7 Strength Training Mistakes Runners Make

The biggest one is not doing it at all.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sworn that this marathon training cycle would be the one where I prioritized strength training. The only time I followed through on that was in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Marathon—which was, alas, cancelled. Well, this time I’m not waiting for my next training cycle—with no immediate races on the calendar, I’ve fully committed to heavy lifting this winter, because strength training is one of the best things a runner can do to bulletproof their body against the demands of running while becoming stronger and faster.

Yes, it can be tough to make time for strength training when you’re running up to six days a week; doing mobility work and stretching; focusing on your eating and sleeping habits; and, you know, doing your job and having a social life. But… Strength training was shown to boost running economy by anywhere from two to eight percent in different race distances, according to a 2017 systematic review published in the journal Sports Medicine—that’s basically comparable to super shoes, except your money goes a lot further (and you get a lot more health benefits) at the gym.

A mere two sessions a week is all you need to get stronger, according to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in October 2020. And making time for those sessions—especially in an “off-season,” “pre-season,” or whatever you want to call the period before you start officially training for your next race—can make all the difference come race day. To maximize the time you do spend in the gym, make sure you’re avoiding these common mistakes strength coaches see runners make.

You’re treating lifting like cardio. 

Exclusively doing high reps of low weight with little rest is essentially a cardio workout, says Matthew Sellen, a strength coach and physical therapist at Revo Physiotherapy and Sports Performance in Denver. You get a gold star for lifting weights at all, but high reps/low weight is all about endurance. You’re getting enough of that through running. But “heavier weights for fewer reps and more rest builds more muscular strength and power,” he explains, “and it allows for more resilient muscles and joints,” which will help you maximize the benefits of strength training. Lifting heavy—versus light or moderate—is the best option for making your muscles stronger, a 2021 review in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise confirms.

You’re doing random gym classes with a high metabolic demand.

I’m all for group fitness classes, but many of the most popular “strength” classes are too high-intensity for most runners. Again, “we get enough of that from running,” says Jason Fitzgerald, a USATF-certified running coach and founder of Strength Running. “Those classes typically don’t focus on strength and power in a focused way. Any ‘AMRAP’ or ‘EMOM’ or hard circuit workout tries to combine the physiological demands of a track workout and a gym workout. Runners only need the latter.” Plus, you don’t necessarily need multiple hour-long classes to build strength—you can see significant improvements with just two or three 20- or 30-minute sessions a week.

You’re not lifting heavy enough.

Your one-rep max (1RM) is the heaviest load that you can successfully lift just once, and most resistance training prescribes reps based on different percentages of that 1RM. But if you’re self-selecting your weights, you may not be lifting enough: In a 2022 systematic review published in the journal Sports Medicine, study participants chose loads equal to an average of 53 percent of their 1RM across exercises, which, when used for five to 15 reps, could increase strength gains for novices, but not for more advanced lifters. You generally want to be working at 70 percent or higher of your 1RM, with sets of eight reps or less.

You’re not respecting the rest breaks. 

When you’re running, rest intervals generally just mean you slow down. In heavy lifting, the period after a set is typically a full stop. “I find that runners either jog in place between sets or simply aren’t recovering long enough,” says Amanda Katz, a running coach and certified personal trainer. “If you’re lifting heavy enough, you should need 90 seconds up to potentially three minutes of recovery after each set depending on the movement.” That ensures you’re working hard enough in each set and that you’re giving your body enough time to recover so you can make the most of the next set, too, she adds. Don’t rush it! Resting for three to five minutes between sets produced greater increases in absolute strength than just a single minute of rest between sets, older research in the journal Sports Medicine determined. 

You’re wearing running shoes in the gym.

When it comes to lifting, you need to feel the floor, and “running shoes are too soft and squishy,” says Matthew Meyer, a certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach in Boulder, CO. “A lower stack height shoe with a firm sole helps stabilize you, increasing your balance and proprioception while allowing you to push down into the floor without unnecessary movement,” he explains. Imagine doing a squat: Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout the foot; if you’re wearing running shoes, which tend to have extra padding in the heel, that foam will collapse as the load increases and rock you backward, he explains. Lifting shoes promote better form, which then helps prevent injury, a study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research confirms. Meyer’s favorite is the Rogue Fitness Do Win Classic Lift, and I like the New Balance Minimus TR Boa Cross Trainer or Reebok Nano x3.

