Are lifting 6 days and running 30-40 mpw too much?

Again, if you care at all about you’re running all bets are off and you really shouldn’t lift more than 1-2x week focusing on lower body strength and explosiveness.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

Also, do what’s important first if you’re combining cardio and lifting.

I don’t combine anymore. I alternate running days with lifting days and am still getting stronger at 41. So I’ll run 3-4 days a week and lift 3 days a week. 2 of those days are big barbell strength focused. The third day is explosiveness followed by endurance work and mostly body weight work.

Alan

So you're still getting stronger at 41 with running 3-4 days a week and lifting 3 days a week? You're in your 40's you still recover from that schedule and - wow - you even improve? Good luck to you, but you're juicing man. That's the reason you should not give advice to those who don't. If you don't compete you're not a cheater, but you are a joke.

They're all done either with dumbbells or bodyweight, my gym is so pathetic and shabby that it doesn't even have barbells.

For running, I run before I lift. Mostly 40-60 minutes of easy runs with some short run-to-the-barn and strides thrown in here and there.

Are you deadlifting with dumbbells? If so, I highly doubt you are getting the deadlifts heavy enough to do you any good. Deadlift once a week (twice max), but you want it to be heavy and low reps. And if you aren't sore afterwards, you aren't lifting heavy enough to do any good.

another fake natty wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

Also, do what’s important first if you’re combining cardio and lifting.

I don’t combine anymore. I alternate running days with lifting days and am still getting stronger at 41. So I’ll run 3-4 days a week and lift 3 days a week. 2 of those days are big barbell strength focused. The third day is explosiveness followed by endurance work and mostly body weight work.

Alan

So you're still getting stronger at 41 with running 3-4 days a week and lifting 3 days a week? You're in your 40's you still recover from that schedule and - wow - you even improve? Good luck to you, but you're juicing man. That's the reason you should not give advice to those who don't. If you don't compete you're not a cheater, but you are a joke.

Lol . You’re funny.

I barely workout. Running 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week and lifting 45 to 60 minutes three times a week is not some on ungodly schedule.

Alan

Runningart2004 wrote:

another fake natty wrote:

So you're still getting stronger at 41 with running 3-4 days a week and lifting 3 days a week? You're in your 40's you still recover from that schedule and - wow - you even improve? Good luck to you, but you're juicing man. That's the reason you should not give advice to those who don't. If you don't compete you're not a cheater, but you are a joke.

Lol . You’re funny.

I barely workout. Running 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week and lifting 45 to 60 minutes three times a week is not some on ungodly schedule.

Alan

So, you're doing this RELAXED schedule AND you're still getting STRONGER...

No comments anymore.

Peace out.

I was injured and doing mon tues wed fri push pull push pull.

Now back running and lifting mon wed fri. Alternating emphasizing push or pull but hitting both each day. Def been working.

Hybrid_runner wrote:

Trying to get a better physique without losing too much aerobic fitness, I started lifting 6 days a week last November while still running 30-40 mpw. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), it has really worn me down, even more so than when I was running 60-70 mpw. My RHR is higher than it should be at that MPW and I am always grumpy and having trouble falling asleep these days. Clearly something went wrong. That makes me wonder if the lifting is the culprit . Every time I've done lifting, I am knackered and I am starting to dread the thought of going to the gym or even just going for an easy run .

I am 44 years old. I run 40-50 miles per weeks and do 35 minutes of yoga and 20-30 minutes of strength training every morning, 7 days a week. I usually run after work, but run in the morning on weekends. I have been on this schedule for several years now. I do a three day cycle of Circuit/HIIT style strength workouts each morning. There are many days I dread it. But I still race at a high level and I look better than most guys my age.

I run a four days on, one day off schedule. I’m usually on the elliptical or bike on my off days.

Since being on this schedule I have felt great, but the real change was a I cleaned up my diet and feel great all the time.

another fake natty wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

Lol . You’re funny.

I barely workout. Running 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week and lifting 45 to 60 minutes three times a week is not some on ungodly schedule.

Alan

So, you're doing this RELAXED schedule AND you're still getting STRONGER...

No comments anymore.

Peace out.

I bet your the same dweeb that thinks Alan Webb's physique was only possible through the use of steroids.

hormones wrote:

True, but it comes with side effects. Even if you manage to avoid injury, you're gonna deal with elevated cortisol, which in turn, inhibits fat burning and retaining lean body mass. You might end up bloated, having this water/puffy look around midsection, and weighting more than before. Never forget how hormones can affect you workout schedule.

OP: This is nonsense. Ignore it. The cortisol fairy inhibiting fat burning is not a real thing.

6 days is maybe more than you need, but many thousands of runners lift regularly and run regularly. I lift 4 days a week: two upper (bench, overhead, rows, etc., some isolation) and two lower (just squats and deadlifts) and averaged 50 mpw most of last year. I'm in Facebook groups with lots of guys and gals who do more of both. Finding the time is the biggest challenge and then finding how it fits physically and what you do when in what order takes trial and error.

