TL;DR: You can run, cycle, and strength train in the same program without being mediocre at all three. The key is managing intensity, recovery, and total training volume instead of trying to make every workout hard.

• Strength train 2 days per week.
• Run 2 days per week.
• Cycle 2 days per week.
• Keep most endurance work relatively easy.
• Use running and cycling for different types of aerobic training.
• Don't turn every lifting session into a leg-destroying marathon.
• Separate your hardest lower-body sessions when possible.
• Use planned easier weeks instead of waiting until your body forces you to take one.
• Eat enough carbohydrates and protein to support the workload.
• Decide whether your goal is balanced fitness or whether one activity currently deserves priority.

• Download the Simply Good free 12-Week Run, Lift & Bike Training Program with structured running, cycling, and strength workouts for beginner through advanced athletes.

There's a weird idea in fitness that you're supposed to pick a team.

You're a runner.

Or a cyclist.

Or you lift weights.

Apparently enjoying all three means you're incapable of commitment.

Fortunately, your body doesn't care about fitness-industry categories.

Running, cycling, and strength training can work extremely well together. You get the cardiovascular benefits of endurance exercise, the strength and muscle benefits of resistance training, and enough variety that you're not doing the same thing six days per week.

There's even a name for combining endurance and resistance exercise: concurrent training.

The problem isn't whether you can combine them.

The problem is figuring out how to combine them without creating six hard workouts and wondering why your legs feel like garbage by Thursday.

That's what we're going to fix.

Why Combine Running, Cycling and Strength Training?

Because each one does something a little different.

Running is a simple and effective way to develop aerobic fitness while also exposing the body to weight-bearing impact.

Cycling lets you accumulate aerobic training with less impact and can be particularly useful for longer endurance sessions and recovery-oriented work.

Strength training develops qualities neither running nor cycling optimizes particularly well, including maximal strength and muscle mass.

Put them together and you get a pretty complete training program.

This general approach also lines up nicely with public-health recommendations. The World Health Organization recommends adults accumulate 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week while also performing muscle-strengthening exercise involving the major muscle groups at least twice per week.

But we're interested in more than checking the health-exercise boxes.

We want to perform well too.

Will Cardio Kill Your Strength Gains?

Ah yes.

The question that has launched approximately 14 million arguments between runners and bodybuilders.

The concern comes from what's commonly called the interference effect.

Resistance training and endurance training produce somewhat different adaptations. Because of that, researchers have investigated whether performing both can compromise strength or muscle development.

The answer is considerably less dramatic than social media makes it sound.

An updated systematic review and meta-analysis involving 43 studies and 1,090 participants found that concurrent aerobic and strength training did not significantly compromise maximal strength or whole-muscle hypertrophy compared with strength training alone.

Explosive-strength development was more susceptible to interference, particularly when aerobic and strength training were performed in the same session.

Another meta-analysis looking specifically at muscle-fiber hypertrophy found a small potential negative effect from concurrent training, with preliminary evidence suggesting running may produce more interference than cycling for Type I fiber hypertrophy.

Translation:

Doing cardio doesn't automatically erase your gains.

But how much endurance training you perform, what kind you perform, and how you organize it still matter.

Why Running AND Cycling?

If your only goal is becoming the best runner possible, you should probably run more.

If your only goal is becoming the best cyclist possible, ride your bike more.

That's specificity.

But if your goal is becoming fit across multiple domains, using both has advantages.

Running and cycling allow you to accumulate endurance training through two different movement patterns.

More importantly, cycling gives us a useful way to increase aerobic training without adding another day of running impact.

That's especially useful when you're also lifting weights.

Instead of asking your legs to absorb running forces every endurance session, some of your aerobic volume can come from the bike.

You still develop your aerobic system.

Your joints and connective tissues get a different loading pattern.

And frankly, sometimes it's nice to train without every workout involving running shoes.

How Many Days Per Week Should You Train?

A very practical structure is:

2 running days

2 cycling days

2 strength-training days

That's exactly how I structured the Simply Good Supplements Ultimate Run, Lift, Bike Training Program. The free program runs for 12 weeks, includes beginner through advanced options, and uses every fourth week as a reduced-training week.

Six workouts sounds like a lot.

But there's an important distinction:

Six workouts does not mean six hard workouts.

