Should you lift before you run?

Many of you reading this are already in some habit of doing some sort of cardio regularly

Whether it be walking, running, cycling, or swimming, most of us find enough time to do something daily

For those who are really trying to do the best for their bodies, there is also a need to make time for weight lifting and cross training

So when you have 2 different workouts to fit in a day, which comes first?

There is one main thing to consider: fatigue

Whichever workout comes second during the day, you’ll be doing in some degree of a fatigued state

For most of us, the priority is a good performance in running, cycling, or swimming

So it would be preferred to perform those activities when you’re fresh and energized

Saving the lift or cross training for afterwards

Also, doing weight training in a fatigued state, improves your ability to recruit more muscle fibers while fatigued

However, this concept of training in a pre-fatigued state can go both ways

You can lift or even perform another type of exercise before your run and train your run in a pre-fatigued state

Helping you practice running on tired legs

Running pre-fatigued is common in triathlon training

A ‘brick run’ is a run that occurs immediately after you ride your bike

This gives you practice running with tired legs

Just like you’d be doing for a triathlon race

So, frustratingly, the answer of whether or not you should lift or run first is: it depends on your goals

Typically, when I answer this question for my patients, the running is king and performing well on the run is most important

That’s why, in general, I advise my people to lift AFTER they run

Happy runnin then lifting