Heavy lifting and half marathon training

David7881

So I'm looking for some information on the combination of both. I've always loved heavy lifting for strength but i am now training for a half marathon. Currently i weight 190 lbs 6'2. I do 4 days of weights at the gym and 3 days of cardio. I am preparing to do a half marthon in December but curious if there is anyone here with experience running a half marathon and being a lifter. My questions is should I make any adjustments to my lifting for the marathon training or will I be ok continuing? My eating is really clean and macros are dialed in. I know I will have to increase my calories from 1900 since I was eating at a deficit.

Any tips or insight would help. Mainly looking for tips on training for the half and lifting from someone with experience. Thanks everyone!

Chieflrg

You are going to have to define heavy lifting since that is a generic term.

What is your average intensity percentage of a 1RM for squats, deadlifts, bench or your main lifts?

What is your program and/or volume?

I never was a runner, but have been an athlete my entire life. I have trained about 40 years of lifting weights on top of playing football into my 30s begore retiring and then returning to baseball and playing into my late 40s in a adult baseball league.

I went from zero miles (except during football conditioning, preseason, practices...certainly nothing specific to distance running)) to running two half marathons on back to back days in less than 90 days. So fairly quick at 6'3 235lbs.

Generally speaking without knowing your trading history for running or resistance I would probably go with a 2-3 day lifting program that focused on endurance and has auto regulation built in.

Also follow a runner's training program that is specific to increasing your miles over time. You have more than enough time to get ready for a half if your goal is just to finish.

Literature suggests 12hours rest in between resistance training and cardio for optimal results. So lifting or running in the morning and doing the other at night isn't a bad option if you have to both in the same day(s). Otherwise you can try shuffle the two programs to work on separate days.


Extremely important is to practice good load management of both activities. I can't stress this enough.

RunnerGirl238

I lift heavy- probably not your kind of heavy- and run half marathons (and race lengths). I run 3-5 days a week depending on recovery, race length, etc. One day a tempo, one day a LISS run, one or two days speed, and then one day a 5k dial in. On my shorter run days, I alternate upper and lower body. On my long, slow run days, i focus on core (15-20minutes cause inthink running shapes your core rather nicely.) Then one day is a XT day (stairclimber) and plyometric stuff- box jumps, etc.

I eat relatively clean, but am trying to cut 3-5lbs to see if it helps with speed. (I am 5'5, 135ish- going for 132ish.)

Training for my 8th or 9th half currently.

What do you want to know?

CoreyLust

The two compliment one another to a degree. But to be elite at either end of the spectrum you would have to all but drop one or the other. They simply cause complety different adaptations in the body than one another and at some point they will certainly interfere with each other. An elite marathon runner who spent an equal amount of time trying to be an elite power lifter would become an above average runner and would probably struggle to even become even an intermediate lifter. The same for an elite power lifter who spent an equal amount of time trying to become an elite power lifter. He would become an above average power lifter but wouldn't even be a competitive club runner. The two are incompatible. If you want to pb in the run you'll have to all but remove the lifting.

firef1y72

I love to lift heavy and love to run. Am currently training for a half in August (after having completed marathons) and am just starting working back at increasing my weights at the big four.

It is very possible to train for a half and lift heavy at the same time but you do need to listen to your body and how heavy (intensity) depends on what you're used to.

I try and get all my leg work in at least 3 days before a long run to give the legs time to recover from the DoMs, and I'm prepared to drop the weight training if it feels like I'm not recovering properly.

I actually had to drop leg work while marathon training and even had to stop upper body in the last couple months, because I simply wasnt recovering from everything.

pzarnosky

I'm training for a marathon and lift 5 days a week. I monitor my heart rate because I've learned some lessons in the 4ish years I've been into running. Using a HR monitor has been a game changer for me. Granted, I'm not elite at either but I don't need to be.
Sunday - cross train, stretching, and a short high intensity (anaerobic) run to max HR. Sometimes hill repeats.
Monday - back day with a tempo run
Tuesday - triceps and bike 45 minutes in aerobic zone
Wednesday - medium distance aerobic run and leg day
Thursday - biceps and bike or elliptical in aerobic
Friday - chest and no cardio
Saturday - long run in aerobic zone
I also do abs every day that I run.

Training for a half and lifting heavy are totally do-able, especially with how long you've got til the half. Just start with short distances. Most suggest adding 10% more distance each week.

DX2JX2

You don't have too much to worry about...only exception might be difficulty in balance workout schedules between lifting and mileage. All else equal, mileage will make more of a difference to your HM prep than lifting so you wouldn't necessarily want to compromise that volume for the sake of lifting if your ultimate priority was performance in the half.

