Running + Weight Lifting: Do It The Right Way

Running and lifting can go together in your routine but the key is structure. If you go into both modes of exercise aiming to give 100% and see insane progress in both - you’re going to leave yourself feeling fatigued, burned out, and likely increase your risk of injury. 

Start by defining your weekly goals: how many days can you train, and what’s your priority? Is it performance, physique, or both? From there you start to plan out your approach. In the next slides I cover important, valuable information on how to do both successfully.

Benefits of Doing Both

You’ll build strength, power, and muscle while improving cardiovascular health, stamina, and mental resilience. You could say it’s the perfect combo for body recomposition, fat loss, and general athleticism.

Plus, running can help with your endurance and stamina in the gym, while strength training makes you more injury resistant as a runner and improves your running economy. Whether you want to chase finish lines or just feel better in your own skin, this pairing builds a body that performs and that looks athletic.

Be Realistic

If you’re doing this for the first time or starting back up you shouldn’t train like an elite athlete. Your body needs time to adapt to the stress of running and lifting. Start with fewer weekly sessions like 2-3 of each and focus on consistency over intensity. Quality over quantity wins, especially early on.

If you're intermediate or advanced, you’ll likely handle a higher load. But even then, listen to your body and understand your recovery needs. Progress is built on a solid foundation of having your training, nutrition and recovery in place. Not from hammering yourself into the ground.

You Can’t Give 100% to Both

Trying to go full send on both your lifting and running will burn you out fast. Each discipline demands energy, recovery, and focus. If you’re constantly pushing your limits on both fronts, something’s going to give... usually your recovery or your joints.

Instead, periodise your focus. Maybe you prioritise strength while maintaining your running base for 4–6 weeks, then flip it. This allows you to progress without plateaus, avoid overtraining, and drastically reduce your risk of injury.

Optimal Training Splits

Running is a full-body effort. If your gym sessions only hit arms or chest in isolation, you're missing out on functional strength that transfers to your runs. Instead of split routines like “arm day,” go for movement-based sessions—think push, pull, legs, for example.

This split will build whole-body strength, balances muscle groups, and supports running mechanics. This kind of programming also keeps your sessions efficient and flexible. 3 days in the gym and 2-3 running days in the week. Perfect when juggling both running and lifting in your week.

Chasing PB’s Every Run

Every run isn’t a race. Constantly trying to beat your best time will burn your nervous system and stall progress. Focus instead on improving your sub-maximal performance. Your ability to maintain effort at a lower heart rate and perceived exertion.

This kind of aerobic development builds endurance, efficiency, and recovery speed. And here’s the bonus: by improving your base, your top-end speed and performance naturally go up. Train smarter, and the PB's will come when it matters most.

Dial In Your Recovery

Recovery is where the progress happens. You can’t combine running and lifting, expect to drop body fat, and build muscle without fuelling your body properly. Prioritise your macronutrients (especially protein), hydrate well, and eat enough to support your activity level/ goals.

You know you should be sleeping more. Aim for 7–9 hours and stay consistent. Add in active recovery days, stretching, or even a short walk to help reduce muscle soreness. The better your recovery, the better your performance and the faster you will progress.

If you’re a man or woman looking to drop fat, build real strength, and gain unshakable confidence, I’ve got space inside my coaching program to help you level up. No more guesswork, no more spinning your wheels—just smart training, expert support, and sustainable progress.

Want to train with purpose and get in the best shape of your life? Message me READY and let's build a plan that works for you and gets you incredible results.

Andy.