balancing running and lifting?

TravisBurns

I run after every lifting session. Usually one mile when I lift and two when im not lifting. I read somewhere that running after lifting is better for muscle building and retention. Whereas running first and then lifting is more geared for strictly weight-loss. Although I don't know if the difference is significant i've always ran after lifting and will continue to do so.

SilkyHotspur

Lift weights 2x per week....run 3-4 up to you. On days you lift, split body parts and do not work legs...no need, as you work legs running.

as someone else said....don't worry about "bulking"....

dottheallison

I stand all day at work (50 hrs/wk) so when I lift I do not do my legs. I walk 6 days a week (I'm working on running a little more at a time every other day) and on the days I don't run, I do my lifting/strength training. Just arms (triceps, blech) and abs. Light weights, few reps - I build muscle pretty quickly and I'm only trying to tone. I'm trying to lose bulk, not gain it.
If I ever feel like I need anything else on my lower body I stretch, or do lunges or squats, but walking/running on its own seems to be taking care of everything from the waist down for me. My sister even commented on how muscular/lean my legs are getting yesterday, which I didn't think was noticeable yet. (yay!)

So you don't do your back/chest/shoulders/legs?

Sigh
Women can NOT bulk, trust me.

Lol. I've heard that a lot. But I suppose it's personal preference that *I* feel like some areas do not look good on me when they are super toned as they do on other people. I do arms/back. I may change in the future, but I find that focusing on my shoulders and chest intentionally builds too much for my body type, I have done it before. I want my neckline and decolletage to remain softer, as they are (and only look better as I LOSE weight as opposed to LIFT it). But that's just my personal preference for myself. I want to achieve a shape that I feel I can personally maintain and still have a life that includes the occasional sweet or salty treat. And, as we all know, that is different for everyone.

MoreBean13

You have to realize you have to strike a balance. You can either be great at lifting, or great at running. Can't really do both at the same time. You can be good shape not saying you can't, you will be well balanced doing both. I am just saying to be thinking you're going to be some muscular marathon runner.

I lift heavy 3x a week, it only last about 30-40mins, then i do cardio for about 20minutes. In your case, you can slowly increase the time of cardio.

Disagree. I agree in the sense that elite marathon athletes (like, the ones that run professionally and win marathons) aren't going to be great weightlifters. And competitive weight lifters aren't going to be great runners (like, olympic athletes) but most of us aren't at those levels. I distance run and consider myself good at it, and I lift and have a pretty steady progression and good results. I'm not winning any races, but I maintain a base fitness level where I can run for 2 hrs without exhaustion, and still PR my lifts with reasonable regularity. The attitude you're taking here discourages people to pursue both interests if they have them.

The keys are 1)diet and 2)rest. Maybe you won't win marathons or lifting competitions, but you CAN do both successfully with the right diet and proper rest.

You missed my point. I said "I am not saying she can't be in good shape." If she's planning to run marathons, not to think she's going to have a ton of muscle and be running marathons. Muscle fibers don't work that way. It's either one type of muscle fiber is more dominant, or they are all balanced. Imagine a pro bodybuilder running a marathon, would that even happen?

Why you think there are big difference in Olympic sprinters compared to marathon runners? A marathoner won't run as fast as a sprinter, and a sprinter won't run the distance of a marathon runner. Their training dictates their body composition and their ability.

We have come to an impass. I did understand your point. I know how muscle fibers work. It's irrelevant to most of the population here- you can run marathons and lift weights. I may be speaking out of turn here, but I don't think the OP is an elite runner or a pro bodybuilder, and I doubt she expects to become either.

Like you said, training dictates body composition and ability. Training for both allows you to do both.

BeautyFromPain

You have to realize you have to strike a balance. You can either be great at lifting, or great at running. Can't really do both at the same time. You can be good shape not saying you can't, you will be well balanced doing both. I am just saying to be thinking you're going to be some muscular marathon runner.

