Strength after or before running?

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I was wondering, if it's better to do the strength training (push-ups, sit-ups, squats etc) after OR before my daily run? :-)

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  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Depends on your objectives, from a personal perspective I generally do that after, or during a run.

    5Km to the park, some bodyweight work, then 5Km home. Or sometimes after a 10Km. If I'm running for loner than that I'll not do resistance training at all during that session.
  • JulieeeeJ
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    Depends on your objectives, from a personal perspective I generally do that after, or during a run.

    5Km to the park, some bodyweight work, then 5Km home. Or sometimes after a 10Km. If I'm running for loner than that I'll not do resistance training at all during that session.

    Thanks. I run 5km every other day, and I usually do some lunges and squats during the run.

  • Hamez_UK
    Hamez_UK Posts: 36 Member
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    I personally do the two on separate days, but my strength work is lifting in the gym. If I was doing both I'd be tempted to do strength first or I my strength would be a lot weaker after a run.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    What are your goals?
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    personal preference - try both ways for a week and see what you like best!
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    I lift then do my run. I'm more apt to be fresh and have better form if I lift first. I'm more tired and sometimes sacrifice form if I run then lift.
  • jpapp13
    jpapp13 Posts: 73 Member
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    I used to do both on the same day, I'd run in the morning and then lift in the afternoon, depending on mileage you could do both in the same session but your lifting weight may suffer depending on your running pace ..
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    yeah, totally! You can run in the morning and lift in the afternoon or reverse!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    It really depends on what you're trying to accomplish and how you lift and what your overall intensity is. I primarily do Oly-lifting and some power lifting...I would be doing myself a disservice if I went for a run or a ride right before I lifted...I would already be tired and doing snatches tired is a bad idea. I do ride on lifting days, but I ride in the morning and lift in the evening.

    Conversely, if I was just doing some body weight training for a little resistance work and running or cycling was truly my focus then I wouldn't worry about it too much. When I'm training for an endurance ride, my lifting generally takes a back seat and I spend a lot of time in the saddle...my resistance work is generally knocked down to two days per week and consists of more body weight work and high rep/low weight work to assist in muscular endurance for my rides.

    It just depends on your fitness/training objectives.
  • goanothermile
    goanothermile Posts: 98 Member
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    JulieeeeJ wrote: »
    I was wondering, if it's better to do the strength training (push-ups, sit-ups, squats etc) after OR before my daily run? :-)

    Ideally, I'd rather alternate days or at least separate the two by several hours.

    Schedule and other priorities sometimes makes it necessary to do both in one session. That means a compromise has to take place. Strength before running works better for me. I also limit the running pace and distance to something very comfortable.
  • BenjaminMFP88
    BenjaminMFP88 Posts: 660 Member
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    JulieeeeJ wrote: »
    I was wondering, if it's better to do the strength training (push-ups, sit-ups, squats etc) after OR before my daily run? :-)

    If your trying to build actual strength, not just muscle size, then do cardio after. If your trying to build muscle size, I'd do them at either different times of the day, or on different days altogether.

  • splashtree2
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    JulieeeeJ wrote: »
    I was wondering, if it's better to do the strength training (push-ups, sit-ups, squats etc) after OR before my daily run? :-)
    I would say after so you can use all the glycogen to lift and use the remaining time up to 20 minutes to burn fat!

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    JulieeeeJ wrote: »
    Thanks. I run 5km every other day, and I usually do some lunges and squats during the run.

    OK, I'd personally treat that as a warm up, and then do the resistance work. It's notable that almost all of the responses upthread are assuming that you're lifting weights, rather than doing bodyweight stuff.

    Personally I prefer bodyweight work, but progressing with it can get quite challenging as some of the moves become more about balance and acrobatic capacity than pure strength.

    It's easier to make progress by using weights, and in some ways it's better to do so as you don't actually have enough strength to do them safely, but it doesn't sound like you're there.

    I'd suggest using a structured bodyweight plan; You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning etc to help give yourself some structure.

  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Personal preference, I think, with bodyweight exercises and relatively short runs. You can view the running as a warmup for the strength or the strength as a warmup for the run. You should be able to progress nicely with both, I'd think, as long as you're not in a significant calorie deficit.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I go for my run first and then come home and do my push-ups and/or pull-ups and/or mountain climbers, etc.
    Works much better for me. But then, I am focused more on improving my running. I lift in a gym for strength, and I do that on different days.
  • greypilgrimess
    greypilgrimess Posts: 353 Member
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    I do my strength training before, if I'm doing both on the same day. But if I do a decent weight workout I have to accept that my run won't be as strong so I prefer to do them on different days.