Lifting Runners..... HELP need some advise!!!

Isakizza

So I'm in the process to lift heavier. This week was my first week of a modified 5x5. BUT....I love running!!!! I refuse to give it up. Seriously keeps me grounded, my mental health would be in serious jeopardy if I stop, lol

I don't need much to be happy either. I run less than 4 miles at a time and only 3 days a week. Running never seemed like an issue before when I was doing light weights and high reps. But I think I've lost enough weight to really benefit from a heavy lifting program.

What do you recommend?
What's your week look like with lifting and runs schedule?
Rest days?


Any advice would be great, thanks!

sengalissa

Hi
I have the same problem. I have asked on this board before and people seemed to agree that you cannot do both on a high level.
I made the decision to put lifting aside for a while and focus on running. I do upper body stuff on my easy run days (easy run is 5K). I would like to do more, but I run out of time and energy when I do. Also, I am always torn about lower body lifting because I would hate to see me running performance compromised - of course, that is silly because in the long run, it would help my body but after lower body days, running is just no fun - and I do it for my sanity just like you. So I can only do lower body when the following day is a rest day anyways... but then again, my schedule is unpredictable, so I do rest days when my schedule does not allow for a workout (for instance if one of my kids gets sick).
Bottomline - I feel with you, but I do not have great input. My plan is to run 4x a week and do a long lifting session once a week (ideally before a rest day) and some upper body lifting on a short run day or maybe two. Leaves 2 rest days. It is not enough lifting to actually make progress.

teamesteve

I do dumbbells as well as jog. Right now it's not that big an issue for me. I'm only jogging at most 3.1 miles and my only 'goal' for that is to eventually run a 30 minute 5K. For the lifting, I'm working on a weight progression so I understand the 5X5 thing. If you're worried about dropping your gains due to cardio, then I wouldn't. As long as you keep the distance the same and do it regularly, then eventually your body will adapt to it and you'll be able to do it strictly for fun, not for calorie burn. As for schedule, you might look at three lift days and three run days (unless you have the time to spread out the run and the lift on the same day), making day 7 a full rest day (probably between leg day and a jog). My lifting workouts take me about 2 hours and my jogging usually takes me less than an hour (with warm up and cool down walks). If you don't see the results in your body that you're expecting after 2-3 weeks, then change something. Maybe up your calorie intake with a good % of the new calories in protein.

Hope that helped.

Carrieendar

I run 5 days a week and lift 2 days now with a plyo and yoga day as well. I like the idea I read once: get in, go hard, get out...I lift 20-25 min, not repeating areas too much or even at all, then go home I like to so one lifting day on an off day and one on a run day with one complete rest day.

This week:
Mon- 6 mi plus lift
Tues- 8 mi plus plyo
Wed- lift and core
Thurs- speed work run
Fri- 6 plus yoga and core
Sat- long run
Sun- full rest

DianeinCA

I run 3 days a week, walk at home on a treadmill 6-7 days a week (btw 5 and 10 miles a day), and lift 3 days a week.

You can keep doing both lifting and cardio. You just have to pick which is more important.

If you want to see some real strength gains from lifting, you probably won't improve at your running while this is happening, and you may even fall back a bit (get slower, get tired earlier than normal).

If you're serious about your running -- you want to achieve new min/mile numbers, you want to make a PR in a race -- you're probably not going to add much weight to your lifts while doing that training, or you're going to add weight very slowly (once a month, instead of every session).

Decide where your focus is, divide your attention appropriately. You don't have to stop either, but please listen to your body (if you get sick, your body may be telling you to lessen something).

Platform_Heels

I lift in the morning and run in the afternoon. I lift 4-5x a week and try to run 4x a week.

I've never felt the need to choose between one or the other. I enjoy both equally and I try to do both equally.

