The only thing that scares me on Halloween is runners who don’t strength train…
We’re nearing the end of 2026, and it still amazes me sometimes that I encounter runners who don’t regularly strength train. The thing is, I think most runners (and non-runners) would agree that strength training is important. So most people aren’t skipping out on gym sessions because they don’t know about the benefits, but it still isn’t happening in a lot of runners’ schedules.
When I talk to patients or clients of mine as a PT for runners in Arlington Heights, IL, I’ve realized that many runners either don’t have the time or don’t know how to combine lifting with running. And sometimes it’s both of those things.
The time piece can be tricky, but something I often remind people is that it can take as little as 20-25 minutes to get effective work in. There’s no need to spend 15 minutes warming up, 45 minutes doing exercises for the entire body, and 15 minutes cooling down. Most of my own lifts, I’m in and out of the gym, or even doing something at home, in about 30 minutes.
An effective strength training session can look something like this:
Plyometrics: squat jumps and single leg hops. 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps each
Pull exercises: deadlifts and pull-ups. 2-3 sets of 6-8 repetitions at an RPE (rate of perceived exertion) of 6-8/10
Push exercises: squats, overhead press, and calf raise. 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps at RPE 6-8
That’s it. Nothing fancy or complicated. You hit pretty much all of the major muscle groups, work hard for 30 minutes, and move on with your day.
What I want runners to really remember is that lifting should not feel like running.
Runners are really, really good at being somewhat uncomfortable for long periods of time. Whether that’s in a marathon, half marathon, or a tempo run.
What they’re not as trained at is being very uncomfortable for a short period of time. Think 20-30 seconds. Because that’s about how long a set of really hard deadlifts last.
When they hit the gym, most runners seek out the steady state burn. But that doesn’t actually change your muscle tissue, tendon stiffness, or bone density.
So my suggestion is this: next time you go into the gym, pretend you’re not a runner for 30 minutes.
Runners should be training just like any other athlete. Squatting, hinging, pulling, pushing, jumping. Not slowly fading away on a leg press machine for 25 reps.
As for combining lifting with running, it’s less complicated than you’d think.
There are coaches on the internet who will give you a breakdown of the best way to “optimize” your schedule so that your lifts don’t interfere with your runs and vice versa. But the problem is, most runners aren’t strength training to begin with. So let me make it less complicated for you.
Strength train when you have the time and energy, as long as it’s not right before or right after your run.
Ideally, you want at least a 6 hour break between your run and strength session. This will help reduce fatigue and allow for recovery from each workout.
So, if you’re aiming for 2x/week (which you should be), you could do those strength sessions in the evening after a morning workout (maybe an interval or tempo session) or in the morning before an easy run in the evening.
Whatever the schedule, I want you to first aim to be consistent. Then, worry about the small details.
And if you’re in Arlington Heights looking for a physical therapist that specializes in working with runners, please reach out!
Happy Halloween! And don’t start off the off-season in a hole by skipping out on your strength sessions!
