It is now well established that strength training is essential for runners in the long term. However, the question as to how to best combine running and strength training often causes confusion, especially as amateur running athletes frequently train twice a day and want to combine the two units. But how should they be combined? Go for a jog at lunchtime and to the gym in the evening? Or first do strength training and then a running unit straight after?

Basically, the unit that is more important and upon which your training is focused should come first on the respective day. It makes a difference whether you do a relaxed jogging unit or a hard interval unit, for which you need to be rested and lively. While a relaxed jogging unit can almost always be incorporated, a specific interval training unit should be given priority.

When doing strength training, you also need to make a distinction: if you do general circuit strength training with small weights, then it doesn’t matter whether you do it before or after your endurance training. However, if you do strength training with big weights, then the following applies: endurance before strength.

This rule of thumb can be further distinguished: as with running, strength training also has different training levels that should be synchronised with one another. There are four levels in the following order: stability, strength endurance (to increase resistance), cross-sectional enlargement (for muscle building), and maximum strength. 

The time at which you do your strength training primarily depends on the level. It's best to climb up level by level as your target running competition draws closer. As far as the first two levels are concerned, it doesn’t really matter whether you do your strength training before or after an endurance training unit on the same day. However, when it comes to the cross-sectional enlargement and maximum strength levels, you need to do your endurance training before your strength training because these two levels use heavy weights. 

Strength training is ideally done in the evening due to the optimal recovery time that follows. The following also applies: on the days that involve intensive strength training, your endurance training should be relaxed, less intensive, or completely omitted. 

The most important strength training tips for runners

• All four levels focus on the quality of movement.
• You can do stability and general strength gymnastics all year round (exercises with your own body weight, circuit training in the gym with small weights and lots of repetitions).
• Use bigger weights and do sport-specific exercises as the competition draws closer.
• Reduce your weight lifting and strength training in general before a competition.
• When training both on the same day, the following applies: strength before endurance (small weights and/or beginners), endurance before strength (big weights and/or top athletes).

Foto:iStock.com