Cross Training and Strength Training: Finding Your Fitness Balance
This article is by Roberto Mandje, NYRR’s Senior Advisor of Engagement and Training. We’ll continue to bring you advice and tips from Coach Roberto in the months ahead.
If you hang around runners long enough, you’re bound to hear conversations about cross training and strength training. You may ask yourself, “Which one is right for me? What’s the difference? Is one better than the other?”
Let’s explore each individually and learn how both can enhance your training program.
Cross Training
Cross training is defined as low-impact or non-impact aerobic exercise. It’s designed to supplement and even boost cardiovascular fitness. For runners, cross training gives muscles a reprieve from the impact and general wear and tear that comes with running. Cross training examples include swimming, aqua jogging, cycling, elliptical, and yoga.
By substituting cross training for one of your weekly runs, you’ll engage in active recovery, getting a fitness boost while doing a low-impact activity. Additionally, with several different cross training activities you can implement, you’ll keep your training fresh and exciting!
Strength Training
Strength training is aimed at strengthening different areas of the body. It’s often done to address muscle weaknesses and imbalances. Strength training typically includes activities like weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, and resistance training. Examples include single leg squats, step ups, lunges, glute bridge, planks. Check out these and other exercises here.
Personally, my favorite cross training activities include open ocean swimming, mountain biking, and the elliptical. When it comes to strength training, I’m a big fan of anything that’s going to test my single-leg stability muscles, as I find that’s most closely related to the demands of running. Examples include pistol squats, jumping rope, split-leg squats, lunge walks, and step-ups. All challenge you to support your entire body weight on one leg at a time, and all can be done virtually anywhere with minimal or no equipment.
How and When to Implement Cross Training and Strength Training
Generally, I say both can be introduced into your training relatively early in your buildup to a goal race and continued until the taper period begins. If you’re not training for a goal race, you can begin either one anytime.
Use cross training early in your training to supplement some of your running. This will allow your legs to acclimate to the increased volume and intensity to come. Strength training can help identify any muscle weaknesses and fortify your muscles and joints for the coming weeks and months.
Once you’re a few weeks or months into your training cycle, cross training can replace a training day to add an aerobic workout without the impact and wear and tear of running. It can also help as an active recovery day, or even serve as a secondary workout for those runners wanting to get more miles in.
Strength training during this time can provide general upkeep and maintenance. This ensures that your muscles and joints remain healthy and strong despite the accumulated training load.
During Your Taper
You’ll want to reduce cross training and strength training as you get closer to race day. This means backing off the heavier, more intense strength training in the last 2–3 weeks before your goal race. Some light body weight exercises and active stretching can be used to replace your usual strength routine.
Similarly, you’ll want to phase out cross training as you focus more on full recovery, and less on adding fitness, in the last 10–14 days before your goal race.
The additional time gained by phasing out both will allow your body to fully recover, absorb the training, and be ready to do well on race day.
For most runners, the sweet spot lies in striking a balance between running, cross training, and strength training that will support your performance and well-being. By embracing the benefits of both, you’ll be able to craft a well-rounded fitness regimen to support your running goals.
Check out additional strength training blog posts Presented by HSS from our archives: