suggestions, let me know! I've only been a regular exerciser for about a year so I'm still a newbie.

Example days can be shifted in the week, but the intent here is to get the most out of the lifting by allowing good recovery, and not being too tired to actually lift well in the first place.
When starting you can do a bunch wrong and still see improvement, not as much as done right of course.
But you'll usually plateau faster and then no improvement to either, or very slow, compared to again doing it right.
Jack of all trades - master of none.

Sun - rest
Mon - full body heavy lifting
Tue - 30-45 min slow jog in Active Recovery HR zone - training aerobic fat-burning system, allowing recovery to lifting
Wed - 60 min run in mid-Aerobic HR zone - still training fat-burning system but closer to long race pace
Thu - upper body heavy lifting, 30 min hill sprints for lower body (5-10 min walking warmup/cooldown) - training anaerobic system and lactic acid usage
Fri - 30-45 min jog in Recovery HR zone
Sat - over 60 min jog in upper Aerobic HR zone, race pace and distance

As you get faster at lower HR, Tue/Wed/Fri distance will increase since based on time and specific HR.
Sat is the one you increase and probably go for distance needed.
Wed could also be cross training to ease the stress as weight comes off, spin class, ect. Just don't do it so hard you muscles are tired for next day's sprints. You can ruin those.
Oh, Active Recovery HR zone, as it's been known for years, got the fad name lately of being called fat-burning zone, and a fad backlash even more lately against it. It very much has it's place in a good training program. Active Recovery, using the muscles, getting blood flow and oxygen, but hopefully adding no additional load to the muscles that requires repair.

So this should allow muscles to not be tired and really lift heavy and see max strength gains, and the next day is not additional load but chance to recovery.
After all, exercise if done right tears down, it's the rest for recovery and repair with good diet that allows actually building back up again, hopefully better.

DawnEH612

You're way over thinking this! If you enjoy running, run. If you enjoy lifting, lift. I do both and many other activities as well such as spinning, hiking, boot camp, stair climber, elliptical, Pilates and yoga. I make sure i eat enough calories as CUSTOM set by me and aim to get about a gram of protein for each pound i weight, which is about 25% of my daily calories. I have had no issues building and maintaining muscle while improving my speed. I went from an 11:40 minute mile to under 9 minute mile. Lifting legs helps build muscle and therefore leg strength and endurance.
Just go out, enjoy your activities... Dont over think, just do it!

Warchortle

-_-

Long distance running actually is really hard on the body especially the knees and if you do marathons like biking or running your body will go catabolic at some point and start eating muscle. The reason why runners appear to have amazing upper bodies isn't the fact they run. Running may help they stay leaner because of the calorie deficit, but you can only gain a minimal amount of muscle with cardio especially on a deficit.

Resistance training sort of "burns" fat, but the better way to look at it is it preserves the muscle you do have and depending on your level of lifting experience you may gain some lean body mass while your body fat % goes down. Fat is not a good nutrient source as muscle is when the body is starving. It takes quite a lot of work to go catabolic like severe under eating and over exercise or... fasting for more than 72 hours. You don't go catabolic if you don't get your $4 protein shake in 30 minutes post workout.

rybo

Run some days, lift other days. Sometimes you can do both in the same day if you split it up. The biggest juggling is when you have a hard leg strength day. Running the next day will be slow. But so what.

zornig

What most athletes/serious enthusiasts do is rotate through seasonal training regimens. In your "racing season," when you're building up to an event or actually running events, go lighters on the strength training. In the off-season, like when the weather is cold, ramp up your strength training and do less steady-state running.

briley76

I do both. I lift on M/W/F. Run a 5k on T/Th. Strength training burns more calories because of the after burn. You're metabolism is raging for up to 24 hours after you lift. If you want to strength train to lose fat. Train legs. Squats, lunges, deads, burpees. Legs are the largest muscle group and burn the most energy to work.

Raging? "Glowing" is more like it. Or flickering. There is no consensus, but the better studies I have seen show that the 24hr burn, when it exists, "rages" at about 5-6 extra calories per hour.