That said, if your goal is just to run a recreationally challenging race then don't sweat it. Find a HM prep program and stick with it. Lift as you want to - no need for any special accommodations in your training.

deannalfisher

recommend checking out Alex Viada (may need to check spelling) - he talks a lot about heavy lifting and running

BrianSharpe

A number of years ago I was doing the Stronglifts program while training for a HM and my only observation was that as the runs got longer that squatting 3 x weekly and running 4 x weekly didn;t allow for sufficient recovery time.

If you're lifting program is set up in such a way where you're working different parts of your body on different days this may be less of a problem.

David7881

Thank you every one for your responses I am sorry i havent responded to them individually but I am reading and looking into all the information and programs to see which best fits what I am looking for.

heybales

BrianSharpe wrote: »

A number of years ago I was doing the Stronglifts program while training for a HM and my only observation was that as the runs got longer that squatting 3 x weekly and running 4 x weekly didn;t allow for sufficient recovery time.

If you're lifting program is set up in such a way where you're working different parts of your body on different days this may be less of a problem.

I double this observation.

For shorter runs up to 60 min (because of only having so much time) the day after leg day I could easily make Active Recovery pace runs (kept HR in that range), and that was of course good for recovery too, besides training the fat burning system more.
Hilll sprints or intervals was done after lifting workout so didn't matter on that 1 day when done.

But the longer weekend run meant the Fri leg workout turned into less weight or less reps, or eventually got skipped and lower lifting was 2 x weekly.

Sun recovery, and ready for Mon lifting again. I recall when I didn't back off the Fri lifting, Sun wasn't enough recovery and that impacted Mon's lifting. So I could have either 2 poor lifting workouts and 1 good one, or skip one and have 2 good ones.

Also accepted the fact progress on lifting slowed for legs. I know during various years I moved to higher reps to see if it helped. But too many variables so never really decided on that aspect, I'm also higher rep anyway, so not much of a change.

MikePfirrman

heybales wrote: »

BrianSharpe wrote: »

A number of years ago I was doing the Stronglifts program while training for a HM and my only observation was that as the runs got longer that squatting 3 x weekly and running 4 x weekly didn;t allow for sufficient recovery time.

If you're lifting program is set up in such a way where you're working different parts of your body on different days this may be less of a problem.

I double this observation.

For shorter runs up to 60 min (because of only having so much time) the day after leg day I could easily make Active Recovery pace runs (kept HR in that range), and that was of course good for recovery too, besides training the fat burning system more.
Hilll sprints or intervals was done after lifting workout so didn't matter on that 1 day when done.

But the longer weekend run meant the Fri leg workout turned into less weight or less reps, or eventually got skipped and lower lifting was 2 x weekly.

Sun recovery, and ready for Mon lifting again. I recall when I didn't back off the Fri lifting, Sun wasn't enough recovery and that impacted Mon's lifting. So I could have either 2 poor lifting workouts and 1 good one, or skip one and have 2 good ones.

Also accepted the fact progress on lifting slowed for legs. I know during various years I moved to higher reps to see if it helped. But too many variables so never really decided on that aspect, I'm also higher rep anyway, so not much of a change.

This sounds a lot like my experiences too. I learned (the hard way), even though I do mostly rowing now, not running, that you keep your recovery days protected from weights. I ran for around 5 years and lifted hard during that time. I did up to half marathons then. I actually do more cardio now than then rowing. If you plan your harder running days on the lifting days, that works out much better. It makes for an awful tough day but then do recovery runs the rest of the week. Fits right in with polarized training concepts.

ca_josh

I’m a big guy (6’4” and 220lbs), lift hard 5 times a week and I also run half marathons. The key to success for me was to stop the squats and leg presses and do long runs instead. I’ve recently incorporated hill sprints as well. Squats were burning my legs out to the point that I could barely do a 3k without my legs turning to jelly.

You rarely see marathoners with massive quads and hams 🤪

heybales

ca_galt wrote: »

I’m a big guy (6’4” and 220lbs), lift hard 5 times a week and I also run half marathons. The key to success for me was to stop the squats and leg presses and do long runs instead. I’ve recently incorporated hill sprints as well. Squats were burning my legs out to the point that I could barely do a 3k without my legs turning to jelly.

You rarely see marathoners with massive quads and hams 🤪

So true - extra weight, even in the form of extra muscle not needed for the run, is not desired if really going after the personal bests in the races.

I am surprised sometimes though catching up, or on out-and-back course seeing - the guy with massive legs really out there doing well. Always wanted to talk with him afterwards to see his tweaks to training.