Can You Build Muscle and Run at the Same Time?

With running becoming more popular than ever, this is one of the questions I get asked most often.

And I have some good news.

Yes, you absolutely can build muscle and run at the same time.

You don't have to choose between being the girl who lifts weights and the girl who signs up for a 10k. You can be both.

However, if building muscle is your main priority, how you combine the two matters.

Why can running sometimes affect muscle growth?

Think of your body like your phone battery.

Running uses up energy. Strength training uses up energy too.

If you head into your gym session after a long, hard run, your battery is already half empty. That means you might struggle to:

• Lift as much weight

• Push as close to failure

• Train with the same intensity

• Get the most out of your session

And when it comes to building muscle, intensity matters.

The muscles that have the biggest potential for growth are recruited when you're lifting challenging loads and training with intent. If you're carrying a lot of fatigue from running, you simply might not stimulate those muscles as effectively.

Does this mean running kills your gains?

Not at all.

The problem isn't running itself.

The problem is doing too much of it, too intensely, without considering your recovery or your priorities.

For example, if you're running five times a week, doing long-distance sessions and sprint intervals, then expecting to smash four heavy leg sessions in the gym, something has to give.

Your body can adapt to both, but it can't recover from an unlimited amount of stress.

So how do you combine running and muscle building successfully?

If muscle growth is your main goal:

• Prioritise your strength sessions.

• Avoid doing long or intense runs immediately before lifting.

• Separate your runs and gym sessions by at least six hours where possible.

• Keep most of your running easy and enjoyable.

• Eat enough to support both activities.

• Focus on recovery: sleep, nutrition and managing overall training volume.

If running is your main goal:

• Prioritise your key running sessions and long runs.

• Aim for 2–3 strength sessions per week to maintain muscle, improve performance and reduce injury risk.

• Avoid heavy lower body sessions immediately before important runs.

• Keep your strength training focused and effective rather than trying to maximise volume.

• Eat enough to support your training demands and recovery.

• Increase your mileage gradually to reduce the risk of injury.

• Prioritise sleep and recovery, especially during higher-volume training blocks.

• Accept that you may not build muscle at the fastest rate while focusing on running performance – and that's okay.

The bottom line

Running doesn't automatically make you lose muscle.

In fact, for many women, adding some running can improve cardiovascular fitness, mental wellbeing and help them genuinely enjoy their training.

You don't need to choose between being strong and being able to run.

You just need to be smart about how you programme both.

So if you've been avoiding signing up for that race because you're worried about losing all your hard-earned progress in the gym, consider this your permission slip.

You can build muscle and run.

You just can't train like you're preparing for the Olympics in both at the same time.

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