How hard: mostly easy, and the talk testEmerging evidence
Do most of your running at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences. In small lab studies, the point where talking first got harder matched the first breathing threshold, so the talk test keeps easy runs easy without heart-rate formulas.
The NHS describes moderate effort as being able to talk but not sing, and vigorous effort as not being able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath. In this plan, Tuesday's and Sunday's runs, and Thursday's runs in weeks 1 to 4 and 8, are conversational; tempo runs are comfortably hard, short sentences only; hills and 5K intervals are hard, a few words at most.
Sources 1, 2
Spacing the runs and the lifting: our editorial weekEmerging evidence
The week's layout and its spacing rules are our editorial choices, informed by small studies. In 58 rugby players who always lifted first, doing the aerobic session straight after lifting blunted gains in the most they could lift once (1RM), while 6 or 24 hours between the sessions protected them, and the authors advise at least 6 hours. In 16 men, leg-press reps were reduced 4 and 8 hours after cycling but not after 24, and only in the legs. A review adds that a hard lifting session can slow endurance sessions for hours to days.
So heavy leg lifting never comes the day before a hard or long run, Thursday's harder run follows the upper-body day, and the long run comes two days after Friday's session. If you ever have to combine them, lift first when leg strength matters: in pooled trials, lifting first gave a little more leg strength, with no difference in muscle growth or aerobic fitness. With about 3 hours between sessions, intervals before or after lifting built the same strength and lean mass in 29 men.
Sources 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
How the runs and the lifting growEmerging evidence
No trial has tested how fast to grow running and lifting together, so this plan's rule is editorial: in any week, either the runs grow or the sets grow, not both, and the lighter weeks 4 and 8 cut both. The run times and set counts in the phases are our editorial starting points. In an older analysis, longer and more frequent endurance training went with smaller strength gains.
No weekly percentage rule has been shown to prevent running injuries: in 532 new runners, a slower 13-week programme built on the "10% rule" injured as many people as a standard 8-week one (20.8% against 20.3%). In 5,205 runners, a single run more than about 10% longer than their longest of the past month went with more injuries, an association rather than a tested rule, so the long run grows by under 10% at a time. In the gym, add reps first and then weight: both worked in a trial of trained people.
Sources 10, 11, 12, 13
How hard each set should feelStrong evidence
You do not need to train to failure. Stopping 2 or 3 reps short, often written as 2 to 3 reps in reserve (RIR), gives similar results for most people.
Every set stops 2 to 3 reps short, including the last: leftover fatigue costs you runs.
Sources 14, 15
Rest between setsEmerging evidence
Heavy compound lifts in sets of 5 to 8 (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, chin-up): 2 to 3 minutes. Other compound lifts in sets of 8 to 12: about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Isolation moves such as raises, curls, extensions and calf raises: 60 to 90 seconds.
For muscle growth, resting more than about a minute gives a small advantage, with no clear extra gain past about 90 seconds. For strength the evidence on rest is mixed: 1 to 2 minutes is enough for beginners, and trained lifters may do better with longer rests on heavy lifts.
Short on time? Pair two moves that do not compete, such as a press with a row or a leg move with a core move, and rest after the pair. Supersets like this cut session time by about a third to a half while keeping the sets.
Sources 16, 17, 14, 18, 19
Warm-up and cool-downEmerging evidence
Warm up with 3 to 5 minutes of easy movement, the moves listed at the start of each session, then 1 or 2 lighter sets of the first lift. A short warm-up specific to the exercise is enough.
The cool-down is optional. Its stretches are there for comfort and flexibility; they do not add strength or muscle.
Source 18
Check firstStrong evidence
Answer the 7 questions of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+) before you start. A yes to any (a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or fainting, another long-term condition or its medicines, a bone or joint problem, or being told to exercise only under medical supervision) means checking with your doctor or a qualified exercise professional first. If you're over 45 and not used to hard, all-out effort, check before Thursday's hills, tempo runs, intervals and the time trial.
WHO notes that people without contraindications generally don't need medical clearance for light to moderate activity. Can't run for 20 to 30 minutes yet? Start with Couch to 5K: the NHS programme builds to 30 minutes of running over 9 weeks.
Sources 20, 21, 22
Stop and get helpStrong evidence
Call 999 in the UK or 911 in the US for chest pain that feels tight, heavy or like squeezing, or spreads to your arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back; chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness; severe difficulty breathing; or signs of a stroke, such as one side of the face drooping, weakness in one arm or slurred speech, even if they pass. Don't drive yourself to hospital.
Call NHS 111 (in the US, your doctor or an urgent care centre) if you're suddenly more short of breath than usual, or have chest pain with feeling sick or a heartbeat that races, skips or flutters.
Dark, red or cola-coloured urine, much less urine than usual, or very painful, weak or swollen muscles after unusually hard training can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys: get medical help the same day.
Stop running if a pain is sharp, makes you limp or builds as you go, and skip your next run if it's worse the next morning. Bone pain in one spot that gets worse with each step, or aches at rest, needs checking by a GP or physiotherapist before you run again (our suggestion).
Missed periods, constant tiredness or repeated injuries while training hard can mean you're not eating enough for the training: see a GP.
Sources 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Missed sessions and breaks
Missed a session? Carry on where you left off; don't double up. Missed a week or more, or been ill? Repeat the last week you completed, or go back two (our suggestion). Repeating weeks is part of the plan, not a failure.