You’re not changing things up. 

Your body responds to variety, and knocking out the same exercises week to week without ever progressing and changing anything up essentially guarantees a plateau. “If people are genuinely trying to ‘strength train,’ AKA create strength in their muscular system, they need to progress their exercises in order to see change,” says Victoria Sekely, a doctor of physical therapy, running coach, and certified strength and conditioning specialist. It’s called the principle of progressive overload—you have to gradually increase the weight, frequency, or number of repetitions in order to continue seeing results. Whether it’s from that or just variety in your training plan, “making exercises more challenging is what helps build strength,” says Sekely.

You’re lifting on your rest days. 

Yes, it can be hard to fit two workouts—running and strength—into a single day. But the best way to maximize your gains is to keep your hard days hard and your easy days easy. “The simplest way to look at it is high intensity versus low intensity days,” explains Ryan Wooderson, a physical therapist, strength coach, and co-founder of RevoPT Denver. “If you're lifting on a low-intensity day, you end up doing one of two things: spending too much energy before a high intensity day or not giving your strength the energy and respect it deserves. Either way, you're wasting your time or energy.” The order in which you do your workouts matters, too: If your priority is training for a race, do cardio before weights; if you’re looking to make bigger strength gains, run after.

the rundown

New Balance SC Elite v4
This was one of the shoes I was most excited about at TRE–New Balance totally switched up the midsole geometry on their FuelCell shoes, and the result is pretty eye-catching. The guts of the Elite v4 are also pretty different: It has a new midsole foam, made from 100% PEBA (New Balance claims it delivers 87% energy, compared to 83% from the v3 and the upper is thinner, lighter while providing more structure and security. Past versions of the Elite have always felt too squishy to me, in that I never really got a good rebound from it, even with the carbon plate—that’s why I prefer the carbon-plated SuperComp Trainer). But the v4 actually felt closer to the SC Trainer on the run, putting much more spring in my step. If you don’t care about my opinion, know that Emily Sisson will be racing the Olympic Trials in these next month. (They’re out February 1, 2024.)

More Proof That Runners Should Be Strength Training
Oh, look, a totally relevant study! Concurrent strength and endurance training increases maximal strength and endurance capacity in females, according to a November 2023 systematic review published in Sports Medicine. There’s a limited amount of research on this topic due to the lack of research that focuses specifically on females—or addresses the unique physiological circumstances that may influence training responses and adaptations; you can read more about that in Christine Yu’s Up to Speed), but what’s out there confirms the whole premise behind this week’s newsletter: All runners benefit from strength training.

Are running turtlenecks a thing now? 
Tracksmith just released their No Days Off collection, and I’m happy to report my favorite winter running top—the NDO Wind-Block Mockneck—is back in the mix. I’ve also been wearing the Fells Turtleneck several times a week. If the idea of paying over $100 for a shirt makes you cringe, I’m also really into the $94 HOKA Merino Blend Midlayer, which has a mock neck. I feel like I want even more of these for winter; they pair so nicely with a running vest (my favorite is the Brooks Shield Hybrid Vest) and I can almost justify the cost because you can get away with wearing them in real life, not just on runs.

“I’m an Ultrarunner. Taylor Swift’s Treadmill Workout Wrecked Me.”
I have to shout out this Outside article from Zoë Rom because it’s so damn funny. In her recent Time cover story, Swift said she began training for the tour six months before the first show, saying, “Every day I would run on the treadmill, singing the entire set list out loud. Fast for fast songs, and a jog or a fast walk for slow songs.” Three-and-a-half hours of running should have been no problem for Rom, an accomplished ultrarunner, but add in singing and it’s a whole different kind of endurance feat. It’s a quick read, and it’ll make you smile whether you’re a Swift fan or not.