How to Adjust Strength Training for Runners in Every Training Phase

Strength training for runners is one of the most effective ways to boost performance, reduce injury risk, and support long-term health—especially for midlife women—but many struggle to integrate it consistently. In this article, I’m diving into how to build a smart, sustainable strength training program for runners by adjusting key variables like volume, tempo, and isometrics based on your race goals and training season. Whether you're building power in the offseason or navigating peak marathon mileage, this guide will help you align your strength work with your running for lasting results.

Why Follow a Strength Training Program for Runners?

Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to several Runner’s World articles as a guest expert, answering questions from freelance writers on all things running. It’s been an incredibly fun experience! 

One recent conversation centered around how to adjust strength training for different race distances—a topic that I then decided deserved a full podcast episode and newsletter. So today, I’m diving into those exact questions.

We’ve talked about the benefits of strength training before, but let’s review them again for context as we move through the rest of the questions.

At its core, strength training helps your body better handle and use the ground reaction forces in running. This translates into several key benefits:

• Improved Running Economy: Strength training enhances power generation and neuromuscular coordination, which helps you run faster and longer with less effort. 
• Performance Gains: These gains from power generation are particularly noticeable in shorter races, but the benefits also extend to longer races by improving how efficiently your body manages forces over time.
• Injury Resilience: While no training can guarantee you’ll stay injury-free, strength training certainly stacks the deck in your favor by improving tissue integrity and mechanical efficiency.
• Connective Tissue Health: Healthy tendons need the stimulus that strength training provides to remain healthy even- and especially- through high volume running seasons.
• Bone and Metabolic Health: Especially important for midlife women, strength training supports long-term musculoskeletal health.  Strength training becomes about more than just performance—it’s about long-term health and sustainability.
  
  

Big takeaways:

• Runners benefit from strength training regardless of race distance or season.
• The strategy behind the sessions is what shifts depending on your running season and goals.

 Now let’s get more specific…

Are Strength Training Programs for Runners More Important for Shorter Races?

While I wouldn’t say strength training is more important for shorter races, certain benefits, like power generation and neuromuscular coordination, are more directly tied to performance in those distances.

For instance, heavy lifting helps develop force production and stride power, which can make a more noticeable difference in races like the 5K and 10K. However, those same strength qualities are also vital for supporting longer distances in terms of efficiency and injury prevention. Think of it as a spectrum: different elements of strength training support different goals, but it’s important across the board. We can train those different elements more specifically by tweaking the variables a bit (more on this below).

Why Be More Conservative with Strength Work in Marathon Training?

As you ramp up training for a half or full marathon, the cumulative stress from running increases significantly. During these high-volume periods:

• DO be more conservative with the stress you are adding to the system with your strength training (more on how below).
• DO NOT stop strength training altogether. That would mean losing the tissue resilience and power generation that help keep you injury-resistant and efficient during long runs.

Instead, you adjust the strategy. 

Strategic Variables You Can Adjust to Make Your Strength Training Work WITH Your Running:

Volume:

The most important variable here is volume. Volume in strength training is defined by the total number of reps and sets. More volume = more stress on the system.

Early in a training cycle or during the offseason, a good goal might be to work up to lifting heavier loads with moderate volume—something like 4 sets of 6–8 reps, or 5 sets of 5 to build strength.

Then, as your running volume increases, you’ll want to dial back on the strength side. Peak running weeks or as you move into a taper might include just 3 sets of 6 reps or 2 sets of 5 reps. The key is still lifting heavy for coordination, power, and tissue health—just shaving some volume off the top to avoid systemic overload.

While volume is the most significant variable, there are other strategic ways to dial in your strength training.

Tempo & Time Under Tension:

More time under tension = more stress. Early in a training block, you might move slowly through a lift—think slow squats with a pause —to increase the training stress from strength training and build strength. Closer to a race or during high-mileage weeks, reduce the time under tension. Move more quickly, especially in the concentric phase (e.g., standing up from a squat), while minimizing long, slow eccentric loading (loading through length; eg. lowering into a squat).

Isometrics:

I love overcoming isometrics (pushing or pulling as hard as possible against an immovable object) for high running volumes and especially race weeks. They offer excellent neuromuscular stimulation and connective tissue support with very little metabolic demand. Yielding isometrics, where you hold a position with load for longer times, can be more metabolically taxing and are better suited for earlier in a training cycle.

By focusing on these levers—volume, tempo, and isometrics—you can continue reaping the benefits of strength training while still supporting your body through increased run volume.

• Offseason or Short Race Focus (5K/10K):
• Aim for 2–3 days/week of strength training.
• Focus on building strength and power through higher volume and more eccentric loading.
  
  
• Long Race Build (Half/Full Marathon):
• Can get away with 1–2 days/week for maintenance.
• Reduce overall volume, emphasize concentric movement, build in more overcoming isometrics, and maintain connective tissue health. 

*you can find more information on these principles in my blog post on Balancing Running and Lifting

Train with Intention, Build with Consistency

At the heart of successful strength training for runners is intention—training that is aligned with both your running goals and your long-term health as a female athlete. The benefits of strength training are huge: improved power and running economy, enhanced neuromuscular coordination, greater injury resilience, and vital support for bone, tendon, and metabolic health—especially for midlife women.

But these benefits require consistent, ongoing strength work, not just an intense offseason push followed by a complete drop-off during high-mileage training weeks. They’re the result of structured, smart training that adapts based on your current season—whether you're in a base-building phase, training for a 5K, or deep into marathon prep. 

When you train with purpose, matching the demands of your running with the right kind of strength work—managing volume, manipulating variables like tempo and isometrics, and adjusting to your body's cues—you can finally stay consistent enough to see the benefits of your strength training pay off. 

The Women's Running Academy: Smart, Run Supportive, Strength Training Through All The Seasons

The Women’s Running Academy Monthly Membership was created to provide exactly this kind of support. Inside the Academy, you’ll find weekly, purposeful strength workouts designed to complement your running and meet the unique needs of the female body.

It all begins with the Women’s Running Academy Fundamentals, an eight-week progressive program focused on mastering the techniques and mechanics of efficient movement. This foundation allows you to build up to heavy lifting safely and effectively—supporting running performance in a way that feels good in your body.

From there, you’ll learn how to integrate strength with any running goal or training season. Whether you're in an offseason strength-building phase or maintaining strength during a peak race build, you’ll find built-in, plug-and-play options tailored to your goals.

No more guessing. No more stopping and starting over.

Instead of falling into the common cycle of “hit it hard in the offseason, drop it when mileage builds, and scramble when injury strikes,” this approach allows you to make continuous, sustainable progress—in your strength, your running, and your health.

Women’s Running Academy Enrollment Details:

Enrollment for the Women’s Running Academy will be open for the waitlist on May 21st, then the rest of the public on 26th, and remain open through May 30th.

If you’re ready to train with intention, build strength that supports your running across all distances, and create a consistent, long-term plan for health and performance, this is your opportunity.

If you aren’t already on it, you can get on the waitlist here for priority access.

Let’s move beyond all-or-nothing training cycles and into seasons of sustainable, consistent progress.

Next on Your Reading List:

The Best Strength Training Tips for Hill Running: Conquer Uphills and Control Downhills with Ease

How to Run in Zone 2 Without Feeling Like You are Banging Your Head Against a Wall

Is Running Bad for the Pelvic Floor? Discover How Strength and Yielding Exercises Can Help