The Benefits and Risks of Stacking Workouts

When it comes to doing multiple workouts within a 24-hour period, the balance of benefits versus risks can get tricky. Doing too much might lead to increased injury risk, while doing too little may slow your performance progression.

Benefits of Stacking Workouts#

• Maximize hard days: Stacking workouts can help you get in more weekly mileage, which is beneficial for long-distance runners.
• Improve performance: Stacking workouts can also improve performance by allowing you to get in more quality workouts and training sessions.

Risks of Stacking Workouts#

• Increased injury risk: Doing too much can lead to increased injury risk, especially if you’re not allowing enough time for recovery.
• Compromised performance: If you do too much, you may compromise your performance and speed, and even risk injury.

Do’s and Don’ts of Stacking Workouts#

Don’ts#

• Make workouts intense: Avoid doing high-intensity workouts too frequently, as this can lead to increased fatigue and muscle soreness.
• Be afraid to add strength to hard days: Adding strength training to hard running days may not be beneficial and can actually lead to fatigue and overuse injuries.
• Be afraid to add other aerobic activities: While stacking workouts can offer a performance boost, adding other aerobic activities like swimming or cycling may not be beneficial for every runner.

Do’s#

• Tailor your running stack to your race: If you’re training for a specific event, you may need to stack your workouts to mimic the demands of the race.
• Add strength to hard days: Adding strength training to hard running days can help improve performance and reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
• Tune into your body more closely: Pay attention to your body and take rest days when needed to avoid injury and overtraining.

Expert Insights#

“Voluntary activation remained depressed at baseline for sessions 2 and 3, which means the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) had some fatigue, or deficit, in being able to activate the legs after the first session, then wasn’t fully able to recover thereafter.” — Dr. Zhang

Conclusion#

While stacking workouts can offer a performance boost, it’s essential to be aware of the risks and benefits.