Strength training for runners: a gym routine to run faster and get injured less
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Eight weeks of heavy half squats, 4 sets of 4 reps, improved running economy by 5% and time to exhaustion by 21% in distance runners, without any weight gain. What strength training improves in a runner, a two-day routine and how to fit it around your intervals and long runs.
In 2008, Støren and colleagues added three weekly sessions of half squats, 4 sets of 4-rep maxes, to the training of a group of well-trained distance runners. Nothing else. After 8 weeks, their running economy had improved by 5% and they lasted 21.3% longer at their maximal aerobic speed. Their maximal oxygen uptake and their body weight did not change.
In other words, they ran using less energy at the same pace, without carrying extra kilos. That is the idea behind this guide. Strength training for runners is not about muscle: it is about a more efficient stride and more resilient tissues. Here is what it improves, a two-day routine and how to fit it around your intervals and long runs.
What strength training improves in a runner
It is not an isolated study. Blagrove and colleagues (2018) reviewed 24 studies of middle- and long-distance runners: running economy generally improved by 2-8% compared with those who only ran, and 1.5 to 10 km time trials and speed also tended to improve. VO2max, lactate and body composition, on the other hand, usually did not change. The meta-analysis by Balsalobre-Fernández and colleagues (2016), with 93 high-level runners, found a large effect on economy with programmes of 2-3 sessions a week for 8-12 weeks.
| Variable | Effect of strength training |
|---|---|
| Running economy | 2-8% improvement in most studies (Blagrove, 2018); large effect in high-level runners (Balsalobre-Fernández, 2016) |
| Performance (time trial and time to exhaustion) | Moderate effect with heavy loads and large when methods are combined (Llanos-Lagos, 2024) |
| VO2max | No relevant change (Blagrove, 2018; Llanos-Lagos, 2024) |
| Body weight and composition | No change (Støren, 2008; Beattie, 2017) |
| Sports injuries | Strength training cut them to less than a third (Lauersen, 2014) |
Does strength training make you heavier? No
It is the most common fear, and the evidence rules it out. In the study by Beattie and colleagues (2017), competitive runners did strength training for 40 weeks: they improved maximal and reactive strength, economy and velocity at VO2max, with no change in their body weight, fat or lean mass. With low reps and high running volume, the stimulus to build muscle is small; we explain why cardio blunts hypertrophy in cardio and strength together.
Heavy and low reps, not light circuits
Many people translate “strength for runners” into 20-rep circuits with light dumbbells. The evidence points the other way. In the meta-analysis by Llanos-Lagos and colleagues (2024), with almost 900 runners, heavy-load training (80% of maximum or more) had a moderate effect on performance, and combining heavy loads, submaximal loads and plyometrics had a large effect. Plyometrics on their own did not reach significance.
Heavy sets improve your ability to apply force quickly: in Støren's study, rate of force development rose by 26%. That translates into a stride that returns more energy with every foot strike. Light circuits mainly train endurance, which is exactly what you already train by running.
The key: sets of 4-6 reps with a load that would not allow many more, plus some plyometrics. Low volume, high quality and never going to failure.
Strength routine for runners: 2 days a week
Two sessions of 40-50 minutes, with at least 48 hours between them. Start each one with 5-10 minutes of warm-up and two or three ramp-up sets on the first exercise.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat or half squat | 4 × 4-6 | 2-3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 6-8 | 2 min |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 8-12 | 90 s |
| Box jumps or vertical jumps | 3 × 5 | 90 s |
| Side plank | 2 × 30-45 s per side | 60 s |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 × 6-8 per leg | 2 min |
| Hip thrust | 3 × 6-10 | 2 min |
| Nordic curl or hamstring curl | 3 × 5-8 | 90 s |
| Seated calf raise (soleus) | 3 × 10-15 | 60 s |
| Single-leg pogo hops | 3 × 10 per leg | 90 s |
If you have never done strength training, spend the first 2-3 weeks learning the technique with moderate loads, leaving 3-4 reps in reserve, before moving on to heavy sets of 4-6. Squat technique is covered in barbell squat, the Bulgarian split squat in Bulgarian split squat, and more options in leg exercises.
