Strength Training Myths Runners Believe Debunked mile-repeats and half marathon pace. That could be why some runners avoid strength training altogether, missing key movements that could unlock new PRs.
Whether you’re getting ready to master the marathon Strength Training Exercises for Runners 5K, getting your strength-training routine right can help you supercharge your run performance, boost your speed, and keep you off the sidelines due to injury.
To help you make the most of weightlifting, we spoke with experts to unpack the most common strength-training mistakes runners make, and the best ways to tweak your program to maximize the benefits.
1. You Just Don’t Strength Train
The biggest mistake you can make when it comes to strength training as a runner is not strength training at all, explains Kate Baird, C.S.C.S., certified strength and conditioning specialist, running and metabolic testing coordinator, and exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “Strength training in general is going to improve maximal strength, rate of force development, power, and muscle tendon stiffness—in anyone who does it,” says Baird. All these benefits help your muscles generate force quickly, leading to better run performance.
A study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research in 2021 surveyed 390 long-distance triathletes and found that only 54 percent of athletes reported strength training in addition to their endurance training—a small percentage of athletes, according to Baird—due to either perceived time constraints or lack of knowledge on progression and form.
The best way to gain confidence and combat these factors that may lead you out of the weight room? Meet with a personal trainer or strength coach who can offer guidance and steer you in the right direction, Baird suggests.
2. You Neglect Single-Leg Exercises
Like many athletes, Baird explains, runners tend to do the exercises they like best, including double-legged movements, such as bridges, squats, and deadlifts. And while those exercises are helpful for runners, it’s crucial to incorporate single-leg exercises into workouts. This includes lunges, single-leg glute bridges, and single-leg squats.
“Running is a single-leg activity,” Baird explains, which means you rely on one leg at a time to propel you forward and keep you stable while you run. To build that stability, you have to practice it in the weight room.
A 2023 meta-analysis published in Frontiers of Physiology examined 28 studies on the effects of unilateral and bilateral training methods—including Bulgarian split squats and single-leg jump squats—on physical performance of athletes across various sports. The researchers found that while both unilateral and bilateral movements improved jumping ability and maximum strength, the unilateral movements especially enhanced the performances of athletes whose sport requires more single-leg movement, such as track and field athletes.
3. You’re Not Lifting Enough Weight
Oftentimes runners use too little weight for what they’re hoping to achieve in their fitness journeys, Baird says.
How to Run Fast When You Typically Run Long Strength Running, and host of the Strength Running Podcast agrees. Runners tend to strength train with high reps and lower weight, or they choose bodyweight movements, he explains. This is fine if you’re just starting out, but eventually you need to pick up the weights—and going heavy matters.
When you start lifting heavy, Baird explains, particularly heavy weight with quick movement, you can see a lot of gains in explosive power. This helps with stamina Golden Rules of Strength Training.
Strength Training Exercises for Runners systematic review and meta-analysis published in Sports Medicine suggests that heavy resistance training, particularly with nearly maximal loads, in addition to running, may be more effective than plyometrics when it comes to improving running economy and time-trial performance. To see results, researchers suggest following a program that lasts at least 10 weeks.
Half Marathon Training prevent injury, there’s no reason not to add weight to your strength-training movements as long as you’re a healthy, seasoned runner who can execute good form and alignment, Baird explains.
You’ll know if you’re ready to add weight if you’re able to perform an additional set, two extra reps in a set, or you’ve completed a given load for two sessions in a row without it feeling taxing.
4. You Treat Strength Training Like a Run Program
“Runner’s know what they like, and that’s aerobic training,” says Fitzgerald. “We often don’t feel like we’re getting a ‘good workout’ in the gym unless our heart rate is elevated, but we don’t need metabolic conditioning when we strength train, we need muscular conditioning.”
That means instead of working quickly through movements like in an AMRAP workout, for example, it’s better to focus on heavier weights with more rest between sets, says Fitzgerald. He explains that AMRAP workouts—which require you to do as many reps as possible in a given time period—are highly metabolic workouts, meaning “they stress the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, which is not typically a goal of endurance runners in the weight room,” considering you get plenty of aerobic development by running.
Instead, focus on compound movements (deadlifts, back squats, single-leg exercises), with a rest period of 90 seconds to two minutes between sets, Fitzgerald suggests. He recommends doing three sets of 10 repetitions max of a given movement, and gradually reducing the number of repetitions as you add weight. “This ensures that the athlete can focus on lifting more weight, rather than turning the workout into an aerobic session,” says Fitzgerald.
5. Your Strength-Training Routine Lacks Progression
While progression looks different between running and strength training, it’s still important to challenge yourself so you don’t plateau. If you do the same moves and lift the same weight every week, you’ll likely stop seeing progress. “Just like our running workouts, our strength training should lead us somewhere,” says Fitzgerald. “If we drop into random gym classes and have no clear plan with our strength training, we should expect arbitrary results.”
Similar to running, increasing the challenge on your strength training should happen slowly. “Progressions protect against injury by modulating intensity gradually so that the body can recover and grow from an appropriate amount of stress,” says Baird. For example, if you’ve never done a 75-pound squat, you wouldn't want to start there and risk straining a muscle. “It is the same as a running progression. If you have never run more than a 5K, you wouldn’t want to jump into a 13.1-mile race run out of the gate,” she explains.
To progress safely, Baird suggests newbies start with weights that allow you to complete the same movements for about eight to 12 repetitions with good form and moderate fatigue.
Also, give yourself a couple months to work up in weight incrementally, Baird suggests. “Generally, across sports science literature and research, nine to 12 weeks is an acceptable amount of time for adaptation to muscle growth,” she says. If you’re a more seasoned athlete with a history of muscular adaptations in the weight room, your build phase might last about four to six weeks.
6. You Strength Train Under Fatigue
Some runners find it difficult to balance both strength-training sessions and run workouts while still allowing for adequate recovery time. While many experts typically recommend doing run workouts and strength sessions on the same day—say, a run in the morning and lift in the evening so you have true rest days between—the key is creating a schedule that works best for you and allows you to perform well.
But you probably want to avoid lifting right after a run: “If you’re going to do them back-to-back, you’re going to be sacrificing something in your strength session,” says Baird.
Summer Running Gear feel. “If you’re going to go into your workout and you feel like you’d rather be sleeping, you just have to be realistic about what you’re able to devote to your workouts,” says Baird. She explains that if you find yourself feeling exhausted, unable to complete a workout, or you’re struggling to move your typical weight, it’s best to lean into recovery, like taking an extra rest day or prioritizing sleep.
7. You’re Wearing the Wrong Shoes
Your cushioned running shoes carry you through your miles with just the right amount of support in each step, but you don’t exactly need to feel like you’re walking on air while strength training. You want the opposite actually: to feel your feet push off the ground as you do a squat or drive through your heels during a deadlift, DAA Industry Opt Out.
So, leave your favorite pair of Brooks or Hokas at the door and switch to a pair of hard-soled, zero-drop shoes, Fitzgerald explains. This could include regular Converse sneakers, Reebok Nanos, or Nike Metcons.
Don’t have weight training shoes or the budget to buy a pair? Wear the firmest running shoe you have, with a minimal heel-toe drop.
Bulgarian split squats Runner’s World and Bicycling in July 2024. She previously coached high school girls cross country and currently competes in seasonal races, with more than six years of distance training and an affinity for weightlifting. You can find her wearing purple, baking cupcakes, and visiting her local farmers market.
