About two strength sessions a week
Most runners get the performance benefit of strength training from about two sessions a week, on non-consecutive days, kept up for at least 6 to 12 weeks.
In plain English
Two strength sessions a week, kept up for a couple of months, is enough to start making running feel easier at the same pace. More than that is not clearly better for runners.
Why it works
Strength work improves the neuromuscular and tendon qualities behind running economy; those changes build over weeks and do not require daily training.
What it means in practice
Schedule strength roughly twice a week on non-consecutive days, kept separate from key runs, and hold the habit for at least a couple of months before judging it. One session a week can hold the gains during heavy race periods.
The evidence
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Adding strength training to endurance training improves running economy, time-trial performance, and maximal sprint speed in trained distance runners. Heavy resistance training and plyometric training both produced benefits, with effect sizes generally moderate. The improvements appeared without measurable changes to VO2 max or body composition, suggesting the mechanism is neuromuscular and tendon-related rather than cardiovascular.
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Strength training programs combining low-to-high intensity resistance exercises and plyometric exercises, performed 2-3 times per week over 8-12 weeks, are an effective strategy for improving running economy in highly trained middle- and long-distance runners. The authors note that despite supporting evidence, strength training has historically been overlooked by long-distance runners — referencing data showing that 2008 US Olympic Marathon Trials runners included little strength training, with nearly half doing no strength training at all.
n=93
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Several specific findings emerge for runners. (1) Foot-ankle strengthening (Taddei 2020) reduced running injury rate by 2.42-fold versus controls in recreational runners over 12 months. (2) In military cohorts, resistance exercise at least 3 times per week was associated with 54% lower running-injury risk versus those doing none or less than once weekly. (3) Six weeks of neuromuscular training (jumping, landing, strength, endurance, agility, trunk) reduced injury incidence in track and field, particularly MTSS (p=0.012). (4) Trail-runner injury risk factors include: less running experience, neglecting warm-ups, having no specialized running plan, training on asphalt, and double daily training sessions. (5) Inadequate running technique and poor neuromuscular control are key mechanisms alongside training-load issues — more than 70% of running injuries are overuse in nature.
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Strength training improved running economy in middle- and long-distance runners, but the best method depended on running speed. Plyometric training was most effective at lower speeds (around or below 12 km/h), while high-load strength training appeared particularly effective at higher speeds and in runners with high VO2 max. Submaximal-load and isometric methods showed little to no effect on economy.
n=652
Why we call confidence high
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of strength training in distance runners converge on roughly two sessions per week over 6-24 week blocks as the dose that improves economy and performance. The exact minimum effective dose is less certain.
Where it applies
Adult distance runners from recreational to elite, training concurrently for endurance.
Does not apply to: pure sprinters; athletes in a dedicated strength-only block.
Last reviewed 2026-06-20. See how we score.