That's where people screw this up.

If every run is hard, every bike ride becomes a Strava competition, and every lifting session involves crawling out of the squat rack, you're going to accumulate fatigue considerably faster than fitness.

Keep Most Endurance Training Easy

One of the easiest ways to make a multi-sport program manageable is to control intensity.

You don't need:

Intervals Monday.

Hard cycling Tuesday.

Tempo run Wednesday.

Threshold cycling Thursday.

And then a Saturday long session that somehow becomes a race.

Some endurance sessions should simply build aerobic volume.

That means controlled, sustainable efforts where you're not constantly flirting with exhaustion.

Easy training isn't wasted training.

It lets you accumulate volume without producing the recovery demands of repeated high-intensity sessions.

Save hard efforts for workouts where intensity has an actual purpose.

How to Structure Your Running

With two running sessions per week, those sessions need to be purposeful.

One might emphasize easier aerobic running or gradually increasing duration.

The other can eventually incorporate more intensity depending on your experience and goals.

For example:

Run 1: Easy aerobic run

Run 2: Tempo, intervals, hills, or longer endurance run

Beginners don't need to immediately add structured intervals.

Simply developing consistent running volume is plenty of stimulus when you're starting.

More experienced athletes can use that second run to develop threshold, speed, or race-specific fitness.

How to Structure Your Cycling

Cycling gives you quite a bit of flexibility.

One ride might be longer and easier.

The other can include more intensity.

For example:

Ride 1: Easy-to-moderate aerobic ride

Ride 2: Intervals, hills, or tempo work

Or reverse that depending on how you're organizing your running.

The big picture matters more than whether Tuesday is officially "bike interval day."

If you've already performed a hard run and heavy lower-body strength workout, you probably don't need another brutal cycling session 12 hours later.

Look at the entire week, not each workout in isolation.

Strength Training When You Also Run and Bike

This is where a lot of endurance athletes go wrong.

They either don't strength train at all or decide they need a five-day bodybuilding split.

There's a lot of room between those two options.

For someone running and cycling four days per week, two full-body strength sessions can work extremely well.

Each workout should cover the major movement patterns.

That might include:

• Squat or leg press
• Deadlift or Romanian deadlift
• Split squat or step-up
• Calf work
• Press
• Row
• Pulldown or pull-up
• Trunk work

You don't need 25 sets for your legs.

You're already giving your legs plenty to do.

The goal is enough resistance training to develop strength and maintain muscle without generating unnecessary fatigue that ruins the endurance work.

How Heavy Should You Lift?

Heavy enough to get stronger.

That doesn't mean testing your one-rep max every week.

For the primary exercises, sets somewhere in the range of roughly 4–8 repetitions can work well, with somewhat higher repetitions for accessory exercises.

For example:

Squat: 3 × 5

Romanian Deadlift: 3 × 6

Split Squat: 2 × 8 per leg

Row: 3 × 8

Dumbbell Press: 3 × 8

Calf Raise: 3 × 12

You could build a very effective workout around that.

The goal isn't leaving the gym unable to walk.

The goal is providing enough stimulus to become stronger.

Should You Run, Bike and Lift on Separate Days?

You can, and for many recreational athletes that's the easiest setup.

Something like:

Monday: Strength

Tuesday: Run

Wednesday: Bike

Thursday: Strength

Friday: Run

Saturday: Bike

Sunday: Rest

Simple.

But that isn't the only way.

You can also stack certain workouts on the same day to create harder and easier days.

For example:

Morning: Easy run

Afternoon: Strength

Then make the following day genuinely easy.

Research suggests concurrent endurance and strength training generally doesn't compromise maximal strength or muscle hypertrophy, although explosive-strength adaptations may be affected when endurance and resistance exercise are performed within the same session.

If explosive strength is especially important to you, separating demanding endurance and strength sessions becomes more useful.

What Should You Do First: Cardio or Strength?

Prioritize whatever matters most.

If today's important workout is a hard run, run first.

If strength development is the priority, lift first.

If cycling is your primary sport and you're doing an important interval session, don't destroy your legs with squats immediately beforehand.

This becomes even more important when you're temporarily emphasizing one fitness quality.

You don't have to treat running, cycling, and strength as equally important every single week of the year.

You might spend three months emphasizing running while maintaining cycling and strength.