I lift heavy 3x a week, it only last about 30-40mins, then i do cardio for about 20minutes. In your case, you can slowly increase the time of cardio.

Disagree. I agree in the sense that elite marathon athletes (like, the ones that run professionally and win marathons) aren't going to be great weightlifters. And competitive weight lifters aren't going to be great runners (like, olympic athletes) but most of us aren't at those levels. I distance run and consider myself good at it, and I lift and have a pretty steady progression and good results. I'm not winning any races, but I maintain a base fitness level where I can run for 2 hrs without exhaustion, and still PR my lifts with reasonable regularity. The attitude you're taking here discourages people to pursue both interests if they have them.

The keys are 1)diet and 2)rest. Maybe you won't win marathons or lifting competitions, but you CAN do both successfully with the right diet and proper rest.

You missed my point. I said "I am not saying she can't be in good shape." If she's planning to run marathons, not to think she's going to have a ton of muscle and be running marathons. Muscle fibers don't work that way. It's either one type of muscle fiber is more dominant, or they are all balanced. Imagine a pro bodybuilder running a marathon, would that even happen?

Why you think there are big difference in Olympic sprinters compared to marathon runners? A marathoner won't run as fast as a sprinter, and a sprinter won't run the distance of a marathon runner. Their training dictates their body composition and their ability.

We have come to an impass. I did understand your point. I know how muscle fibers work. It's irrelevant to most of the population here- you can run marathons and lift weights. I may be speaking out of turn here, but I don't think the OP is an elite runner or a pro bodybuilder, and I doubt she expects to become either.

Like you said, training dictates body composition and ability. Training for both allows you to do both.

I would love to run a marathon one day, but that is probably in at least 10+ years time.

MoreBean13

You have to realize you have to strike a balance. You can either be great at lifting, or great at running. Can't really do both at the same time. You can be good shape not saying you can't, you will be well balanced doing both. I am just saying to be thinking you're going to be some muscular marathon runner.

I lift heavy 3x a week, it only last about 30-40mins, then i do cardio for about 20minutes. In your case, you can slowly increase the time of cardio.

Disagree. I agree in the sense that elite marathon athletes (like, the ones that run professionally and win marathons) aren't going to be great weightlifters. And competitive weight lifters aren't going to be great runners (like, olympic athletes) but most of us aren't at those levels. I distance run and consider myself good at it, and I lift and have a pretty steady progression and good results. I'm not winning any races, but I maintain a base fitness level where I can run for 2 hrs without exhaustion, and still PR my lifts with reasonable regularity. The attitude you're taking here discourages people to pursue both interests if they have them.

The keys are 1)diet and 2)rest. Maybe you won't win marathons or lifting competitions, but you CAN do both successfully with the right diet and proper rest.

You missed my point. I said "I am not saying she can't be in good shape." If she's planning to run marathons, not to think she's going to have a ton of muscle and be running marathons. Muscle fibers don't work that way. It's either one type of muscle fiber is more dominant, or they are all balanced. Imagine a pro bodybuilder running a marathon, would that even happen?

Why you think there are big difference in Olympic sprinters compared to marathon runners? A marathoner won't run as fast as a sprinter, and a sprinter won't run the distance of a marathon runner. Their training dictates their body composition and their ability.

We have come to an impass. I did understand your point. I know how muscle fibers work. It's irrelevant to most of the population here- you can run marathons and lift weights. I may be speaking out of turn here, but I don't think the OP is an elite runner or a pro bodybuilder, and I doubt she expects to become either.

Like you said, training dictates body composition and ability. Training for both allows you to do both.

I would love to run a marathon one day, but that is probably in at least 10+ years time.

I am sure you can do it. If you're not working towards it now, you should.

Totally agree! you can do it sooner if you'd like but your goals are your own. You could easily do a half marathon within a year if you wanted to train for it.

