Whether you’re already committed to regular strength training or planning to begin, it’s smart to schedule an occasional strength reset. Take time to review how often you’re lifting—or not—and adjust it to better support your running goals for the year ahead. Just as running mileage shouldn’t stay the same week after week, strength workouts also need variety to remain effective.
“When it comes to weekly strength sessions, two is the golden rule,” says Matt Jones, personal trainer, running coach, and founder of Run Strong Academy in Cardiff, South Wales. “You might increase to three during base building or drop to one closer to races—but two sessions a week is the ideal target.”
Within that guideline, flexibility is key. Your training phase, weekly mileage, and race schedule should all influence the exercises you choose, the weights you lift, and how you structure sets and reps.
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Looking ahead, the following five steps break the year into clear training phases, helping you sync your strength work with your running calendar. This approach allows you to build muscle strategically, develop power for race day, and stay healthy all year long.
Five Steps to Boost Strength Without Hurting Your Running
1. Schedule a True Offseason
You don’t need to be a professional athlete to benefit from an offseason. After a major race, easing off for at least a month can help your body reset.
“An offseason doesn’t mean stopping running completely,” says Alex Armiento, certified personal trainer, runner, and club leader at Life Time Middletown – Red Bank in New Jersey. Instead, he suggests cutting mileage by 20 to 40 percent, reducing intensity, limiting races, and mixing in other cardio like cycling, rowing, or swimming.
With lower running demands, the offseason is ideal for emphasizing strength. “Strength training should always be part of a runner’s plan, but this is when it can take priority and real adaptations happen,” says Armiento. He recommends three to four sessions per week, while Jones notes that lifting on non-running days supports better recovery and gains.
2. Establish a Strong Strength Base
Time away from race-focused training is perfect for reinforcing proper movement patterns. Armiento advises using a full range of motion and prioritizing core stability along with bilateral compound movements such as squats, hinges, and push-pull exercises.
Because running is largely single-leg based, Jones recommends gradually adding unilateral exercises into every phase. Lunges, step-ups, single-leg deadlifts, and glute bridges should all play a role.
“This is your hypertrophy phase,” says Jones. Over roughly four weeks, focus on higher volume with lighter loads—about three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Aim for an RPE of 6 to 7, stopping well before failure.
3. Build Strength With Heavier Lifts
After completing the hypertrophy phase, shift your focus toward increasing strength. This stage emphasizes heavier weights and fewer reps—around three to five sets of four to six reps, with two to three minutes of rest. By the final rep, effort should reach an RPE of 8 to 9.
“By now, you’ve developed solid movement mechanics, so it’s time to layer in more power,” Jones explains.
There’s no need to rush these sessions. Longer rest periods help keep your heart rate controlled, allowing you to lift with better focus and form.
4. Introduce Race-Specific Strength
As race preparation begins, Armiento suggests adjusting strength work to two to three sets of six to eight reps using moderate loads.
For runners training for a half marathon—or midway through marathon prep—Jones highlights the importance of calf strength, particularly exercises targeting the soleus.
Marathon runners should already include calf work and can begin adding plyometric training, according to Armiento.
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Jones recommends unilateral plyometric movements that mimic race mechanics, such as A-skips, explosive step-ups, and reverse lunges with a dynamic knee drive.
Most runners should avoid plyometrics during the offseason or early base phases. “Without a solid foundation, these high-intensity, technical movements increase injury risk,” says Jones. Progress gradually.
5. Scale Back Strength as Race Day Nears
“As race day approaches, strength volume should decrease to reduce fatigue,” says Jones.
That said, strength work shouldn’t disappear entirely. “Strength training is never optional, even when it’s not the main focus,” Armiento adds. The key is avoiding heavy lifting close to competition.
During the taper, he recommends one to two sets of three to five reps using light to moderate weights, emphasizing quick, controlled movements.
Planning Strength and Running Across the Year
The exact structure of your yearly plan depends on when your goal races fall. Jones advises adjusting strength and running month by month, counting back 16 weeks from your main race to determine when to restart a base-building phase.
After completing a full cycle—including at least two weeks of recovery—return to the beginning and start again with hypertrophy training.
If your race calendar doesn’t align perfectly—for example, if your next event is 25 weeks away—it’s fine to step away from structured blocks for a few weeks. Jones notes that this flexibility can be beneficial both physically and mentally.
Weeks 1–4: Base Phase
Begin a new training cycle by focusing on hypertrophy. Complete three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps in strength sessions. Keep running mileage moderate, emphasizing mostly easy, zone 2 runs.
Weeks 5–8: Strength Phase
Shift to heavier lifting with three to five sets of four to six reps. Gradually increase running mileage and include at least one speed workout per week.
Weeks 9–12: Race-Specific Phase
Running volume and speed work continue to increase. Strength sessions move to two to three sets of six to eight reps, with added calf exercises and optional plyometrics.
Weeks 13–16: Taper Phase
This is race month. Reduce strength frequency and volume, performing one to two sets of three to five reps with race-specific movements. Avoid heavy loads, stick with light to moderate weight, and decrease running mileage.
Weeks 17–18: Recovery Phase
Focus on recovery by cutting mileage as needed and prioritizing easy runs. Continue with one light strength session per week, keeping intensity low to support full recovery.
