I’ve Added the Fitbod Strength-Training App to My Cardio Routine and I Love It.
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When I first evaluated Fitbod (which you can read about here ), I approached it with the skepticism of someone who sees strength training as simply lifting a water bottle during long runs. Well, that’s an exaggeration, but there’s some truth to my inability to squeeze full-fledged strength training into my schedule. Fitbod’s main advantage is that its strength program is powered by artificial intelligence and tailored to you. For me, this means a strength program that works with my limited free time and already fatigued muscles.
Like many endurance athletes, I often fall into the trap of “not having enough time” for anything but running. My weekly routine includes easy jogs, tempo runs, long runs, and maybe a little yoga if I feel like it. And when minor injuries crop up—an IT band strain, a knee discomfort—I simply take a few days off and then get back to running on the pavement.
To be honest, I’m pretty terrified of strength training. It’s not just that I’m afraid of looking stupid in the gym (though I do that too), but I’m genuinely convinced that building muscle will slow me down. Won’t all that extra weight make running harder?
A few months have passed, and here I am writing this after completing a deadlift that would have terrified even me in the past. Here’s how Fitbod changed my relationship with strength training and, unsurprisingly, helped me become a better long-distance runner.
How Fitbod works with a running-focused schedule
Fitbod initially attracted me with its promise of effective, personalized workouts. Juggling 30+ miles a week with a full-time job, I didn’t have time to spend in the gym wondering what exercises to do or how many sets and reps were optimal.
Fitbod’s interface impressed me from day one. After I entered my goals (I chose “gain muscle”), available equipment, and time constraints, the app generated 30-45-minute workouts that fit easily into my running schedule.
Another important factor to understand about Fitbod’s programming is its “non-linear” approach. Many beginner strength programs are built on a linear progression. This means you add small but consistent weights to a given exercise each workout or week, while keeping the exercises, sets, and reps the same. Fitbod doesn’t follow the linear “add 5 pounds every workout” approach that traditional programs do. The whole point of its AI is that Fitbod nudges you toward heavier weights when it deems you ready, rather than on an arbitrary schedule. So, during my peak weeks, Fitbod either automatically adjusted to lighter weights and fewer sets, or I could easily adjust this manually. Then, during recovery weeks, Fitbod knew to increase the intensity. Thanks to this smart programming, I didn’t have to try to set a personal best in squats the day before a 22-mile run.
What I like about the Fitbod approach
After several weeks of testing, I can say that Fitbod really doesn’t just throw random exercises at you. And if you’re a runner, the TTS workout selection for runners is well-deserved—lots of single-leg work, core stabilization, and posterior chain strengthening. Posterior chain strengthening, which Fitbod prioritizes (deadlifts, hip thrusts, and barbell rows), is crucial for complementing all forward-facing running movements. The app’s algorithm seemed to understand that I needed functional strength, not just muscle gains.
On its website, Fitbod explains the algorithm and how the app generates workouts. Simply put, the app first analyzes a variety of factors: previous workout data, muscle recovery status, available time, and your feedback on individual exercises. As you use the app, it analyzes your recorded data, calculates muscle recovery, measures training volume to gradually increase load, adjusts results according to your specific goals (hypertrophy or strength), applies intelligent variations to prevent plateaus, and generates your next customized workout. This process repeats with each session, which, it claims, makes your program increasingly personalized over time.
In this regard, two factors were most important to me: schedule flexibility and training. Regarding the latter, the built-in video demonstrations and technique tips were simply superb. They helped me feel confident in movements I’d always avoided. (Unfortunately, this also applies to the deadlift. I’m terrified of injury during marathon season!)
For schedule flexibility: some days I only had 20 minutes, others 45. Fitbod easily adapts, never making me feel like I’m neglecting my workout. Of course, incorporating Fitbod into my marathon training required some strategic planning. I scheduled strength training on easy running or rest days, but never on the days before intense workouts or long runs. Personally, I found that the intensity of Fitbod’s workouts perfectly matched this approach.
Plus, Fitbod is a very visual app, which gives it a serious advantage over traditional notebooks. Like Strava or Nike Run Club, visually tracking my progress in the app turned strength training into a game I actually wanted to win. Hey, I’m a simple man.
Bottom line
If you’re reading this as someone who lives for cardio but is interested in strength training, here’s my advice: start small, be consistent, and trust the process. Fitbod makes that leap less daunting by taking all the complexity out of the program while you focus on simply showing up and getting the work done. As a runner, I always view my body through the lens of performance—how fast, how far, how efficiently. I think strength training requires a different type of body awareness, focused on strength, stability, and endurance.
Still, it’s all about results. As they say, right? I’ll report back on my next marathon time to see if the Fitbod strength program has a noticeable impact on my results.