Should strength training be done before or after running?

Should strength training be done before or after running? There is no standard answer, it all depends on your training goals, exercise foundation and physical condition of the day - even whether you pass by the gym first or run to the track first when you go out today can be a reason to adjust the order.

We must first clarify a premise: the strength training we are talking about here refers to formal training with weight-bearing resistance and clear sets of weight requirements. It is not an activation warm-up such as calf raises and side steps for three to five minutes before running. The latter is originally part of the pre-running warm-up and is not included in the scope of discussion.

When I first started doing ironwork and half marathon at the same time two years ago, I struggled with this issue for almost two months. I asked a veteran of the running group and he said that you must put your strength behind the run. How can you run at the pace if your legs are weak from training? I turned around and asked the coach at the gym, and he said that I must do strength training first. Aerobic exercise consumes all the glycogen. It’s strange that you can squat and move. Both sides are reasonable. I tried both orders for half a month and stepped on two pitfalls before I figured out some tricks.

If your core goal is to build muscle and increase strength and weight, you are right to listen to the coach and put strength training before running. I had a partner who just practiced glute bridge and wanted to hit 80kg PR. I ran aerobically for 40 minutes that day because of my brain cramps. As soon as I set up the bar, my legs gave way and I sat on the ground. My waist flashed and I rested for half a month. I even had to bring a cushion with me to work. Later, I checked the sports physiology data and found out that the main energy source of resistance training is muscle glycogen. If you do moderate-intensity aerobics for more than 40 minutes first, your glycogen reserves will be depleted by half, and your strength performance will directly drop by 20%. Not to mention weight training, deformed movements may lead to joint wear and muscle strain, which is not worth the gain. Let alone running at this time, I only dared to walk slowly for 10 minutes to move my joints even to warm up, and I didn’t dare to continue running at all.

On the other hand, if the core goal of your training is to improve running performance, such as preparing for a marathon or practicing speed and endurance, then it will be more beneficial to move formal strength training to after running. The master who broke 3 in the marathon in our running group would leave 20 minutes to practice single-leg squats and core after every Tuesday interval class. He said, "Doing it when your whole body is sore after running is exactly the same as the state in the last 5 kilometers of the race. The strength you have developed at this time can really be used in the competition, and you will not be shaken like a roly-poly when you hit the wall." Of course, there are prerequisites for this. What you are training is functional strength related to running. Don’t squat 1RM when your head is hot after running. The pressure on your knees will be too great and the gain will not be worth the loss.

Nowadays, there are many schools that focus on fat loss. They like to put short-term high-intensity strength first, practice for 30 to 40 minutes to use up glycogen, and then run for 20 to 30 minutes. They say that this way the proportion of fat energy supply is higher and the efficiency of fat removal is doubled. I tried it myself for two months, and it is true that I lose body fat faster than running first and then practicing, but I have also encountered pitfalls: once I practiced legs for 45 minutes and then ran. When I landed, my legs were as soft as boiled noodles. I sprained my feet and rested for a week, but I gained two pounds. Therefore, this sequence particularly tests the basics of sports. Novices should not try it casually if they have no control.

In fact, if you want to arrange both trainings, but are afraid of affecting each other, the easiest way is to split them into two parts. This is what I do now when preparing for the marathon: get up at 6 a.m. and run 10 kilometers, and then go to the gym after get off work in the afternoon to practice upper body and core exercises for 40 minutes. There is no delay between each other, and there is no need to worry about the order. If you don’t have enough time and can only practice together, then you should prioritize your recent core goals: if you want to achieve a squat PR this month, practice strength first, and if you want to run a half-marathon PB next month, run first. Do whatever is comfortable for you.

There is really no need to adhere to the "standard order" on the Internet. There is no universal formula for exercise. Try it twice on your own and see which sequence is the best for you. After all, training that can be sustained is useful training, right?