Even when I was training for my duathalon and was running/biking or both 6 days a week I still lifted. There is no reason not to do both (or to think that you can't).

spicegeek

Monday one hour hard kettle bell training ( 200 - 300 reps heavy snatches - 16 - 22 kg )
Tuesday 3 -4 mile run 1 hour heavy lifting
Weds one hour hard kettle bell training
Thursday 3 -4 mile run 1 hour boxing
Friday one hour heavy lifting
Saturday 20 mins volume set kettle bell training 4 - 5 mile run
Sunday eat and sleep like the dead

I will add - the kettle bell training is specific competition training for an event in August - a normal human would not need those workouts !

MeanderingMammal

What do you recommend?
What's your week look like with lifting and runs schedule?
Rest days?

As your running is quite limited theres probably not an issue, although Stronglifts is a fairly aggressive progression you'll probably find yourself quite fatigued quite quickly. It really depends on your objectives. If you were running more seriously I'd suggest that a different programme would be more appropriate.

Essentially, what are you trying to achieve?

fwiw I'm working on a half marathon plan at the moment so resistance training is limited to bodyweight work

Platform_Heels

fwiw I'm working on a half marathon plan at the moment so resistance training is limited to bodyweight work

Out of curiosity, why just body weight work?

When I trained for a half marathon I lifted 4 days a week, even on some of my running days.

fooninie

I'm in because I love lifting and running and have not had issues doing both + yoga to keep things limber. Super interested in seeing what others are doing (I lift heavy but longest runs are 10k right now)

MeanderingMammal

fwiw I'm working on a half marathon plan at the moment so resistance training is limited to bodyweight work

Out of curiosity, why just body weight work?

When I trained for a half marathon I lifted 4 days a week, even on some of my running days.

Practicality, it serves the purpose of helping limit my injury risk.

Mainly because I find weight training incredibly boring, so bodyweight is something that I can work into the rest of my training and keep it interesting. 5K out to the park, bodyweight session, then home again is a reasonable session.

Target time at the moment is 1hr 50

Platform_Heels

fwiw I'm working on a half marathon plan at the moment so resistance training is limited to bodyweight work

Out of curiosity, why just body weight work?

When I trained for a half marathon I lifted 4 days a week, even on some of my running days.

Practicality, it serves the purpose of helping limit my injury risk.

Mainly because I find weight training incredibly boring, so bodyweight is something that I can work into the rest of my training and keep it interesting. 5K out to the park, bodyweight session, then home again is a reasonable session.

Target time at the moment is 1hr 50

Gotcha.

Factory_Reset

I lift and run

want to see others response to this

The_Enginerd

I run 3 days a week right now as I am training for a half marathon, and lift 3 days a week doing a 5x5 program. I usually try to alternate and leave a rest day after my long run day so my legs can recover. So something like:

S: Lift
M: 3 mile run
T: Lift
W: 3 mile run
Th: Lift
F: Long run (10-13 miles currently)
S: Rest, or do a short, easy run.

Sometimes that doesn't work out schedule wise and I have lifted in the morning and then run in the evening, or lifted after my long run, but took it easy on the lower body lifts for that day. At your distances, Doing them all back to back shouldn't be an issue. It's recommended and most find it works better to lift first than run if you do both the same day.

snikkins

What do you recommend?
What's your week look like with lifting and runs schedule?
Rest days?

As your running is quite limited theres probably not an issue, although Stronglifts is a fairly aggressive progression you'll probably find yourself quite fatigued quite quickly. It really depends on your objectives. If you were running more seriously I'd suggest that a different programme would be more appropriate.

Essentially, what are you trying to achieve?

fwiw I'm working on a half marathon plan at the moment so resistance training is limited to bodyweight work

Out of curiosity, is there a different program you have in mind? Or just something different at all?

asdelmonte

I run, cycle and lift. I find that lifting helps my running as it makes my legs stronger and helps keep injuries away. Right now I lift 3x a week but if I were training for a half or full marathon (later in the summer I will start that) I would lift 2x a week. My schedule:

M - Strong lifts
T - Run/Cycle
W - Strong lifts
T - Run/Cycle
F - Strong lifts
S & S - Run/cycle/kayak/rest - this is all dictated by the kids' schedules and the weather.

