Concurrent Training: Combining Running and Strength Training Effectively

Can I do strength training after running?

Yes, you can absolutely perform strength training after a running session, but the efficacy and safety of this approach heavily depend on your specific fitness goals, the intensity and duration of both activities, and proper recovery strategies.

Understanding Concurrent Training

Combining different modes of exercise, such as cardiovascular training (running) and resistance training (strength training), within the same workout session or training period is known as concurrent training. This approach is common among athletes and general fitness enthusiasts seeking to improve multiple aspects of their physical fitness simultaneously. The primary challenge lies in optimizing the sequencing and intensity to maximize adaptations from both modalities without causing an "interference effect" that could blunt gains in either strength or endurance.

Pros of Strength Training After Running

There are several advantages to sequencing strength training immediately after a running workout:

• Time Efficiency: For individuals with limited time, combining workouts into a single session can be highly practical and help maintain consistency in a busy schedule.
• Enhanced Warm-up: A moderate running session can serve as an excellent dynamic warm-up for a subsequent strength training session, increasing core body temperature, blood flow to muscles, and joint lubrication, potentially reducing injury risk.
• Targeting Specific Adaptations: For endurance athletes, performing strength training after running can be beneficial. Since the endurance stimulus (running) is already provided, the strength session can focus on improving power, muscular endurance, and injury resilience without compromising the primary endurance adaptation.
• Glycogen Depletion for Fat Utilization: Running depletes muscle glycogen stores. If strength training is performed immediately after, the body may be more inclined to utilize fat as an energy source during the strength session, especially if the intensity is moderate.
• Improved Recovery (Indirectly): For some, completing both workouts in one go allows for a longer, uninterrupted recovery period afterward compared to splitting sessions across the day, which might mean two separate recovery windows.

Cons and Considerations of Strength Training After Running

While beneficial for many, this sequencing also presents potential drawbacks:

• Fatigue Impact on Strength Performance: Running, especially long-distance or high-intensity intervals, can cause significant muscular and central nervous system fatigue. This fatigue can compromise your strength training performance, leading to:
  • Reduced force output: You may not be able to lift as heavy or perform as many repetitions.
  • Compromised form: Fatigue increases the risk of technique breakdown, elevating injury risk.
  • Decreased power and explosiveness: Crucial for strength and hypertrophy gains.
• Increased Injury Risk: Performing complex or heavy lifts while fatigued from running can lead to poor form, muscle imbalances becoming more pronounced, and an increased susceptibility to strains or sprains.
• Interference Effect (Potentially): While debated, some research suggests that high-volume endurance training immediately preceding strength training can blunt certain strength adaptations, particularly maximal strength and hypertrophy, due to competing molecular signaling pathways (e.g., AMPK vs. mTOR). This is more pronounced when both sessions are high intensity.
• Glycogen Depletion for Strength: If your running session heavily depletes glycogen, your muscles may not have sufficient readily available energy for high-intensity strength work, which relies heavily on carbohydrate stores. This could limit your ability to perform at peak for strength.
• Mental Fatigue: The cumulative mental effort of two demanding workouts back-to-back can reduce focus and motivation, impacting the quality of your strength training session.

Optimal Strategies for Combining Running and Strength Training

If you choose to combine these activities, consider these strategies to maximize benefits and minimize risks:

• Prioritize Your Goal:
  • If strength is your priority: It's generally better to perform strength training before running, or on separate days.
  • If endurance is your priority: Performing strength training after running is often acceptable and can enhance running performance.
• Manage Intensity and Volume:
  • Running: Keep your pre-strength run moderate in intensity and duration (e.g., 20-30 minutes easy to moderate pace). Avoid maximal efforts or long runs if you plan to lift heavy afterward.
  • Strength Training: Adjust the intensity and volume of your strength session based on your fatigue levels. Focus on quality over quantity.
• Fueling and Recovery are Crucial:
  • Pre-Workout: Ensure adequate carbohydrate intake before your run to fuel both sessions.
  • Intra-Workout: Consider a small, easily digestible carbohydrate source between the run and strength session, especially if there's a short break.
  • Post-Workout: Immediately after the combined session, consume a meal or shake rich in protein and carbohydrates to kickstart recovery and replenish glycogen stores.
  • Sleep: Prioritize 7-9 hours of quality sleep to facilitate muscle repair and recovery.
• Exercise Selection: Focus on compound movements (squats, deadlifts, presses, rows) in your strength training, as they provide the most bang for your buck. However, if fatigued, consider reducing the complexity or load, or opting for machine-based exercises that require less stabilization.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay close attention to signs of overtraining, persistent fatigue, or unusual soreness. It's okay to modify or even skip a session if your body needs more recovery.
• Consider Timing Within the Session:
  • Minimal Break: If you're going straight from running to lifting, keep the run moderate.
  • Short Break (15-30 mins): This allows for a quick refuel (e.g., a banana or sports drink) and a mental reset.
• Alternative Sequencing:
  • Separate Days: The ideal scenario for maximizing adaptations in both strength and endurance is to perform them on separate days.
  • Separate Sessions on the Same Day: If separate days aren't feasible, splitting the workouts (e.g., running in the morning, strength training in the evening) with at least 6-8 hours between sessions, allows for recovery and replenishment.

Who Might Benefit Most from This Sequence?

• Endurance Athletes: Runners, triathletes, and cyclists looking to build strength and power without compromising their primary endurance training.
• General Fitness Enthusiasts: Individuals aiming for overall fitness, body composition improvements, and time efficiency.
• Those with Limited Training Days: If you can only get to the gym a few days a week, combining can be an effective way to include both modalities.

Who Should Be Cautious?

• Strength-Focused Athletes: Powerlifters, Olympic lifters, or bodybuilders whose primary goal is maximal strength or hypertrophy, as concurrent training (especially with running first) can interfere with these specific adaptations.
• Beginners: Novices may find the combined fatigue overwhelming and struggle with proper form, increasing injury risk. It's often better to establish a base in one modality before combining.
• Individuals with Specific Injury Concerns: If you have pre-existing joint issues or muscle imbalances, performing strength training while fatigued could exacerbate these problems.

Conclusion

Performing strength training after running is a viable and often beneficial approach, particularly for endurance athletes and those seeking time efficiency. However, it requires careful consideration of your goals, intelligent programming of intensity and volume, and a strong emphasis on recovery and nutrition. By understanding the physiological implications and implementing smart strategies, you can effectively integrate both running and strength training into your fitness routine to achieve your desired outcomes safely and effectively.