6 of the Best Leg Exercises for Runners

Peak training weeks can make even experienced runners question whether their body is going to hold up.

Your mileage is near its highest point, your long runs are getting longer, and fatigue starts carrying from one workout into the next. It is completely normal to wonder whether adding strength training is just going to create more fatigue when you are already asking a lot from your body.

I look at strength training differently during this part of a training cycle. The goal is not to pile another hard workout onto an already demanding week. The goal is to help build the durability your body needs to keep absorbing the work you are already doing.

Lower-body strength work can help support running durability and injury prevention while strengthening the muscles you rely on as fatigue builds. Strength training can also play a role in helping runners reduce injury risk and build the strength needed for longer, faster running.

For runners, that means working everything from your glutes down to your feet. You do not need a complicated gym program to do that. These six leg exercises for runners cover many of the areas I want runners strengthening throughout a training cycle.

If you are already deep into half marathon or marathon training, think of these exercises as supporting the running rather than competing with it.

 

1. Squats

Squats are a wonderful way to target different muscles of your body, all of which aid in running. They are incredibly versatile, considering small movements like pointing your toes in a different direction can help you hit muscles you would not otherwise.

A wide-leg squat, toes pointing out, can help target the glutes, strengthen the hip muscles and provide a slight stretch to the inner thigh muscles. Whereas, a narrow leg squat really targets the quads and the lower back. Depending on your running goals, you can implement both stances, with or without weight, into your program to help build up the muscles that keep you strong and steady in your runs.

From a coaching standpoint: I especially like squats during higher-mileage training because they reinforce strength through the hips, glutes, and quads. Those are areas I want staying strong when fatigue starts changing how you hold your running form late in a workout or long run.

How to Perform:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped in front of you.
• Lower your body down, sending your hips back as if you were sitting down into a chair until your knees are at a ninety-degree angle.
• Keep your back in a neutral position and push back up into a standing position.

Works: quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves

2. Calf Raises

Calf raises are super simple, but they work as one of the muscle groups that are absolutely essential to successful runs. Your calf muscles are what push you forward and provide power in your stride.

To make them harder, do single-leg calf raises. This isolation will help you gain both stability and strength in your leg muscles. Alternatively, you can add some weight in the form of dumbbells or a barbell to make the exercise a little more challenging.

From a coaching standpoint: Your calves take a tremendous amount of repeated load during high-mileage weeks. Keeping them strong can help maintain lower-leg stability as the miles accumulate, especially when your legs are no longer feeling fresh.

How to Perform:

• Standing with both feet flat on the ground and about hip-width apart.
• Raise yourself slowly up onto your toes and back down again.

Works: calves, feet, achilles, improve lower leg stability

3. Bulgarian Split Squats

Standing about three feet in front of a chair or something similar in height, lift one leg up behind you, resting the top of your foot on the raised platform. Lower down until your front knee is roughly ninety degrees, or until the stretch gets uncomfortable.

Bulgarians squats do two really great things for runners: they build up the stability muscles around the knee and hips, while simultaneously providing a stretch for the opposite leg. It is no secret that many of us forget or neglect our stretches, but this exercise provides the double whammy we are all looking for; strength training and stretching all in one.

From a coaching standpoint: Running is essentially a series of single-leg movements, which is why I value exercises like this so much. During peak training, stronger hips and better single-leg stability can help you stay more controlled when fatigue would otherwise cause your form to become less stable.

How to Perform:

• Standing about 2-3 feet in front of a chair or something similar in height.
• Place your feet about hip-width apart.
• Lift one leg up behind you and rest the top of your foot on the raised platform.
• Lower down until your front knee is roughly ninety degrees, or until the stretch gets uncomfortable. Keep your chest high and head up throughout the movement.
• Push back to standing.

Works: quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves. Improve balance and coordination

4. Jump Squats

Jump squats are a great addition to any runner’s routine because they, like Bulgarian squats, provide two different ways to build up those running muscles. Jump squats recruit your stabilizing muscles when you touch back down, while also requiring a little extra power to take off.

