When do I do the strength routines - before or after running?

When it comes to maximizing performance and staying injury-free, timing your workouts matters just as much as doing them. One simple but powerful rule: do your strength training after your run, and keep your hard days hard. Here’s why this approach supports the critical stress/rest cycle that drives long-term improvement.

Run First, Lift Second

Your run—especially if it’s a quality session like intervals, a tempo, or a long run—should always take priority. Running on fresh legs allows you to hit your target paces, maintain proper form, and avoid fatigue-related injury.

If you lift before you run, your legs may already be fatigued, compromising your ability to execute the run well. Post-run strength training ensures you’re not sacrificing run quality, and since strength work is supplemental, it’s okay if it's done in a slightly fatigued state.

Keep Hard Days Hard

This is a key principle in endurance training. By stacking hard workouts—such as a tempo run followed by a lifting session—you consolidate stress into one day. This leaves your easy days truly easy, allowing for full recovery and adaptation.

Alternating hard and easy days creates a sustainable training rhythm:

• Hard day: Run workout + strength session
• Easy day: Light run or complete rest

This stress/rest cycle is what allows your body to rebuild stronger over time.

The Takeaway

Doing your strength training after running and aligning it with your hard run days keeps your training smart and efficient. It respects your body’s natural recovery process, reduces injury risk, and helps you build both endurance and power without burnout.

Train hard. Recover harder. Repeat.