Anyone been a runner and switched to gym/weightlifting?

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So been a runner for years - not fast but v consistent. Now post menopausal and finding running harder. Think it is having more of an impact on pelvic floor and not necessarily giving me the toning I want. I wanted to move more to gym work and machines but wondered if anyone has done this and what they felt the benefits were?
I know I can do both but realistically I run 20 + miles a week and couldn’t combine this with the gym as I like to have 2 days off a week. So to incorporate gym I would have to reduce running.

Yes I switched from a runner to a powerlifter

Yep. Social club runner through my 20s, 3ish runs a week including races (road and trail) - was never very good at pushing myself so never fast, but reasonably consistent on and off.

Always wanted to do weights but never knew what to do/proper technique/was a bit intimidated etc.

Knee surgery late 20s meant no running for months, and lots of single leg strength work to get it functioning again, turns out I love deadlifts and bench press (amongst other stuff!) and now I'm a gym person somehow! Admittedly my newish (at the time) boyfriend is a lifter and taught me which 100% helped confidence, ability, cost etc. PT is a good idea for getting over the intimidation, learning your way around the gym, basic beginnings... but lots of them don't teach very good technique still. Lots of YouTube and googling!

Feeling strong also makes me want to eat well, which combined with the weights has got me liking my body more.

Weights are so important as humans (particularly) women age, too.

I have just (10 months post surgery) started a slow version of c25k though to see if my knee can cope with a run or two a week - I miss parkrun!

I recently reduced my running due to injury so joined a gym and got a PT x2 per week. The difference since starting lifting weights has really surprised me. My body has changed a lot in just a couple of months and my body fat % has dropped and muscle mass increased. I still run and I’m now training for my next race but I’m never going to drop the gym. It’s just too beneficial and has made me feel so much stronger. Improved my running form too. I’m going to continue to do weights x4 per week and run x4 with the odd cycling class thrown in.

Thanks so much for all these replies. Definitely going to start gym/weights and see how I go. I’ve tried online classes and despite being v disciplined with running I don’t like doing at home workouts. Think I would be better at a gym and group classes.
@Dentistlakes how do you fit all that in? That’s really why I have a dilemma - how to do both and still be a good runner. I’m currently running 4 times per week @ 25 miles per week.

It’s not easy to fit it all in. I run early in the morning (5am) and go to the gym in the evening. PT sessions are at lunchtime. I love group cycling classes (power based training rather than gym) and do that twice a week.

For me the short runs during the week are easily sorted, but the long run is tricky just because of the time it takes. I’d love to try an ultra but I just don’t have the time to train for one. Half marathon is my favourite distance as it’s still a challenge but not too much of a commitment. To be honest, I’m loving the gym so much that I can gradually see running becoming the secondary activity rather than the other way around.

This seems like a good thread to ask - how do you combine running and strength? Do you do both on the same day, morning/evening or go to the gym and then run after? Or is it best to spread it out on alternate days?

I need to start doing strength work and I don't know how to schedule it really. Or what to do, but that's another question.

I do CrossFit and LOVE it. Would highly recommend for weightlifting and functional fitness.

You could try finding a PT that does programming and you can get a set number of sessions a week. They can tailor specifically for you and your goals. I spoils recommend a few pt sessions to help confidence and competence with diff movements.

@MintChocCornetto , I do both on the same days, sometimes. Usually run 8k 2/3 times a week (slowly), and strength train 5/6 times. I usually have one total rest day, and one upper body rest day (my upper body strength training is more intense).

I run at lunchtime and train in the evenings, mostly. One day is run plus legs that night - weirdly, that works. The others are run plus upper body that night. I can do a decent strength workout in 45 minutes now I've been doing it a while and my gym is very local, so it isn't as time-consuming as it sounds.

When I was running more like 4/5k, I ran to the gym then trained legs, but 8k takes me an hour so I need to refuel and drink and rest, makes sense to split it up.

Strength training is my main thing.

I need to start doing strength work and I don't know how to schedule it really. Or what to do, but that's another question.

Scheduling? You'll find the time, with the right trainer.

Caroline Girvan.

Look her up on YouTube. EPIC Beginners is a good place to start. Then EPIC 3 or EPIC Heat, as these are actually easier than the rest of her - invariably excellent - programmes.

I ran regularly but never more than about 10k and used to injure myself a fair bit and have to stop and restart a lot. Started the gym a month ago because I realised I'd lost a lot of upper body strength. I can feel the difference all over and am pretty sure that when I have another go at running it will feel very different

Can I ask what your weekly exercise schedule is please? And do you do full body weight sessions or have arms and legs days? Trying to fit it in as well as running as well as rest days leaves me a bit befuddled?!!

I switched from running to resistance training but found that my CV fitness was declining. I stopped running for similar reasons to you but found that going on a rowing machine was a good alternative. It’s also worked wonders on a waist I never knew I had!

Does anyone here run long distances (long runs of 15 miles upwards) and also do a fair amount of strength training? I'm also looking to do more weights but am struggling to fit it in.
Most people who seem to do both only seem to run short distances, which I can see is easier to combine.

Same @fellrunner85

If I'm running 4/5 times a week I just don't know how to fit it in.