Even this seems like way too much. If you're trying to build a particular "look" then you do you, do some research and create/follow a plan that's appropriate. If the goal is to use lifting to become a better running then this seems counterproductive. For example, you shouldn't be doing reps til failure. You already train your muscles for endurance when you run. Rather, you need to be lifting for strength, that means (generally) doing less sets and reps (3x8 or 5x5) with more weight, and doing compound, full body lifts , e.g. the traditional Olympic lifts. That's how you improve neuromuscular connections to make you run faster and push off with more power. This is explained in the Strength Running podcast episodes 47 & 48 https://strengthrunning.com/2018/01/strength-coach-randy-hauer-lifting-runners/. Even a program like StrongLifts 5x5 (which is free) seems like a much better use of your time.

To give an example of what I do:

Lift 3xweek avg 60 min per session

-warm up with some general strength exercises like one set any of Jay Johnson's SAM workouts or a similar routine

-3 sets of a few Olympic lifts. Right now I'm just doing the basics: squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, but soon I'll be transitioning to more explosive lifts

-foam roll, stretch

-hydrate and eat

-shower

clyde the glyde wrote:

6 days is maybe more than you need, but many thousands of runners lift regularly and run regularly. I lift 4 days a week: two upper (bench, overhead, rows, etc., some isolation) and two lower (just squats and deadlifts) and averaged 50 mpw most of last year. I'm in Facebook groups with lots of guys and gals who do more of both. Finding the time is the biggest challenge and then finding how it fits physically and what you do when in what order takes trial and error.

All these so-called experts saying lifting six days a week is too much. That's like saying running more than 25 miles a week is too much.

This is what lifting six days a week looks like:

Arms x 2/wk.

Legs x 2/wk.

Back/chest/shoulders x 2 wk.

There are cement workers picking up heavy cement blocks eight hours a day, five days a week.

Just for the record, I didn't say six days is too much. I said it's probably more than you need. If you're pressed for time or energy, you can likely accomplish your goals, whether aesthetics or strength or whatever, in fewer days per week if you are more efficient and up the intensity higher than a "cement worker", a job which I did for a year and it's physically demanding but apples and oranges from focused lifting. If you have the time and want to do it, you can do six days a week just fine and still run, whether a bro split like you describe or the one body part per day thing.

Wow, lots of good responses here, I didn't really expect that! It takes some time for me to digest.

Anyway, I can't express my gratitude enough towards you guys.

Some additional info:

Like runrincerepeat, I was injured, and it still takes a while to recover. My PT said I could run, but of course I have to keep things easy. That's why I hit the weights to kinda distract myself from running. As for my goals, I'd like to get a 40 inches chest . Currently it's low 38 at 5'6, up from high 35 back in late November when I just started lifting. Another goal is strength-related - being able to do 20 strict pull-ups (now I can do 9, wide-grip, chin over bar, all the way down to a dead-hang position)

And of course it would be nice to retain my running fitness as much as possible, which I know is a tall order. In fact I would be thrilled with a low 18 (p.b:36 mins 10k in Summer with a dew point of 70+, looking to break 35 minutes at the time.)

For the time being, I will try limiting my lifting to 3-4 days a weeks and see how things go. Thanks again for the responses, they've helped tremendously .

Sounds good to maintain general fitness.

Runningart2004 wrote:

Also, do what’s important first if you’re combining cardio and lifting.

I don’t combine anymore. I alternate running days with lifting days and am still getting stronger at 41. So I’ll run 3-4 days a week and lift 3 days a week. 2 of those days are big barbell strength focused. The third day is explosiveness followed by endurance work and mostly body weight work.

Alan

Fellow older guy here (39 yo). I run about 20 miles a week (less right now in the winter though) but lifting is definitely the fitness area I currently have goals of improving. My running I never really care about what shape I'm in anymore and more just get out there because I enjoy it. I'm also no where near your lifting ability, but have lifted for most of my adult life. Great to hear you are still improving, so gives me a lot of hope for the next several years.

For the past year I've actually gone to a less intense, but higher frequency and higher volume training schedule. At first it was just to mix things up for a short time, sort of periodization, but I've stuck with it for a few reasons. (1) I've shown continual strength improvements. Granted, probably a lot more gradually had I lifted more optimally in the past year. (2) I feel like I'm less likely to overtrain or hurt myself on this schedule(haven't had the slightest sense of any injury/pain over the past year). In previous years something would always come up now and again when I'd have to take a precautionary couple weeks off if not a little longer, and I've enjoyed just being able to not ever have that happen. (3) I really like lifting, so the more I get to do it, the more fun I have. This might be what gets me in a little trouble on a more intense schedule. That and being better with my form.

In terms of strength gains, I'm happy to continue to have ANY improvement, even if it is less and more gradual than lifting with more intensity.

Right now the only supplement I take is fish oil. I've never been super motivated to take supplements in the past if I otherwise was improving. I'm now getting interested in taking something more to offset some decrease in testosterone that's going to start happening due to age, so I can keep my gains going. What would you recommend?

asadaada wrote: I'm now getting interested in taking something more to offset some decrease in testosterone that's going to start happening due to age, so I can keep my gains going. What would you recommend?

There is no legal over-the-counter supplement that increases or maintains testosterone. Sorry.

The only supplements that have been shown to work are creatine (nothing to do with hormones) and caffeine. That's it unless you consider protein, e.g., whey protein, in the supplement category rather than the food category.

You can get the same frequency per body area on 3 or 4 days per week. Football players....powerlifters....all pretty much lift 3-4 days per week.

Alan