Bodyweight training that requires fast movements forces your body to work in a slightly different way and mimics the way your stabilizing muscles react during a run. These types of exercises result in not only increasing the speed and length of your run but agility in other areas of your life as well.

From a coaching standpoint: I am more conservative with explosive work during peak mileage. Jump squats can be useful for maintaining power and coordination, but this is not the time to chase fatigue. Keep the volume controlled and prioritize good landings over doing more repetitions.

How to Perform:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped in front of you.
• Lower your body down, sending your hips back as if you were sitting down into a chair until your knees are at a ninety-degree angle.
• Keep your back in a neutral position.
• Propel yourself from the ground, jumping as high as you can, and landing back in your starting position.

Works: Build explosive power in glutes, raise heart rate, and strengthen quads.

5. Reverse Lunges

Reverse lunges put less stress on your joints and give you a bit more stability in your front leg as you perform the exercise. This is the perfect alternative to forward lunges for runners who have knee concerns, difficulty balancing, or less hip mobility.

From a coaching standpoint: Reverse lunges are one of my favorite choices when a runner is already carrying training fatigue because you still get useful single-leg strength work without needing to make the movement overly aggressive. Strong glutes and hamstrings can also help support your mechanics when your stride starts getting tired.

How to Perform:

• Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and hands at your hips or overhead.
• Take a large step back so your front knee is directly over your ankle.
• Lower your hips to bring your front quad parallel to the floor.
• Push forward with your back leg to return to the starting position.
• Switch legs.

Works: glutes, hamstrings, and core with less stress on joints than a forward lunge.

6. Single Leg Deadlifts

Single-leg deadlifts will develop strength, balance, and posture. Once you get your balance down, you can perform this exercise with a lightweight kettlebell or dumbbell for some extra resistance. Like most single-leg activities, you’ll notice an increased activation of your glutes to help you to maintain your balance.

From a coaching standpoint: This exercise combines several things I want runners maintaining as mileage climbs: hamstring strength, glute activation, balance, and trunk control. Those qualities become increasingly important when fatigue makes it harder to keep your hips and torso stable late in a run.

Core strength plays an important role in that stability as well. If you want to go deeper into that connection, read Why Core Strength Matters for Runners.

How to Perform:

• Stand upright and hands down at your sides.
• Lift one foot off the ground and keep the knee on your standing left slightly bent.
• Begin leaning forward by hinging your whole body at the hip.
• Lower your head and chest toward the floor as your foot comes up behind you.
• Keeping your head, shoulder, hip, and ankle in a straight line.

Works: back, core, hamstrings.

How to Fit Strength Training Into a Peak Training Week

When your running volume is already high, I do not want strength training becoming another workout you have to recover from.

For most runners, roughly two short strength sessions per week is enough to maintain consistency without competing with the more important running sessions in the week.

I generally prefer pairing strength work with days that are already moderately demanding rather than spreading stress across every day of the week. For example, you might complete a short strength session later in the day after a quality running workout, then allow the following easy or recovery day to actually be easy.

I would avoid putting a demanding leg-strength session immediately before your long run or an important speed workout. If your long run is Saturday, Thursday may work better than Friday. If your legs are already unusually fatigued, reduce the repetitions, use bodyweight only, or skip the session.

Peak training is not the time to prove how much strength work you can handle. Your running remains the priority. The strength work should support your ability to keep doing that running consistently.

Strength Training Should Help You Handle the Miles

There is no reason to stop training your legs simply because your running mileage is high. But there is also no reason to turn every strength session into another hard workout.

I want strength training to help you maintain the durability, stability, and control your body needs while your running load is at its highest. That becomes especially valuable late in a training block, when small weaknesses are more likely to show up because you are no longer running on fresh legs.

Consistency matters more than trying to complete a perfect strength routine. A couple of well-placed sessions each week can do far more for you than an aggressive program that leaves you too sore to run well.

Want a Simple 30-Day Strength Structure?

If you want to make strength work more consistent without building the routine yourself, I created the 30 Days of Strength for Runners plan to give you a simple structure to follow.

It uses short, runner-focused strength workouts that can fit alongside your running, whether you are building your first training routine or trying to stay durable through a demanding race-training block.

Get the Free 30-Day Strength Plan

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