I’ve always disliked strength training—partially because it feels, to me, like there’s never a good time for it. When I do it before my run, I’m more fatigued or sore for my jog later in the day. But after my run, the last thing I want to do is pick up some dumbbells.
So more often than not, I would just talk myself out of strength training … until I started thinking about other ways I could fit it into my schedule. If before and after a run weren’t options, I might as well try it during, I figured.
I’m not talking about jogging around with wrist and ankle weights, though. I’m talking about doing something similar to what Hyrox athletes do: Run, do a strength exercise, run again, do another strength move, and so on.
I could borrow that structure and do one or two runs per week in which I’d run a mile and then follow it with planks or lunges. Then run another mile and do push-ups, and run another and hold a glute bridge. At the end of six miles or so, I’d have completed six meaningful strength exercises—in addition to my usual daily jog.
I asked Jess Movold, an NASM-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach, if this is actually a viable training method. Meaning, would I get the same benefits as if I did my strength work and runs separately? Or would I compromise one or both training goals?
“There are a million ways to bake a cookie. If a runner wants to do their strength training in a non-traditional way, that’s a brilliant plan if the alternative is not doing any strength work at all,” Movold says. She explains that regardless of whether you choose to strength train before, during, or after your run, it still serves a purpose.
“Doing strength work within the run isn’t as effective as being in the weight room. But you can still get stronger from it as long as it feels challenging to you,” she explains. “To develop strength, all you need is a stress or stimulus that causes your muscles to adapt. And if you keep the pace truly easy, it’s not going to detract from your running.”
Movold explains that if bodyweight movements don’t challenge you, then they’re not going to be as effective as lifting heavier weights. But if you’ve never done strength training—or if you’re like me and it’s been a while—those bodyweight exercises can be more than sufficient.
So, with my specific situation in mind, I asked Movold to design a hybrid running workout that would also check the box for my strength training each week.
Keep reading for the routine she created, how it went, and what to try if you also want to strength train differently than the norm.
The Hybrid Run and Strength Workout
How to use this list: Follow the run/strength structure below, performing the number of reps and sets listed.
You don’t need equipment for most of the exercises, but for the lateral band walks, you will need a loop resistance band. I carried mine in my pocket for the workout.
Run 2 Miles at Easy Pace
Dynamic Warmup, 2 Rounds
Run 0.5 Miles at Easy Pace
Main Strength I, 4 Rounds
Rest for 1 minute after each round.
Run 0.5 Miles at Easy Pace
Main Strength II, 2-3 Rounds
Do 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off for each move.
Run 0.25 Miles at Easy Pace
Finisher, 3 rounds
Limit rest as much as you can.
Run 2 Miles at Easy Pace
How It Went After a Month
I fully expected the workout to be challenging—it was much more demanding than any strength session I’d created for myself in the past. Nevertheless, my first attempt was still extremely humbling. Not only was I sore for the next few days, but it also took me twice as long as I anticipated to complete it. I spent extra time making sure I was actually doing the exercises correctly and maintaining proper form, as I hadn’t done many of the movements in years.
Movold was not surprised by my learning curve and initial struggle, and she suggested that I only do the workout twice in the first week before progressing to the three weekly sessions we’d planned.
I can’t say I mastered the workout, but it did start to feel easier. I was never as sore as I was after that first attempt, and I became more comfortable with the movements and confident in my ability to do them with proper form.
While I still prefer running to strength work, I enjoyed this workout more than any traditional strength training I’ve done previously—I actually had fun doing it.
I started to frame these workouts as “strength scavenger hunts.” After reaching each checkpoint of jump squats or dead bugs, I’d have a running segment to look forward to. Then, I’d refocus on completing the next strength checkpoint. This structure actually helped keep me present in the workout.
Typically, when I strength train in the gym, I’m counting reps and thinking about how many more I have until I can go home. But with the strength work baked into the run itself, I stayed locked in on just reaching one checkpoint at a time. And truly, nothing made me relish the stretches of easy jogging more than the knowledge that more push-ups were waiting at the other end.
Plus, I do feel stronger—both physically and mentally. I felt like I could call upon my arms for an extra surge when pumping up the steepest hill on my neighborhood route. I lasted longer when I helped my parents stack firewood in their backyard. And not only did carrying groceries feel less difficult, but I single-handedly hauled my old mattress box spring to the curb with a confidence that I would not have had before.
While I know more physical advantages will show up with time and consistency—including increased running power and stronger bones, as Movold points out—I noticed a mental shift pretty quickly. I proved to myself that I could do something hard and unfamiliar, and that led to new confidence and curiosity that spilled over into my life outside of running.
But even more than that, I felt extra security in knowing that I was doing something good for my body: Movold calls strength training an “insurance policy” to help you run strong and healthy. As someone who’d been running uninsured for quite some time, it feels great to have finally invested in some protection.
Morgan is a gear editor who has been with Runner’s World since 2017. She started as an intern ghostwriting The Warmup, a bygone version of the daily RW newsletter. Now, she tests and reviews anything you might find on runners’ feet-from crew socks and compression boots to carbon-plated super shoes.
A lifelong runner and shoe geek, Morgan has been chasing the perfect pair of kicks since she joined her grade school cross-country team. Since then, she ran as a Division I walk-on for the cross-country and track & field teams at the University of Delaware, where she studied English and Biology. She has one full marathon under her belt, and has raced more halfs and 5Ks than she can count.