Then shift toward cycling.

Then spend a block trying to get stronger.

That's one of the advantages of being a multi-sport athlete.

The Importance of Easier Training Weeks

You don't need to train progressively harder until your body files a formal complaint.

Planned reductions in training can help manage accumulated fatigue.

That's why the Run, Lift, Bike Program uses a down week every fourth week.

A down week doesn't mean lying on the couch for seven days.

You simply reduce some combination of:

• Training volume
• Training intensity
• Workout duration
• Total sets
• Hard intervals

Then you return to progressive training.

Think of it as intentionally taking your foot slightly off the gas before the engine catches fire.

How Beginners Should Approach This

If you're new to all three activities, don't immediately jump into six demanding sessions.

Start conservatively.

The Run, Lift, Bike Program includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced options for exactly this reason.

A beginner needs less training stimulus to improve.

That's good news.

Take advantage of it.

You might begin with shorter running sessions, manageable cycling durations, and relatively basic full-body strength workouts.

As your work capacity improves, gradually increase the training demands.

There is absolutely no prize for starting with the advanced program and surviving it badly.

What About Advanced Athletes?

The more experienced you become, the more programming matters.

Beginners can improve at almost everything simultaneously because nearly every training stimulus is new.

Experienced athletes have already collected those easy adaptations.

At that point, you'll probably need to emphasize certain qualities during different training blocks.

For example:

Running Emphasis

Increase running volume or intensity while keeping cycling easier and reducing lifting volume slightly.

Cycling Emphasis

Increase cycling volume and sport-specific intensity while maintaining running fitness.

Strength Emphasis

Reduce endurance volume somewhat and prioritize progressive resistance training.

You're still training all three.

You're simply changing the size of each slice of the pie.

Don't Forget Recovery

Running, lifting, and cycling gives you plenty of opportunities to train.

It also gives you plenty of opportunities to overdo it.

Pay attention to:

• Sleep
• Nutrition
• Persistent soreness
• Motivation
• Resting heart rate
• Performance
• General fatigue

One bad workout means almost nothing.

Several weeks of declining performance while everything hurts and you're sleeping terribly deserves attention.

The answer isn't always another energy drink.

Sometimes you need recovery.

Eat Enough to Support the Training

Six weekly workouts require energy.

Trying to simultaneously become a better runner, stronger lifter, and better cyclist while aggressively dieting makes everything harder.

Protein

Protein supports muscle repair and adaptation.

For active adults performing resistance and endurance exercise, somewhere around 1.6–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is a reasonable range for many people, depending on goals and energy intake.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates become increasingly important as endurance training volume and intensity rise.

Running and cycling can burn through a considerable amount of carbohydrate.

If you're constantly tired, performance is declining, and you're intentionally avoiding carbohydrates because someone on Instagram called them inflammatory, we may have located part of the problem.

Fuel the work.

What About Rest Days?

Take them.

The free Run, Lift, Bike Program includes an optional rest day each week.

"Optional" doesn't mean rest is for weak people.

It means recovery needs differ.

If you're experienced, sleeping well, eating enough, and recovering easily, an easy active-recovery day may be fine.

If you're exhausted, take the day off.

Your mitochondria won't pack their bags and leave because you watched football instead of doing Zone 2.

Who Is Run, Lift, Bike Training Best For?

This style of training makes a lot of sense if you:

• Enjoy multiple types of exercise
• Want both strength and endurance
• Want to become a more well-rounded athlete
• Enjoy running but don't want to run every day
• Enjoy cycling but also want weight-bearing exercise
• Want to maintain muscle while developing cardiovascular fitness
• Aren't training exclusively for one highly specialized sport

It's particularly good for people who simply want to be really fit.

Not optimized exclusively for a bench press.

Not optimized exclusively for a marathon.

Not optimized exclusively for a cycling time trial.

Strong.

Fast.

Capable of going for a long time.

There's something appealing about that.

Want the Entire 12-Week Program Built for You?

You could take everything in this article and build your own schedule.

Or you could let me save you the spreadsheet.

The Ultimate Run, Lift, Bike Training Program is a completely free 12-week program built around:

2 days of full-body resistance training

2 days of running

2 days of cycling

1 optional rest day

It also includes a planned down week every fourth week and beginner, intermediate, and advanced training levels.

