One of the most pervasive myths among runners is that there’s no need for strength training. Some of the most common rumors about stepping into the gym to do anything other than use the treadmill include that it will bulk you up, slow you down, and leave you too sore to successfully log the miles on your training plan.
In reality, every runner can benefit from lifting weights. However, depending on the race distance you’re training for, how you strength train may look a little different. In other words, your gym routine in preparation for PRing your 5K won’t be the same as your marathoner BFF’s.
To learn more about why that is and what the lifting component should look like when training for shorter versus longer distances, we spoke with two run coaches to give you the details.
Related StoryFirst, the Advantages Runners Gain from Strength Training
We get it, runners want to run. Spending time on other training elements can be a drag when all you want to do is hit your weekly mileage goals. But lifting consistently boosts your speed and running economy and reduces your injury risk, according to USATF-certified run coach Jason Fitzgerald, head coach of Strength Running, and host of The Strength Running Podcast.
Indeed, strength training improves your power generation and neuromuscular coordination to help you run faster and longer without it feeling harder, adds Alison Marie Helms, Ph.D., NASM-certified personal trainer and UESCA-certified run coach. And research backs this up: A 2024 review in Sports Medicine found that strength training at 80 percent of your one-rep max (the max amount of weight you can lift for one rep) can improve running economy, especially among middle- and long-distance runners.
In terms of injury prevention, a 2023 review in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports observed that more than 400 recreational runners who followed an 18-week strength training and foam rolling program were 85 percent less likely to sustain a running-related injury compared to those who didn’t follow the same protocol.
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Additionally, “strength training supports metabolic health, bone mass, and muscle mass,” Helms says. “It helps build a body that can keep up with running—and life—for the long haul.” Metabolic health refers to normal levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, which can lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.
A 2019 study in Frontiers in Physiology found that adding more than two resistance training sessions to your routine each week could improve metabolic health markers. Plus, a 2018 research article in Endocrinology and Metabolism supports the notion that strength training improves muscle and bone mass and can prevent osteosarcopenia (a condition in which you lose bone and muscle mass).
Related StoryWhy You Need a Different Strength Approach for Each Race Distance
It’s important to balance run training with weightlifting, no matter what you’re racing, Fitzgerald says, but the way you approach your lifting sessions might differ if you’re training for a shorter race versus a longer race.
When it comes to training for a longer distance, like a half marathon or marathon, you don’t want to overexert yourself when it comes to your strength training. “Since these races are substantially longer, more of a focus can be put on stability and injury resilience with single-leg exercises, core training, and fewer explosive movements,” he says.
On the other hand, shorter races require more speed and power, according to Fitzgerald, and more intense weightlifting sessions with plyometrics and/or heavier weights are beneficial.
How to Strength Train for Shorter Distances
If you’re training for a shorter, faster race, you want to put more focus into lifting heavy for the power generation you’ll need to tap into during this type of race, according to Helms. Think about it: You’re generally running faster during a 5K or 10K as opposed to a marathon, so you’re generating more force with every stride.
“Strength training with heavy weights can improve force production and neuromuscular coordination, creating a more powerful stride. This more powerful stride can result in a bigger performance increase for shorter distances versus a longer distance,” Helms says.
Fitzgerald emphasizes the importance of lifting heavy when training for shorter distances. “By lifting a lot of weight, runners are recruiting more muscle fibers than lifting lighter weights,” he says “This trains the brain to ‘use’ more of the muscle than it previously knew how to, helping you lift the heavier weight. During a race, this translates to recruiting more muscle fibers for a faster finishing kick during moments of high fatigue.”
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Both Fitzgerald and Helms agree that runners training for shorter distances should lift two to three times a week, with a focus on full-body workouts and compound, multi-joint lifts that “train movements, not muscles,” Fitzgerald notes.
“The number of sets and reps will change over time as your season progresses, just like your workouts progress over time,” Fitzgerald says. “Early in a season, lifting can be more basic with three sets of 10 repetitions of fundamental lifts like deadlifts and squats. But as the athlete approaches their target race, they should focus more on explosivity, power, and speed with heavier weights, less repetitions, and more plyometrics.”
