Hello there everyone! Today I want to talk to you about something that I don’t think a lot of people think about when it comes to combining strength training and running – what I think is probably one of the biggest mistakes I see runners doing when they start adding lifting to their program, especially when they’re trying to lift through race prep or race training.
One of the biggest complaints I get from so many runners is that you’re always fatigued, sore, tired, and you feel like lifting is just causing you way more problems than good. You don’t know how to manage the two together, and frankly, you’re ready to give up on strength training altogether.
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone – and there’s a better way.
This is the big reason why I’m an advocate for what I call the “seasons approach” to hybrid training. First off, we have to think about the season you’re in when you’re combining running and lifting.
If you’re in early race prep season, you’re probably going to be able to do more lifting versus running. But as you get closer to race day, you’re probably going to have to adjust the amount of lifting you’re doing.
What I see many people do is they change the style of lifting they’re doing as well. They have heavy, sore, tired, fatigued legs, and what they do to manage that is either:
• Stop lifting and skip sessions altogether
• Switch to “runner-friendly” workouts with tons of light reps
• Try to maintain their off-season lifting volume while adding running
All of these approaches miss the mark, and here’s why.
Really old school conventional running advice says to lower the intensity in your lifting – drop your RPE to like a 5, keep it really easy, do a ton of reps and maybe extra sets because you’re doing this with either just bodyweight, bands, or really light weights so it doesn’t cause you more fatigue.
What happens is that when you start to increase the reps and sets, you end up inadvertently doing MORE volume. You’re not following a structured training program, you’re doing different exercises every single week, and you’re doing these high-rep bodyweight things or banded exercises with tons of reps and tons of sets, changing it up every week.
And you’re still feeling frustrated because you’re sore, fatigued, or worse than before.
Why don’t we want to do high-rep, high-set, “running mimicking” workouts? Wouldn’t that make sense to have our lifting match or be sport-specific to running?
When it comes to combining running and lifting, volume management is going to be one of the number one ways to reduce and prevent injuries, manage recovery, and control fatigue.
What a lot of people do is take their running and their lifting and just slap them on top of each other, adding all this volume rather than adjusting one versus the other. As you go across a race training season and you’re building up mileage and intensity as you get closer to race day, you’re increasing your running volume and running intensity.
You may be able to sustain a pretty good amount of lifting volume with your running in that early pre-season, but eventually, something’s got to give.
Managing volume in concurrent training means you have to factor your lifting into your running, not just add them together.
One of the ways we can manage volume is to lift heavier and decrease the reps we’re doing. I know that sounds counterintuitive because you’re thinking, “Well, lifting more weight is more fatiguing, isn’t it more difficult?”
Let me break down the math:
High-Rep Scenario: 4 sets of 10 reps at 100 pounds = 40 total reps × 100 pounds = 4,000 pounds total volume
Low-Rep Scenario: 4 sets of 5 reps at 100 pounds = 20 total reps × 100 pounds = 2,000 pounds total volume
The difference between those two total volumes is 4,000 pounds versus 2,000 pounds. Doing higher volume might be harder to recover from, more fatiguing, and just a lot on top of whatever other volume you’re doing with your running.
A really easy way to reduce that volume while still prioritizing strength and maintaining intensity across your running season is to stick to the strength ranges.
It’s a common misconception that runners need to be doing 15, 20, 25, or 30 reps in their accessory work to support their running. But you don’t need to make your lifting so sport-specific – you’re already doing running!
You’re doing tons of high-rep, low-weight, constant impact in your running. Let that be your running. But the low-rep, high-weight work in your lifting will:
• Allow you to maintain strength and power
• Help you maintain muscle across your running season
• Keep you strong, capable, and resilient for your running goals
• Require less total volume and recovery
You don’t need high volumes of lifting to maintain your lifting. Remember, when you’re focusing on running more than lifting, the goal is to MAINTAIN the lifting, not build it. You’re trying to maintain so you can build again in your next strength-focused season.
I personally recommend staying in the 3-6 rep range (you can do 1-6 if you’re comfortable with singles). This range is a great way to manage volume, and you can do probably anywhere between 2-5 sets depending on how much you can personally handle and recover from.
You can still use RPEs to manage fatigue that might be carrying over from your running as the volume increases. You’re still getting benefits from your lifting – you can get a really strong, robust strength stimulus by doing those high, heavy sets.
This approach feels counterintuitive because we think higher intensity means more fatigue, but the total volume is actually lower, making it easier to recover from alongside your running.
This ties into another major mistake: the desire to have novelty and try something new all the time, do crazy workouts, or just not having structure. This is why I recommend following a consistent training program, especially if you’re a runner, cyclist, triathlete, or any endurance athlete.