The goal is to develop aerobic and anaerobic fitness while building strength and strength endurance, giving you a broad fitness base that can also transition into more specialized training later.

Download the Free Ultimate Run, Lift, Bike Training Program →

You can also browse all of our free training programs and workout plans if you want something more specific to running, strength, hybrid training, or athletic performance.

No subscription.

No credit card.

No complicated algorithm deciding that today's workout should involve 400 burpees because your "readiness score" was 82.

Just the program.

Frequently Asked Questions About Running, Cycling and Strength Training

Can you run, cycle and strength train at the same time?

Yes. This is a form of concurrent training. Research indicates that combining aerobic and resistance training generally does not prevent improvements in maximal strength or whole-muscle hypertrophy, although training organization and total workload still matter.

Is running and cycling too much cardio if I'm lifting weights?

Not automatically. The appropriate amount depends on your goals, training intensity, volume, nutrition, and recovery. Research suggests the feared interference between endurance and strength training is generally smaller than people often assume.

How many days per week should I lift if I also run and cycle?

Two full-body strength sessions per week is a practical starting point. It also aligns with general physical-activity recommendations calling for muscle-strengthening exercise involving all major muscle groups at least twice weekly.

Is cycling good cross-training for runners?

Yes. Cycling provides aerobic training without the same impact demands as running. It can be useful for adding aerobic volume, developing cycling-specific fitness, or simply providing variety within a broader endurance program.

Will running make me lose muscle?

Running doesn't automatically cause muscle loss. Muscle retention is influenced by resistance training, total energy intake, protein intake, endurance volume, and recovery. Concurrent-training research generally finds that aerobic exercise can be combined with resistance training without eliminating hypertrophy adaptations.

Is cycling better than running when combining cardio with strength training?

Neither is universally better. Cycling may create less impact-related fatigue and some research suggests certain interference effects may be more pronounced with running, but the best choice depends on your goals. If you want to become a better runner, you need to run. If you want broader fitness, there's room for both.

Should I lift before or after cardio?

Prioritize the workout most important to your current goal. If strength is the priority, lift first. If an important run or cycling session is the priority, perform that first. When both sessions are demanding, separating them can help manage fatigue.

Do I need a rest day every week?

Not everyone requires the exact same schedule, but recovery needs to be built into the program somewhere. A full rest day can be particularly useful during demanding training periods or when fatigue begins accumulating.

Can beginners follow a run, lift and bike program?

Yes, provided the volume and intensity are appropriate. The Simply Good Supplements Run, Lift, Bike Program includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, allowing the training demands to match experience.

How long should I follow a run, lift and bike program?

A 12-week training block is long enough to build meaningful consistency and progressively develop fitness. The Simply Good program also allows someone completing the beginner or intermediate level to move to the next level for another 12-week block.

About the Author

Matt Mosman, MS, CISSN, CSCS

Matt Mosman is the founder and Chief Science Officer of Simply Good Supplements. He holds a master's degree and is a Certified Sports Nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition (CISSN) and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS).

His approach to training is straightforward: build a body that can do more than one thing well.

Matt is also an endurance athlete who combines running with strength and other forms of endurance training himself, so the challenge of balancing performance, fatigue, and recovery isn't just something he reads about in research papers.

The goal isn't to specialize everyone into one tiny corner of fitness.

Sometimes being strong, having a big aerobic engine, and being capable of doing a bunch of different things is the goal.

References

1. Schumann M, Feuerbacher JF, Sünkeler M, et al. Compatibility of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training for Skeletal Muscle Size and Function: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. 2022;52:601–612. The analysis included 43 studies and 1,090 participants and found concurrent training did not compromise maximal strength or muscle hypertrophy, although explosive-strength gains could be attenuated.
2. Schumann M, et al. The Effects of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training on Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. 2022. The review found a small potential interference effect for muscle-fiber hypertrophy and preliminary evidence of greater interference from running than cycling for Type I fibers.
3. Huiberts I, et al. Comparative Efficacy of Concurrent Training Types on Lower Limb Strength and Muscular Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. 2024. The analysis included 40 studies and 841 participants and found that the type of endurance training can influence lower-body strength adaptations during concurrent training.
4. World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. WHO recommends adults perform 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, along with muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups on at least two days per week.