BeautyFromPain

You have to realize you have to strike a balance. You can either be great at lifting, or great at running. Can't really do both at the same time. You can be good shape not saying you can't, you will be well balanced doing both. I am just saying to be thinking you're going to be some muscular marathon runner.

I lift heavy 3x a week, it only last about 30-40mins, then i do cardio for about 20minutes. In your case, you can slowly increase the time of cardio.

Disagree. I agree in the sense that elite marathon athletes (like, the ones that run professionally and win marathons) aren't going to be great weightlifters. And competitive weight lifters aren't going to be great runners (like, olympic athletes) but most of us aren't at those levels. I distance run and consider myself good at it, and I lift and have a pretty steady progression and good results. I'm not winning any races, but I maintain a base fitness level where I can run for 2 hrs without exhaustion, and still PR my lifts with reasonable regularity. The attitude you're taking here discourages people to pursue both interests if they have them.

The keys are 1)diet and 2)rest. Maybe you won't win marathons or lifting competitions, but you CAN do both successfully with the right diet and proper rest.

You missed my point. I said "I am not saying she can't be in good shape." If she's planning to run marathons, not to think she's going to have a ton of muscle and be running marathons. Muscle fibers don't work that way. It's either one type of muscle fiber is more dominant, or they are all balanced. Imagine a pro bodybuilder running a marathon, would that even happen?

Why you think there are big difference in Olympic sprinters compared to marathon runners? A marathoner won't run as fast as a sprinter, and a sprinter won't run the distance of a marathon runner. Their training dictates their body composition and their ability.

We have come to an impass. I did understand your point. I know how muscle fibers work. It's irrelevant to most of the population here- you can run marathons and lift weights. I may be speaking out of turn here, but I don't think the OP is an elite runner or a pro bodybuilder, and I doubt she expects to become either.

Like you said, training dictates body composition and ability. Training for both allows you to do both.

I would love to run a marathon one day, but that is probably in at least 10+ years time.

I am sure you can do it. If you're not working towards it now, you should.

Totally agree! you can do it sooner if you'd like but your goals are your own. You could easily do a half marathon within a year if you wanted to train for it.

Thanks, and the reason which I want to lift weights is mostly cos I am terrified of becoming skinny fit and loose skin plus I just love it.

froeschli

I run 4-5 days a week. And just started including body weight exercises at 2 points in my run (1 mile in, where I used to just stop for stretching, and in the same spot on my way back). The exercises have made running harder, but I still manage to complete an 8k run with them included (that's my max distance for now). I do push-ups and chin-ups (ok ok chin-downs only so far) on every run, leg exercises every other. Reason I started this, is I am terrible at making myself do any of it at home.
I will start weights at some point, but for now this is working for me, I think....

MoreBean13

...Clipped some quotes

We have come to an impass. I did understand your point. I know how muscle fibers work. It's irrelevant to most of the population here- you can run marathons and lift weights. I may be speaking out of turn here, but I don't think the OP is an elite runner or a pro bodybuilder, and I doubt she expects to become either.

Like you said, training dictates body composition and ability. Training for both allows you to do both.

I guess it really boils down to the type of physique you want to build. You can lift weights just fine and run, nothing wrong with that. I guess my comment was more directed to the people who are reading on the forums. I know most women don't want to bulk up. What I am going to say is not directly to you, just in general. We have so much recuperation ability. Lifting takes recuperation ability away from running, and running takes recuperation ability away from lifting. Also if you run long distances and you run out of glycogen(carbs in the muscle) protein will be catabolized, meaning you will burn protein aka muscle. When you're lifting you're exercising anaerobically. Meaning you're training your muscles to work with no oxygen. When you do long distances you have to build up your aerobic capacity. This trains the muscles to work with oxygen. If you're lifting you're limiting their ability to use oxygen. I am talking about the extreme's of sports. If you'e not interested in the extreme sports, such as bodybuilding or marathon running, then it doesn't matter. There are a lot of people who have great physiques that are well balanced that do running and lifting.
These people though would never win a marathon or win a bodybuilding competition.