What do heavier weights look like in this case? Because the actual weight will be different for everyone, it’s helpful to use rate of perceived exertion (RPE), according to Helms. RPE is a scale used to measure workout intensity and effort, and it’s based on a scale from one to 10 (one being incredibly easy and 10 being maximum effort).
“The ideal range for most exercises when we are talking about lifting heavy is seven to eight on a scale of 10,” she says. “You might be squatting with 80 pounds to hit that range in a more strength-building phase where running volume is lower.”
If you’re strength training two days a week, it might look something like this, according to Helms:
- Day 1: Squat/quad focus on the lower body, plyometric exercises like broad jumps and bounding, push focus on the upper body
- Day 2: Hinge/hamstring focus in the lower body, pull focus on the upper body with some lateral movement sprinkled in on each day
If you’re strength training three days a week, it might look something like this, according to Helms:
- Day 1: Squat/quad focus on the lower body, plyometric exercises like broad jumps and bounding, push focus on the upper body
- Day 2: Hinge/hamstring focus in the lower body, pull focus on the upper body
- Day 3: Lateral movements with the lower body (including plyometric exercises like skater jumps), with some upper body isolation work (biceps and triceps)
Related StoryHow to Strength Train for Longer Distances
Strength training is still important from an efficiency standpoint in longer distances, according to Helms. Additionally, the injury resiliency and connective tissue health benefits become even more important when you’re laying a foundation before building lots of volume for longer-distance work, she adds.
“A strength base is needed before building running volume because running is a repetitive, high-impact activity that demands resilience from the body’s muscles, bones, and connective tissue,” Helms says. “Without a foundation of strength, increasing mileage can overload tissues that aren’t prepared to handle the stress, often leading to injuries, inefficiencies, and plateaus in performance.”
That strength base is made of foundational movements (squats, hinge, lunge, push, pull) with an emphasis on single-leg strength, core and pelvic stability, and calf and foot strength, Helms explains.
But as you get deeper into your training for longer distances, like a half marathon or marathon, the overall stress on your system from just your running volume is a lot. You don’t necessarily want to add a whole lot more with strength training, Helms explains.
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Your strength training strategy when training for longer distances should still involve two or three full-body sessions a week, according to Fitzgerald, though Helms says you may be able to get away with just one or two days a week when you’re deep into your long-distance running volume.
You can still lift heavy weights needed to generate running power and prevent injury, but you’d reduce the number of sets and reps in comparison to training for a shorter distance, according to Helms. For instance, you may want to do two sets of five reps instead of three sets of 10 reps. This way, “you’re still moving heavy weights for that power generation, coordination, and connective tissue health, but not overloading your system with too much more volume,” she says.
What does “heavy” look like in this case? Using the RPE scale above where you want to be at a seven or eight, 65 to 75 pounds might be all you need to get into that range when you’re deeper into race training with more overall stress coming from your running volume, Helms explains.
When training for longer distances, you should still follow the same weekly focus schedule from above, Helms notes, but decrease the amount of weight used and skip the plyometric moves. This is because shorter races require significantly more power generation in which lifting heavy and doing explosive exercises are more helpful, she says.
When it comes to piling on the volume for longer races, the focus is on injury prevention and shoring up your weak spots.
Related StoryThe Bottom Line on Strength Training During a Race Build
Runners training for any and every race distance should prioritize strength training to help them improve their power and speed and reduce their risk of injury.
However, those preparing for shorter distances—like a 5K or 10K—should generally include more sets and reps of each exercise in their lifting workouts than those gearing up for longer distances—like a half marathon or marathon. Additionally, long-distance runners may benefit from fewer strength training days per week so as to not get in the way of their high running volume.
If you have the means to do so, working with a run coach will help you nail down a training plan that works best for your lifestyle, fitness level, and goals.
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Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She’s a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women’s Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner’s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men’s Fitness, and more.