MeanderingMammal

Out of curiosity, is there a different program you have in mind? Or just something different at all?

It'd depend on objectives, but I'd start from something other than Stronglifts. While it's a very simple programme that means quite a rapid progression without any sophistication that can be tailored around other training.

At 12 miles per week it shouldn't be an issue.

Flab2Fab27

You can do both. I lift (stronglifts) every other day and I try to get in a few 5k running days a week as well depending on my schedule.

I also walk 1-2 hours a day with my dogs and haven't had any issues.

Find what works for you and listen to your body. If you need to rest, rest.

BigMech

I lift, run and bike.

I hit the gym for lifting 5 days a week in the morning, and I run or bike 5 days a week, usually during lunch or the afternoon. When I run, I do anywhere between 5 and 9 miles, and when I bike I usually do about 25 miles.

A typical week will look like this:

Monday: Gym and Bike
Tuesday: Gym and Run
Wednesday: Gym
Thursday: Bike
Friday: Gym and Run
Saturday: Gym
Sunday: Run

They key is eating enough to support the burn from the all the working out, and getting enough sleep.

I've been doing this for over 2 years now, and it's been working great for me. I will admit that I've become a bit of a workout addict, but I've never been healthier, or felt better than I do following this routine.

iRun_Butterfly

I run and lift as well. Neither at a very high level, but I'm satisfied with both and my abilities. Right now I'm running MWF and a bit on Saturday. I vary my runs, if I'm feeling it, I'll hit around 4 miles, some days I'll do intervals. I probably run 10-15 miles a week on a really good week. I lift on T TH and Saturday. My Saturdays are definitely more intense. I run in the mornings and lift in the evening. For my lifting I'm doing SL 5x5. I'm not lifting very heavy yet, have been taking it slow. You can do both as long as you plan accordingly, and by all means, rest if you have to. I'm learning that lesson the hard way by having a couple of days where I've just hit the wall and crashed.

contingencyplan

You're going to have to prioritize one over the other in order to see significant progression in either one, while doing the other as more of a supplemental thing. For injury prevention's sake, strength training should ALWAYS take priority over anything else in your regimen simply due to how sufficient rest can further improve your results. This is doubly true if the strength program you're on is a compound based one such as Stronglifts. However, if you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO prioritize running over strength training, some outside the box thinking (meaning pursuing strength avenues OTHER than conventional compound based lifting program) is probably in your best interest.

AlysonG2

I lift and run both.

S: lift
M: run
T: lift
W: run
T: lift
F: run
S: rest

Sometimes I skip a run and only run twice a week.

ETA: By run, I mean jog.

geebusuk

I always lift every other day (got my own setup, including while contracting away in a motorhome as I am now!)

While on a deficit I was typically running 2 or 3 times a week most weeks, some weeks I ran every day (averaged 9k a day over 11 days when I had a friend's dog as well as my own to look after.)

I found that running on the same day as lifting actually seemed to produce better results.

I would aim fo0r lifting first, but was surprised to find that even when I ran 11 miles at midday or so, my lifts weren't too bad that evening - while lifting the day after a run seemed to impair the lifting performance a bit more.

Now that I'm moving to a surplus for some muscle gain, I'm toning down the cardio a bit - and with said working away, there's not a running club so locally either.

My lifting is a slightly modified starting strength (chucked in dips and pull ups to help rock climbing and thus made it a three day program rather than two).

Incidentally, I did umm and ahh about whether to try and focus on weights or cardio while in a deficit - eventaully came to the conclusion I'd sacrifice some muscle for cardio - as the muscle can be fairly quickly regained at the end but gains will be limited while at a deficit - so might as well improve cardio, which can decently improce while at a deficit.

To conclude - try different things and see what works best with you.

nzwermann

I believe you can lift heavy and run too. I would never say stop running because I know how it make you fill and center yourself.