Then you aren't lifting nearly hard enough.

csuhar

One option is to look to various military / special forces workouts because those individuals are often required to both develop strength and the capacity to run sizeable distances, often at a pretty good speed. They won't necessarily turn you into the next bodybuilding chamption or ultra marathoner, but they're pretty good if you want to develop in both areas.

ChiManLifts

As a lifter I associate running with cutting, and lifting with bulking/maintaining weight. I avoid running while gaining mass, but I doubt that's what you're trying to do here. Just incorporate the two together on alternate days. If you really have the strength to run a bunch after leg day, you're not lifting hard enough.

briley76

As a lifter I associate running with cutting, and lifting with bulking/maintaining weight. I avoid running while gaining mass, but I doubt that's what you're trying to do here. Just incorporate the two together on alternate days. If you really have the strength to run a bunch after leg day, you're not lifting hard enough.

This^^^ I agree with the part about running after legs. My leg day is Friday. My off days are Sat/Sun. Chest/Tri's Monday, and then running on Tues. Three full days of rest between legs and running.

navyrigger46

I'm just worried that running isn't as efficient for fat loss, but strength training isn't as efficient for increasing my running speed. But I have 20 pounds or so to lose, so does it actually matter?

Lift and lift heavy. You'll burn off that extra 20 pounds faster, and as a result you'll run faster. How much slower would you be if you tried to run a mile with a gallon of milk in each hand? I started lifting about a month ago, and run a bit less as a result but guess what? I shaved 36 seconds off my average mile time.

Lift heavy, lift often.

Rigger

southerndream24

I actually do both and don't prioritize one over the other. I keep myself at a level where I can run a half marathon and I'm currently ramping up the mileage training for an October marathon. I'm running 5 days a week, 2 for speed, two easy, and one long run. I lift 5 days a week mixed with HIIT and do an hour long Nike Training club class one day a week. So I rest one day.

If you're going to do both, make sure you're getting enough fuel. I have to eat a lot and drink tons of water to stay fueled and feel like myself. The days I work out twice, I split it up between morning and night. This works for me, but do what works for your schedule and your body.

SpleenThief

I run. Not well, or very fast, but it's something I do for cardio and want to improve on.

Let's talk a little about this because it's going to affect your course of action. Tell us about your running goals. when you say that it's something you'd like to improve upon, what does that look like? Are you looking to be a 20 mile per week sort of person? Are you looking to run a 5k? Are you looking to RACE a 5k? Complete a marathon? Qualify for Boston? Each of these have pretty specific training and strength training fits in differently for each one.

bethcw1

bump

michellekicks

You're over thinking this

This.


I spent a long time thinking about it. Tried and stopped a few times. Now I lift m/w/f, running t/th/s

Take a bit for your mind to adjust, just do it. But definitely pick one as your focus, it gets 200 percent of your attention, the second one gets 100 percent of your focus.

This is me too.

While right now my focus is a bit more towards my mileage since I have races coming up through September, all that means is if I have to take an extra rest day I'm skipping a strength workout rather than a run day.

I lift full body 3x/week (Stronglifts 5x5) and run 3x/week: 1 long run, 1 speed/interval/hills run and 1 whatever-I-feel-like run.

Once my race season ends, mileage comes down and lifting takes precedence... but I keep doing both.

jimmmer

Do a non-retarded strength routine that has off days.

Run on these off days.

Sorted.

lindustum

Just to let you know, when I was playing football* competitively, we had technique training, endurance training AND strength training. While more focus is on the running (given that this is what you'll be doing most of the time in football) it is very beneficial to build up your muscles, and it also prevents a lot of injury because you're 'well-rounded' in a sense, not overworking a particular part.

It was compulsory to get a gym membership and train at least twice a week- it was always quite obvious who was training and who just turned up to the training session. This is done in hockey and rugby also, and I think that in most sports they belong together.

*i.e. ball to the foot. not hand-egg.

stetienne

I've decided to focus on strength training, while getting in some cardio on my off days. So I lift three days a week and run three days a week. But that's just my own personal plan. Do what you enjoy most.