Ok I agree with that message, with one clarification. Running marathons isn't that extreme- lots of people can do it with training. WINNING marathons or being an elite runner is extreme. When I use the term "elite runner" its specific to the people that are in contention to actually win races- for most big races these are professional runners- they're not in the same league as the other thousands of people who enter races and go for PB's. Training to run a marathon won't necessarily cause you to develop the type of body that the elite runners have. They have a mixture of genetic predisposition, intense training, and a diet that supports their sport. Most runners won't ever look like them. Same goes for pro-body builders, obviously. I'm at a level now where I could feasibly run a marathon in 3 months or less, and training wouldn't change my body that much. I'm planning on doing it in the spring. I'm clarifying just because you used it as an example of extreme, and it's just not that extreme. Now, if you replace the word 'marathon' in your post with 'ultramarathon' I would agree wholeheartedly.

ixap

So, I happen to be an ultramarathoner and a CrossFitter, with a weightlifting emphasis w/ my trainer since obviously I don't need the extra cardio.

I will agree that there is a tradeoff. I'd be better at either of those things separately if I'd give the other one up. But I can participate in both sports without any big problems, and I love the results I'm getting in terms of how I look and feel.

For me the running is far more important to me than the lifting, so I only CF twice a week, sometimes a third mini session at home of some pullups or pushups or kettlebell. I run 5-6 days per week. And as you'd expect, I'm a better runner than I am a CrossFitter. I am making strength progress though. A month ago I couldn't do pullups, and yesterday I did sets of 3; I've added 15 pounds to by back squat, 7 pounds to my strict press, and 20 pounds to my deadlift since 6 months ago.

Given my schedule, obviously I do run the day after weight training my legs, in fact I usually also run later that same day. My runs are slower shorter and more painful than they would be w/o the weight session. However I am convinced that the combination made my legs more fatigue-resistant and helped me power through a trail 50K last spring - I didn't have near the miles that I'd had in the past to prepare for that distance, yet my time was not that much slower than usual and I felt fantastic the entire time, barely sore the next day.

MoreBean13

So, I happen to be an ultramarathoner and a CrossFitter, with a weightlifting emphasis w/ my trainer since obviously I don't need the extra cardio.

I will agree that there is a tradeoff. I'd be better at either of those things separately if I'd give the other one up. But I can participate in both sports without any big problems, and I love the results I'm getting in terms of how I look and feel.

For me the running is far more important to me than the lifting, so I only CF twice a week, sometimes a third mini session at home of some pullups or pushups or kettlebell. I run 5-6 days per week. And as you'd expect, I'm a better runner than I am a CrossFitter. I am making strength progress though. A month ago I couldn't do pullups, and yesterday I did sets of 3; I've added 15 pounds to by back squat, 7 pounds to my strict press, and 20 pounds to my deadlift since 6 months ago.

Given my schedule, obviously I do run the day after weight training my legs, in fact I usually also run later that same day. My runs are slower shorter and more painful than they would be w/o the weight session. However I am convinced that the combination made my legs more fatigue-resistant and helped me power through a trail 50K last spring - I didn't have near the miles that I'd had in the past to prepare for that distance, yet my time was not that much slower than usual and I felt fantastic the entire time, barely sore the next day.

You're my new hero. :flowerforyou:

ixap

You're my new hero. :flowerforyou:

aww, well thanks
to be clear, the caveat is that I'm not super great at either activity - I'm usually one of the last to finish the CF workout and one of the last runners in my trail ultras! but all this just to say, yes it is possible to do both, just not do both at the highest level.

final10

Thank you OP and everyone who answered because this is something I wanted to ask. I trying to figure out when to lift and still continue to run 3x week and swim and bike.