How to fit strength around your running
Order matters little for your heart and somewhat more for your legs. In the meta-analysis by Murlasits and colleagues (2018), doing strength before endurance in the same session gave almost 4 kg more improvement in lower-body maximum, and the order did not change aerobic capacity. If running is your priority, run first; if you want to build strength in the off-season, lift first.
The most useful practical rule is to keep hard days hard and easy days easy: strength on the same day as intervals or tempo work, and never the day before your quality session or your long run.
| Day | Running | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Intervals | Day A, after running |
| Tuesday | Easy run | — |
| Wednesday | Rest or easy run | — |
| Thursday | Tempo or fartlek | Day B, after running |
| Friday | Rest | — |
| Saturday | Long run | — |
| Sunday | Easy run or rest | — |
How to adjust strength work across the season
- Off-season or base period: 2 sessions a week, the dose most studies use. This is when you can progress your loads the most.
- Race-specific block: 1-2 sessions, with fewer sets but the same heavy load.
- Race week: one short, light session early in the week, or none. No sore legs on race day.
- After the race: return with moderate loads for one or two weeks.
Common mistakes
- Stretching instead of strengthening: in the meta-analysis by Lauersen and colleagues (2014), with more than 26,000 athletes from different sports, stretching did not reduce injuries; strength training, by contrast, cut them to less than a third.
- Using only light weights: they add little to what running already trains.
- Dropping strength work during the racing season: your gains are kept with little, but not with nothing.
- Heavy leg work the day before intervals: you will arrive tired at the session that matters most.
- Forgetting the calves and soleus: they work on every foot strike; train them both standing and seated.
If you want us to build both sessions for you, the Progrevia generator creates two-day strength routines adjusted to your minutes and equipment, with the progression planned week by week. And to organise the rest of your cardio, see zone 2 cardio.
- Støren Ø, Helgerud J, Støa EM, Hoff J. Maximal strength training improves running economy in distance runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2008;40(6):1087-1092.
- Blagrove RC, Howatson G, Hayes PR. Effects of strength training on the physiological determinants of middle- and long-distance running performance: a systematic review. Sports Medicine. 2018;48(5):1117-1149.
- Balsalobre-Fernández C, Santos-Concejero J, Grivas GV. Effects of strength training on running economy in highly trained runners: a systematic review with meta-analysis of controlled trials. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2016;30(8):2361-2368.
- Llanos-Lagos C, Ramirez-Campillo R, Moran J, Sáez de Villarreal E. The effect of strength training methods on middle-distance and long-distance runners' athletic performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2024;54(7):1801-1833.
- Beattie K, Carson BP, Lyons M, Rossiter A, Kenny IC. The effect of strength training on performance indicators in distance runners. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2017;31(1):9-23.
- Murlasits Z, Kneffel Z, Thalib L. The physiological effects of concurrent strength and endurance training sequence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2018;36(11):1212-1219.
- Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2014;48(11):871-877.
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Frequently asked questions
How many days a week should a runner do strength training?
Two weekly sessions are the most studied dose. The meta-analysis by Balsalobre-Fernández (2016) found a large effect on running economy with 2-3 sessions a week for 8-12 weeks.
Does lifting weights make you run faster?
Yes, mainly by improving running economy, by 2-8% according to Blagrove (2018). The meta-analysis by Llanos-Lagos (2024) found a moderate effect on performance with heavy loads and a large one when heavy, submaximal and plyometric training were combined.
Should runners lift light or heavy weights?
Heavy. Loads of 80% of maximum or more, in sets of 4-6 reps, are the ones that improve performance (Llanos-Lagos, 2024). Light circuits mainly train endurance, which you already train by running.
Is it better to lift before or after running?
It depends on your priority. According to Murlasits (2018), lifting first gives slightly more leg strength, and the order does not change aerobic capacity. If the running session is the important one, run first.
Does strength training prevent running injuries?
It is one of the best tools available. In the meta-analysis by Lauersen (2014), with more than 26,000 athletes from different sports, strength training cut injuries to less than a third, while stretching did not reduce them.
Informational content based on the available scientific evidence: it does not replace advice from a healthcare professional. If you have an injury or a medical condition, or are pregnant, check with one before changing your training or diet.
