While Runna plans are running-first, we know that cross-training is one of the most effective things you can do to support your running. That's why Runna offers four types of additional non-running workouts: Strength, Yoga, Pilates, and Stretch & Stability.
💪 This article covers everything you need to know about Strength Training in Runna. For Yoga, Pilates and Stretch & Stability, see Adding Yoga, Pilates and Stretch & Stability to Your Runna Plan.
How to Add Strength to Your Plan
Go to the Plan tab
Tap Manage Plan
Select the Strength Tab
Tap Set up strength
Choose your preferences: strength ability, goal, session duration, sessions per week, preferred strength days and equipment
Tap Add to plan
Your sessions will appear in your Training Calendar alongside your runs. You can move them around to suit your week the same way you would a running workout.
How to Adjust Your Strength Training
When adding Strength to your plan, you can choose your strength ability, strength goal, session duration, weekly frequency, preferred days and equipment. These preferences can be changed at any time.
Adjusting Strength Ability
To change your strength ability: Go to Plan → Manage Plan → Strength → Strength Ability.
You can choose from:
Beginner: for those with little to no experience in strength based training.
Intermediate: for those with some experience in strength-based training and are used to basic movements (e.g. front squats).
Advanced: for those with extensive experience in strength-based training and are confident with all complex movements.
Adjusting Strength Goal
To change your strength training focus and goal: Go to Plan → Manage Plan → Strength → Strength Goal.
You can choose from:
Running Focus: prioritises lower body and core strength to directly support your running
All Round Strength: full body sessions covering legs, core, and upper body (still complements your running)
Adjusting Session Length
To change how long you want your strength sessions to be: Go to Plan → Manage Plan → Strength → Session length.
You can choose from 30, 45, or 60 minutes. When choosing how long your strength workouts should be, the best option is the one that fits comfortably into your routine and feels sustainable for you. There’s no “perfect” length, consistency matters far more than squeezing in longer sessions that are hard to stick to. For runners specifically, here's what works well:
30 minutes is effective for maintaining strength with a running-focused approach
45-60 minutes allows for more comprehensive full-body or all-round strength work without feeling rushed.
Frequency matters more than duration, consistency with 1-2 sessions per week is better than overdoing it occasionally
Adjusting Sessions Per Week
To change the number of strength sessions per week: Go to Plan → Manage Plan → Strength → Sessions per week. You can have up to a maximum of 4 strength sessions per week. Choose what is best for you, your schedule and what you’ll enjoy most.
Adjusting Equipment
To change the equipment you have available to you: Go to Plan → Manage Plan → Strength → Equipment. Our current list of equipment includes: Stretch Band, Barbell, Box, Bench, Dumbbell, Kettlebell, Pull-Up Bar and Swiss Ball. If you do not have any equipment at hand, don’t worry, your strength workouts will simply be bodyweight.
Adjusting Weight Units (kg or lbs)
To switch between kilograms and pounds:
Go to Profile (top-left)
Tap Units
Scroll to Weight Tracking
Choose between Kilograms or Pounds
How do I log weights during a strength workout?
During a strength workout, you can log the weights you're lifting as you go:
Go to Today tab
Scheduled Strength Workout
View Workout
Start
During weighted exercises, tap the Log tab and enter reps and weight.
How can I track my weight progression?
To track how much you lift over time, you need to enter them for each strength exercise. Start a strength workout, then go to:
Exercise Tab
Select exercise (e.g., Standing Side Raise)
Weight Lifted.
By entering your weights, you’ll be able to track your progression over time.
When should I do strength workouts alongside my running?
Strength workouts can be done around your running days or on the same day but try to space them out to give your body enough time to recover.
Workout type | Best timing |
Lower Body Focused | Easy run days or rest days. Lower body sessions create the most fatigue, so keep them away from key workouts like intervals or long runs |
Upper Body Focused | More flexible, it’s often fine for upper body workouts to sit closer to harder run days |
How to Remove Strength Workouts from your Plan
Go to the Plan tab
Tap Manage Plan
Select the Strength Tab
Tap Delete
This will remove all Strength Workouts throughout your plan.
FAQs
Can I log my own custom strength workouts?
At the moment, you can’t create or add custom strength workouts in Runna. All strength sessions are based on our pre-built Runna workouts that are included in your training plan. We know customisation is important and it’s something we’re actively working on for the future 🙌.
If you prefer to log your own strength sessions, you can still do that manually via Activities → tap the + in the top right → select Strength. From there, you can log the date, time and duration of your workout.
Can I sync strength workouts from other apps to Runna?
No, you can't sync external strength workouts from other apps (Peloton, CrossFit, etc.) directly into your Runna plan. A workaround would be to manually log it via Activities → tap the + in the top right → select Strength.
Do strength sessions sync to Strava?
Yes, strength sessions recorded in the Runna app on your phone do sync to Strava automatically, including weights activities. This is controlled by the same Strava connection used for your runs.
To control syncing on a per-session basis, a Strava toggle appears on the completion screen after finishing a strength session. Toggling it off will keep that activity in Runna only and prevent it from syncing to Strava.
If you'd like to sync a strength session to Strava after the fact, open the workout summary in the Runna app and tap Sync with Strava.
Will adding strength or additional sessions affect my running plan?
No, your running sessions stay unchanged. Strength sessions sit outside the adaptive running plans. This means they won’t influence adherence, intensity guidance, or plan adaptations.
Can I swap or change individual exercises within a strength workout?
Not yet! Currently, it's not possible to swap one exercise for another within a session. You can update the equipment you have available (Plan → Manage Plan → Strength → Equipment) and Runna will adjust accordingly.
Do strength sessions include exercise demonstrations?
Yes! During a strength workout, tap on any exercise image to see an animation and coaching tips on correct form and technique.
Can I sync strength workouts to my smartwatch?
Not currently, strength workouts don't sync to smartwatches. The only way is to follow your strength workout on your phone and use your watch alongside for heart rate tracking.
Are Strength Instant Workouts available?
Not yet, Instant Workouts are currently running only. But we’re working on it!
Can I use Runna for strength only?
No, Runna is a running-first platform. If you want “Strength only” with no running at all, the practical workaround is to start a General Training Plan and then add Strength to it. General Training plans are designed for periods without a race and fully support Strength alongside running.
How to set it up:
Go to Plan → Manage Plan → Start new plan → General Training
Then go to Plan → Manage Plan → Strength → Set up Strength
Choose your Strength ability, goal, session duration, sessions per week, preferred strength days and equipment
Do you support other types of cross-training?
Currently, the only cross-training we offer is Strength, Yoga, Pilates and Stretch & Stability. We don’t yet support any other types of non-running activities such as swimming, cycling, rowing or any type of sports like football or basketball.
Need support? If you have any questions or need help setting up, reach out via the in-app support channel.