Some of Caroline Girvan's workouts are only 30 minutes, e.g. Epic 3 and Epic Heat. She also has lots of 15-20 minutes targeted workouts. Or split them in half over subsequent days.

I also have a few favorite super-short workouts for when I'm short of time and which I sometimes do while watching TV.

Even just going about my day wearing wrist and ankle weights is better than nothing.

I do a strength class with weights, and a gentler class which makes a good recovery workout. I tend to do a lighter workout/ run after the weights class and my longer runs around the lighter class. I can also run/ cycle on the lighter class day.

I've only had one injury that put me out of action; last autumn I had race congestion, ran too much at race pace and upset my achilles. I've had to take it gently through this year, and took months to even get to C25k but have retained good fitness through my classes/ swimming. Once I got comfortable at 5k with a bit of patience, getting back up to 10mi+ has been pretty straightforwards as long I manage the pace carefully. The strength work has definitely helped to safely maintain fitness and get back to running.

It can be frustrating that so many running plans often overlook strength/ cross training.

The only disadvantage of strength work is that my shoulders are now more muscular and it's getting harder to fit my arms into tops and move them 😂

@fellrunner, I think you are right, it is hard.

I don't run as far as you - but in lockdown one got up to 16k. I couldn't do a serious weights session the same day, needed to eat and drink too much, just too depleting. I now run 8k plus serious strength session. I'm sure some people can do more but the competition-winning instructors I train with don't run long distances, FWIW.

Maybe you could do short splits - so 30 mins say - legs, push, pull, don't train to failure, high weights, low reps, progressive overload but take it slowly?

I

Have been a runner all my life, but got to mid forties and started getting injuries and niggles. Menopause hasn’t helped either.
reluctantly took up strength training, but knew bugger all about it. Was scared I would put a lot of weight on.
like many others I need a programme to follow, Caroline Girvan has changed my world.
i have ditched the scales for first time in 45 years as look and feel better, see much more definition than ever too.
I still run couple of times a week, 5k after an arms/upper body session, or on a rest day, or just do longer run because I want to.
I’ve noticed my technique is better as I have muscles I never had before!

Would be interested in why people rate Caroline Girvan so highly

There are countless reviews of Caroline Girvan - here is one:

She started putting her workouts on YouTube at the start of the first lockdown, 2.5 years ago, and has since acquired over 2 million subscribers.

There a are now several EPIC series - 1, 2, 3, Heat, Iron, Endgame...... - plus countless shorter and targeted workouts. All completely free and without attempts to sell anything.

Caroline does her workouts in real time, in her own home, but they are extremely professional. Each workout starts with a detailed introduction in which she demonstrates and explains every move.

They are tough and challenging, and she uses serious weights, whilst all the time emphasizing that it is 'You Against You'. You sweat like a pig at times, and yet it is immensely rewarding and enjoyable.

And bloody hell, they are effective!! I could never have believed that I'd be capable of working out, with serious weights, for 90 minutes a day - and still feel energetic rather than exhausted at the end of it. I'm in my 60s and in excellent shape - rock hard thighs, tight core and muscles instead of bingo wings.

Can you tell I'm a bit of a fan...😂

I'd say it's almost impossible to do both seriously.
If you're lifting seriously heavy and doing a progressive programme (which are where you'd see the most body change results) any sort of long distance running would drain you too much.
Classes like body pump, though they have their place are more like endurance cardio and not really weight training in the true sense of the phrase.
I went through a phrase to start of trying to fit too much in and found I had to eventually focus on one.

If you're lifting seriously heavy and doing a progressive programme (which are where you'd see the most body change results) any sort of long distance running would drain you too much

This is the conclusion I'm coming to - both in time and in terms of energy levels.

I already do stuff like Body Pump but like you, I don't really think of that as serious strength work. I would still be interested to hear from a distance runner who manages to do heavy weights as well.

I like her. I'll do her videos to fill in in the holidays when my classes aren't on.

The videos are well produced and very clear on what you need to do and what's coming up.

They feel realistic too. She's clearly fit and strong but not in a way that's beyond aspiration. The setting is encouraging for home workouts too. They're not patronising either- I hate it when female instructors witter about how many calories you're burning because there's so much more to exercise than calories and I'm small so burn far fewer than average

Don't endurance runners have a lot of lean slow twitch muscle fibre and lifters/ sprinters have a lot of bulkier fast twitch muscle fibre that's good for explosive bursts of power? Everyone has both but varying proportions of, but it would be difficult to really max out in both directions so some compromise would have to be made on potential performance in both areas.

The articles I read tend to suggest that bodyweight including pilates/ yoga type exercise is enough to count as strength and bring benefits in compared to exclusively running. I like using "functional" levels of kettlebells/ dumbells as it benefits to be stronger in daily life anyway. I'd had a week off over half term, went back feeling fresh, upped my weights a little, and two days later my long run was still on jelly legs and I ached all week from them, not helped by the shift into cooler, damp weather which tenses my muscles anyway.

There's osteoporosis in mine and DH's families so that's one fitness motivator for me. My SiLs did derxa bone mass scans and the older sister who's done kettlebell classes for years has better bone density than her younger sister (both 50s)

I think it is just a case of gently try and see what works for your body, and what you want to achieve with it to find out where your balance is.