Strength training - which days of a training week?

Your reason for doing the strength work on Wednesday is sound- you'll have Thursday and Friday to recover from both.

Don't stress over when you do your workouts as you're not a professional runner or lifter.

Generally your lift should be on your “hard days” and easy days should be easy. Wed am is great, I would try to also lift Saturday, even if you can only fit in 20 minutes post run I think you would be better served. Core work is fine for easy days but I and many coaches I know should try to avoid a life on an easy day if possible. If you want to lift on a non workout day I would say Monday is better with your schedule because of you lift on Sunday it’s basically back to back workout days with Saturday run and Sunday lift.

The hard days hard is kind of what I was aiming for. I will definitely try to do what you suggest because that does make sense. Thanks!

You can try progressively adding to your strength routine over say 2-4 months. I'd strongly suggest this book. Read it from cover to cover. A gold mine of practical information and exercises.

I think it’s best to do strength sessions on the same days as workouts, after the workout, especially if you are going to be doing leg stuff. So if you could fit that in after your Wednesday session that would be ideal based on what you’ve provided

Monday and Thursday

You have two easy running days after your Wednesday workout. You’ll recover plenty. I don’t like weights on hard days. That’s a higher risk for injury imo.

I would even add another core session on Friday.

Like everyone, I vote for concentrating it on the hard days. But the exercises and progression also matter. You should be trying to add the "minimum effective dose" of strength training to what's already a pretty big week of training - and it can surprise people how minimal it can be and still effective.

If you do a lot of reps and exhaust your muscles, "bodybuilder" or "gym class" style, it will interfere more with training over the next day or two, and create more soreness. Instead, you want more strength. Strength is a skill.

So, try to pick exercises where you can comfortably do around 5 reps (at least 3, max 7). Do them well, stop before fatigue, and progress by adding more sets, then by making the exercises more challenging. 2-3 sets of 5 is a good session. Then, you will find that the weights actually help you recover from running; taking your muscles through a full range of motion, against a moderate resistance, helps revive them from the repetitive strains of running.

With two dumbells that size, single leg deadlifts (1 dumbell, then eventually 2) and split squats are good exercises for the legs; when split squats are easy, you can move to rear-foot-elevated. The half-kneeling dumbell press is also great for runners - it sneaks a regular hip flexor stretch as well as a balance challenge into your weekly routine.

This is excellent advice.

I tend to incline to the point of view that although strength training certainly can be beneficial, it can be hard to fit in as an amateur distance runner; I'd tend to use it as a separate session only if you cannot put in a decent length run instead. In fact I'd say the same about alactic sprints and short hill sprints that people sometimes advocate; certainly the reasoning in favour of them is sound, and certainly they can be beneficial, but as a typical amateur distance runner, especially if training for a long event like a marathon, I would definitely not use them as a separate session if you are able to put in a steady run instead. It is completely different if you are already up at around the maximum amount of time you can run steadily/aerobically, whether you are amateur or (more likely) professional; then sprinting and strength are definitely a good idea if you have time left over.

You seem, though, to indeed be putting in strength work at times when you cannot run more, so all good :-).

Rather than doing separate sessions, I'd support the idea of doing small sets of relatively heavy lifting, not very much total volume, after runs, if you can find the energy/if you are in an appropriate environment. As the other poster noted, in addition to actually building strength, it will probably assist in recovery. I personally prefer doing them after easy/steady runs, though; hard sessions are hard enough, whilst doing them after easy/steady runs gives a little extra stimulus. Definitely not before easy runs though in my opinion; I think it is important to always prioritise the most specific training, namely running.

After all runs I'd do a little simple bodyweight strength work: lunges, for instance. There is a booklet which has been referenced in the forum several times (Jay Johnson?) along these lines.

I would do the lifting session following the runs especially on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s session can be nueral (static, or even better Olympic lifts) If not, that’s fine because this is for Marathon training.

Hip stability and core should be the focus for injury prevention. You get a global growth hormone and testosterone release from lifting in general which can help recovery.

I agree with Otter.

Runners have running workouts that are neural or metabolic in nature. Strength training can be neural and explosive, it could be metabolic, it could have hormonal effects.

If you're doing an explosive running session a compatible strength session might be explosive lifting. If you're doing a recovery run an easy body building routine or light circuit is compatible. Sprinters train this way, no reason distance runs cant as well. We don't have to look at sessions (running or ancillary) as hard or easy.

If you're going to go Wednesday, do it after your workout. That is your only fast work of the week - don't go into it with fatigue.

Incidentally, lots of evidence to suggest that aerobic activity after strength work reduces the strength adaptations that you get from the strength work - all to do with the MTOR signalling. Bear that in mind when scheduling the sessions.

GGGG wrote:

If you're going to go Wednesday, do it after your workout. That is your only fast work of the week - don't go into it with fatigue.

Incidentally, lots of evidence to suggest that aerobic activity after strength work reduces the strength adaptations that you get from the strength work - all to do with the MTOR signalling. Bear that in mind when scheduling the sessions.

And if you strength train before you lift it will negatively affect your run. Its all about keeping your important training important.

After a period of basic movements and simply "learning to lift", the goal should be improving strength, power and explosiveness 1-2x a week in the running muscles. This is the type of strength training which will lead to improved running economy.

Trap Bar Deadlift

Front Squat

*Because they are "client proof" and easy to perfect.

Split box Jumps, Bounds, Hill Bounds, etc

You could even progress to a more joint angle specifc routine of 1/4 squats, 1/4 lunges, etc

Alan

I agree completely except be careful of doing too many squats and other static lifts with your legs. They mess with your proprioceptors. No more than once every ten days and when you do go heavy with a few reps.

Dead’s are good and any other Olympic “type” lift that involves coordination between muscle groups. But do these on high nueral days.

Hard days hard. easy days easy.

I know it's a difficult concept, but it makes sense.

Sat or Sun Pm is when I do my lifting after Am run

I only do once per week...