Part I: Should You Add Running to your Routine?

There is a lot to be said about running for the serious strength athlete and the casual trainee. 

I want to talk about running as a supplemental activity in addition to regularly scheduled strength training.

Running has gained a lot of traction (pun intended). Once COVID hit, many desired to take advantage of the beautiful weather we had this summer, exercise with limited equipment and space, as well as escape their famil... or...er..… new co-workers.

Let’s get to it! 

I recommend running when... 

• You have a good handle on basic movements and resistance train consistently.

• Running is connected to a specific goal, or you enjoy running.

• You are reasonably able to recover from running.

• You are of a relatively healthy body fat percentage.

• You have a desire to increase daily activity.

• We are not actively pursuing maximal strength.

Do you have a good handle on basic movements and are resistance training consistently?

I recommend running if someone has a good handle on the basics and they are consistent with a strength training program. As far as spending time and energy resources, a base level of strength will have a more considerable global impact on all other activities and goals. No matter if your goal is performance, aesthetics, or health-based, resistance training will need to be involved. It is in the long-term interest of the client to get this as a foundation for everything else. The rewards will be great and will provide returns for years to come.

Do you enjoy running?

Is running aligned to a specific goal, or do you enjoy running?

There are many, many, many ways to increase cardiovascular output. Running is a high impact activity, and the risk for injury is higher than many other activities. Unless a trainee has a performance goal that requires them to run or they enjoy running, I would explore different ways of getting their heart rate up.

Are you reasonably able to recover from running?

Speaking of injuries- can they recover from running both in the gym and on the pavement or trail? If someone is continually getting hurt, they could see a physical therapist or a running specialist, completely deconstruct and reconstruct their form...but if the aforementioned is not a big enough driver, is the juice worth the squeeze?

There are more accessible ways.

Does your muscle to fat ratio fall within the recommended range? 

The size of a person will impact how much stress they are placing on their joints and tendons. If they have less muscle mass to support weight-bearing, the problems here are obvious. It may be better to shed some pounds or build some muscle (as the case may be) using less stressful methods before focusing on anything high impact. There are more accessible ways. 

Do you want to increase daily activity?

Running can be an efficient way to up daily activity. We like to sit! Running is a quick way to up that step count. 

Are you pursuing maximal strength?

The truth is, running and strength training are at opposite ends of the spectrum when looking at what our body needs to do to recover and perform. One does indeed take from the other. However, most people, even recreational powerlifters, are not at either extreme (endurance focus/ strength focus) but somewhere in the middle. If you like to run and your goal is to add some extra activity to an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, running can be a reasonable choice. If you hate to run, many other options are safer and less impactful. 

So should I include running into my routine?

As always, it depends. :)

It's not necessarily that any of these questions above should kill your running dreams but more that they would give me pause, and I may have some follow-up questions/ need to allow for some accommodations when including running in a trainee’s program. 

Have questions? Good! I’m here to help at Valerie@TFNtraining.com and I’d love to help you out!