Why running and lifting weights together is great for your muscles – Actually, Is running and lifting weights together a good idea? Running is a low-impact, high-intensity cardio workout that has amazing benefits for your muscles, heart and lungs. It helps protect against injury and arthritis. It doesn’t involve any expensive equipment. And running burns more calories than other forms of exercise because you’re expending energy both through your metabolism and through the activity itself – which means that after a run, you’ll burn calories even while resting!

Lifting weights can help to build muscle mass – an extra perk for runners because it boosts their metabolism by adding higher number of muscle cells. Lifting weights also speeds up recovery (since muscles are holding tension during the workout), which is especially important if you’re training every day like many runners do.

So combining running and lifting weights has plenty of benefits – but it’s not for everybody. It’s meant for runners who want to challenge their body in different ways and push themselves in new directions.

Benefits of Running and lifting weights together

1. Running and weightlifting burn the same number of calories per workout

Studies show that, per minute, running burns more calories than weightlifting (and weight training is actually closer to rowing than running). But the actual energy expenditure between running and lifting weights is dependent on what you’re doing.

In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that lifting weights burns more calories per workout, but lifting weights is more metabolically demanding. In other words, it takes longer to recover from a weight training workout than from a run.

2. Running builds muscle mass

A landmark study published in The New England Journal of Medicine compared muscle growth in high school cross-country runners to a group of non-runners who participated in an upper-body resistance program for six weeks.

The runners experienced significantly greater increases in static and isometric strength when compared to the non-runners. So if you’re looking to build muscle mass, running is a great option.

3. Lifting weights can boost your metabolism

You can’t spot-reduce fat by exercising specific muscles – your body works as a whole, so the more muscle you develop, the higher your overall metabolic rate is, which helps you burn more calories throughout the day and helps you recover faster.

Conclusion

Combining running and weightlifting for one workout is a great way to challenge your body in different ways. Start with 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Then, do 20 minutes of strength training. You can use the time you’re resting between the two workouts to change into fresh clothes or go to the bathroom.

If you don’t have much time, combine the two workouts on the same day – but make sure you leave at least 48 hours in between weightlifting and a run.

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