Balancing your strength training and running schedule
A good training schedule is not just about how many times a week you strength train but also about when you do those sessions relative to your runs and other activities.
The most important things to consider when creating your schedule are:
- Your total training load (daily, weekly, per training block)
- Your training goals for each session
- Recovery time
- How your body reacts to different sessions
Let me explain why this matters and how you can easily optimize your running and strength training schedule.
Why total training load matters
Your total training load refers to all your activities in a day, week, or training block.
Running + Strength training + Other activities (like your job) = Total training load
Our bodies can only sustain a specific total training load before it needs a period of recovery. Your fitness level and genetics will determine how much training your body can take before you risk getting injured.
Most running injuries occur when we train our bodies too hard and don't allow enough recovery time between training sessions.
Training load also has a cumulative effect on the body. It can only sustain a certain number of hard training (or high training load) weeks before it requires a recovery period of several weeks of lower-intensity training. This is why coaches typically design running plans with distinct training blocks and add active recovery weeks.
Activities that increase the training load include:
- High-intensity running sessions (hills or speed sessions)
- Very long runs
- Heavy strength training (exercises that fatigue your body within 10 repetitions or fewer)
- Long hours or hard sessions of physical labor
Our recommendation
Ideally, you don't want to do two workouts that train the same part of the body on the same day (e.g., run and leg strength) - instead, do core or upper body workouts on your running days.
However, if you run often, it might not be possible to avoid combining your run and leg strength days. In this case, doing leg strength workouts on easy-run days is best, but you should still leave enough recovery time between the sessions (more on this later).
If you tell the Exakt Health app how many days you want to run, it will automatically create an optimal schedule for your strength training workouts.
How training goals impact your schedule
Training goals refer to how we hope our bodies will adapt in reaction to the specific training session we do. The simplest example is, if you do a strength training session, you likely wish to gain as much strength as possible.
There is evidence that if you do a strength workout shortly before or after (within 20 minutes) an endurance workout (like a run), you may not gain as much strength from that session. It may also reduce the endurance training gains for untrained runners but not for trained and highly trained athletes.
In fitness circles, they call this the "interference effect".
However, this interference effect seems to disappear when you allow enough recovery time (at least 3 hours) between the training sessions. It also doesn't seem to affect women.
The interference effect is also only observed when the endurance and strength sessions focus on the same area of the body, e.g., running and leg strength workouts. Strength gains from core workouts don't seem to be affected by endurance workouts that mainly work your legs, e.g., cycling or running.
Our recommendation
Leave at least 3 hours between strength and endurance workouts that train the same body area.
However, the loss in strength gains reported in the research wasn't massive. So, if the only way to fit strength training into your schedule is by combining sessions, I would do it. My preference in these cases is to run before doing leg strength, as running on tired legs may predispose you to injury (more on this later).
On the other hand, doing core exercises before you run or do leg workouts can actually help you activate your muscles and perform better in those workouts.
Allow enough recovery time
Our bodies require recovery periods to rebuild and strengthen themselves after exercise sessions.
When you train the same part of your body hard on consecutive days, your body may not get enough time to recover fully from the previous session. And, by doing this too often, you risk getting an overuse injury.
Try to avoid running on tired legs. Running requires quick reactions and sound coordination, which becomes more difficult when you're tired. That's why you're more likely to injure yourself when you run on tired legs than if you strength train on tired legs.
The more strenuous your planned running session, the more critical it is to have rested legs.
Our recommendation
Try to space your high-intensity running sessions and leg strength workouts at least 24 hours apart, but 48 hours would be even better.
The delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) you feel after strength training often peaks at 48 hours. So, it may be better to do your high-intensity runs before leg strength training days.
Know your body
Our bodies are all different. So, you shouldn't follow any training plan like a robot. Instead, always observe how you feel, both mentally and physically.
For example, if you're tired or your legs feel sore, your body is telling you that it needs an easy day or two. On the other hand, when you're full of energy and your legs feel strong, you may be ready for a more demanding session.
Our recommendation
Plan your training week using the principles explained above, but adapt it to how your body feels on the day.
The Exakt Health app makes it easy to adjust your schedule on the fly. Quickly switch your planned workouts for the day or set a more permanent weekly schedule that fits with your life.
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