One of the things that makes us sore and causes muscle damage and fatigue more than almost anything else is novel exercises – newness in our program. You’ve probably noticed this: you do something new, start a new program, and you have increased soreness that first week or two.
But what happens is called the “repeated bout effect.” When you do something repeatedly, your body adapts and has less of a strong inflammatory response. Your body goes, “I’ve seen this before,” and doesn’t have to respond as intensely.
This is why I recommend:
• Following a structured strength program alongside your running
• Keeping exercises consistent week to week
• Not changing accessory work every week
• Opting for slightly longer blocks (5-6 weeks) during heavy running phases
My powerlifter and bodybuilder friends – this information applies to you too! The biggest thing is that you don’t need to be doing your high-volume hypertrophy work when you’re increasing running volume or in a race training phase.
If running or endurance work is new to you, it might be optimal to adjust your lifting volume to something you can tolerate. Remember, if you’re in a race training block trying to get better at running, the goal is to maintain your lifting and increase that endurance capacity.
You might have to slightly drop your lifting volume or intensity while you let the running rise up. As you adapt, you’ll be able to balance these things out better.
Keep your 4×10, 4×12 hypertrophy high-volume phases for your off-season or strength-focused seasons.
This is why I love a seasons approach. As an endurance athlete, this gives me a few months every year where I can really focus on that strength and hypertrophy aspect of my training. It doesn’t mean you can’t do hypertrophy work to support your lifting or maintain your gains – you absolutely can and should, especially with upper body work that doesn’t fatigue you as much.
We’re really talking about lower body fatigue management here. Keep your compounds as compounds, and do accessories that can support hypertrophy but also support your running goals – like single-leg exercises, lots of core work, and maybe more athletic movements.
This is exactly the approach we take in The Lyss Method. Our programs are specifically designed with this seasons approach in mind, so you’re never fighting against your body or trying to maximize conflicting adaptations at the same time. Whether you’re in a strength-building phase, race preparation, or maintenance season, our programming adjusts the volume and intensity appropriately so you can actually recover and make progress in both areas.
You’re going to have sore legs, tired legs, and days where you just feel fatigued – and it’s going to carry from running into your lifting or from lifting into your running. My best advice for that is to give yourself grace and know that it’s okay.
Even if things feel harder some days and fatigue is building up, that’s part of your training progression. Good programs are going to increase your fatigue over time and then allow for recovery – that’s part of what training is. You’re still making progress even if some runs and some lifts feel like you’re losing it all.
But if you eat enough, sleep enough, and manage your volume like we talked about today, some magic can truly happen in your concurrent or hybrid training goals.
Here’s how to put this into practice:
1. Assess Your Season: Are you in base building, race prep, peak training, or off-season?
2. Adjust Your Lifting Volume: As running volume increases, lifting volume should decrease
3. Stick to Strength Rep Ranges: 3-6 reps for main lifts during running seasons
4. Maintain Consistency: Keep the same exercises week to week to minimize soreness
5. Use RPE: Let your perceived exertion guide your lifting intensity as running fatigue accumulates
6. Don’t Skip – Adapt: Rather than skipping lifting sessions, reduce weight or reps but maintain the movement patterns
The key is understanding that when your running volume is increasing, your lifting doesn’t need to increase too – it needs to support and maintain while your running takes priority.
Remember, the seasons approach means you’re playing the long game. You’ll have dedicated times to focus on strength gains, and dedicated times to focus on running goals. Neither has to suffer permanently – you’re just prioritizing them strategically.
In The Lyss Method, we provide exactly this type of periodized programming. Our strength programs are designed to complement your running goals, and our running programs account for the lifting you want to maintain. We take the guesswork out of when to emphasize what, how to adjust volume, and how to progress both aspects of your fitness over time.
You’ll also get access to our hybrid-specific programs that are built from the ground up for people who want to be strong AND fast, with all the volume management and progression strategies built right in.
Managing lifting and running together doesn’t have to leave you feeling beaten up and exhausted all the time. The key is understanding that more isn’t always better – smarter is better.
By lifting heavier with fewer reps, maintaining consistency in your program, and adjusting your volume based on your current season and goals, you can successfully combine strength training and running without the constant fatigue and soreness that drives so many people to quit lifting altogether.
Your running will benefit from the strength work, your strength will be maintained through your running seasons, and you’ll be able to build both over time through strategic periodization.
Stop trying to make your lifting look like running, and start making your lifting support your running. Your legs (and your race times) will thank you.
I’m Exercise Physiologist, sports nutritionist, weight lifter, and ultra runner. I am here to bring science to your training in a no-nonsense way. I have helped thousands of women crush big lifting goals, cross race finish lines, and even do both. I’m here to help you do the same!
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