Now you might not get huge results because cardio burns up more engery than straight lifting. One is your heart rate stay up high while running compared to a weight lifter. I have been reading a lot on www.tnation.com, which it has some good idea and advice. You just have to set your goals and do what you think is working for you. I lift during my lunch break and do 30min of cardio in the evening with my wife. So far I have seen great results and only been do it a week.

Running will help have better blood supplies to your muscles, but you wont make a body like the Rock with tons of cardio or running. You just have to set your goals and what you have in mind to be. Like myself I am a big and like being big. All I care to do it lift weights and lift HEAVY, do about 30-60min of cardio a day, eat better. and cut some of my gut off. If I could be healthy and look like Dewayne(The Rock)Johnson or Brock Lesnar I would be happy...

Isakizza

Wow, awesome ideas here I can go on!

My main goal is to shed FAT, to maintain as much LBM as I can as I still drop weight. I'm only 5'3 so being 180 lbs is still a lot. I really don't care about the actual scale weight, more so how I look, inches, BF%. I don't run to eat more to or run for a calorie deficit. I'm following TDEE -15% and IIFYM eating mostly whole foods.

I'm loving the idea that I may be able to do both!!!!

If 5x5 might be to aggressive, what other programs do you recommend?

geebusuk

How about 3x5?

Something like a 5/3/1 might be a bit less stress - but, whatever, you can't expect to get any consistent long term gains.
I had actually initially started intending to go for 1lb/week, but ended up at 2lb/week as my BMR/TDEE is a fair bit higher than most calculators would put it at.
I'm glad that I did, as it goes - the 20 weeks I lost weight, I did lose a bit of strength (some of that from doing a trail ultramarathon) but I'm confident that by 40 weeks I'll be a good bit stronger than if I'd lost at 1lb/week for 40 weeks.

I'm definitely the skinniest/lowest fat I've ever been - including when I was about 10-14lb lighter a bit over a year ago.

becs3578

I started crossfit about 16 months ago.. and adding running back in 5 months ago. RIght now I am training for a half marathon. My schedule seems to work for me pretty well.

CROSSFIT (Cardio/lifting - mixed workouts) - Monday night, and WED/THU/FRI morning.

RUNNING - Tuesday night (4 to 5 miles), THU & FRI after crossfit (3miles), Sunday (long run 6 - 12 miles)

SATURDAY is my sacred REST DAY. I know my body needs it.

MelisRunning

I am running between 40-50 miles per week.

I don't have the time or inclination to mess with weights.

If my mileage were lower, then yes, I probably would do a little weight work but that is not my objective at the moment.

I used to be a power lifter. I have put in my time at the weight room. I was successful. It was fun. I discovered running and never looked back.

I had a decision to make. Serious running or serious lifting. I chose running.

JTick

I lift heavy and run.

I'm running 20ish miles a week. I run half marathons, looking at a full this fall. I'm currently down with an injury, but it had nothing to do with how much I'm doing - not an overuse injury.

I mostly lifted in my first year of working out following 5x5. I ran here and there, but maybe 10 miles a week. Really just enough to get cardio in.

I started increasing my miles about the same time my lifts started stalling with 5x5. I had my sights set on longer distances, so went ahead and switched to 5/3/1 so that I wasn't increasing weight every session.

I squat 200 and deadlift 225. I'm not putting a lot of effort into increasing those lifts, I just find that every month when my 5/3/1 week rolls around the weight is pretty easy to handle. My running continues to improve as well. I suppose that I haven't hit that point yet where I have to decide between one or the other.

I lift 3 times a week, and am trying to run about 5 times. I don't run on leg day, and I make sure that there's a couple days between leg days and my really long run so that I can recover some. So far, so good.

I find that diet is incredibly important when you're lifting and running. You HAVE to get that protein in. You're going to be doing so much that you'll need the help in recovering. Make sure you're sleeping enough and taking complete rest days as needed.

As I said earlier, I'm looking at a full marathon this fall. At that point, I'm not going to expect my lifts to increase much, possibly even have to deload some. I'll continue to lift though to retain LBM and to help prevent injury. I find there's a lot of opinion on this topic, but so far this is working for me.