Guide to Strength Training: Lower-Body Workout for Runners

Target your key running muscles—from your feet through your glutes—with this 20-minute leg workout.

By Mallory Creveling, CPT Reviewed by Winnie Yu, PT, DPT, CSCS Physical Therapist

Running works your legs, so you don’t need to strengthen your lower body with weight training, right? Wrong.

Adding a lower-body strength workout into your routine at least once a week will not only create force and power behind each step—resulting in faster speeds and stronger finishes—but it will also allow you to keep running longer without injury. Your body needs to endure the impact of running and rebound for mile after mile, and strengthening your legs and glute muscles will help you do just that.

To zero in on all the key lower-body muscles, from the feet through the calves and shins and up to the thighs and glutes, Winnie Yu, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., a physical therapist and strength coach at Bespoke Treatments in New York City and host of the Runner’s World Guide to Strength Training, created this 20-minute routine.

Shore up all your weak points and power up your stride by following the full workout below, which includes heavy lifting along with explosive exercises.

You’ll do a warmup, three strength sets, and a cooldown for this lower-body workout. Perform each strength set as a superset, minimizing rest between exercises and rounds. Rest as needed between sets (press pause in the video whenever you need an extra minute). Follow the reps and rounds listed below.

Do this routine once a week, giving yourself about 48 hours to recover before a quality workout (like a speed session or long run).

Equipment Needed

Exercise mat, 1 set of medium weight dumbbells, 1 medium to heavy weight kettlebell, and box, bench or step.

The Exercises

Warmup: 2 Rounds

1. Standing Figure 8 – 20 seconds per side

How to do it

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips. 
2. Shift weight to right leg. Bring left knee up toward hip and perform a figure 8 motion with the knee. Maintain a slight bend in standing right knee. 
3. Repeat for time. 
4. Then switch sides. 

2. Dynamic Pigeon – 20 seconds per side

How to do it

1. Sitting on mat, place left shin parallel to torso, knee bent about 90 degrees (or less). Extend right leg straight back. 
2. Place hands in front of shin, about shoulder-width apart. 
3. With a flat back and shoulders down, lean forward from hips, bending elbows. (Walk hands out farther if that’s more comfortable.)
4. Press back up.
5. Repeat for reps. 
6. Then switch legs.  

Modification

Do the same move, but instead of extending right leg straight back, bring it to a 90-degree bend, placing shin to right side, perpendicular to torso. (You should be in a 90-90 position with the legs.) 

3. High Plank Calf Rock – 20 seconds

How to do it

1. Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists, belly button pulled up toward spine, forming a straight line from head to heels. 
2. Bend right knee, coming more onto toes.
3. Then straighten right leg and press heel back. At the same time, bend left knee and come more onto toes.
4. Continue alternating, pedaling feet and feeling the stretch in the calves as you drive heels back.

Modification

If a plank feels difficult, place one knee down at a time, as you come forward onto toes. Rock back, driving heels back, as you lift the knee. Continue rocking, and alternating knee taps.

Strength Set A: 3 rounds

1. Plantarflexion Walk – 30 seconds

How to do it

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand down by sides. 
2. Lift heels off floor, coming onto toes.
3. Walk forward to the edge of the mat.
4. Then turn around and walk back. 
5. Repeat for time. 

2. B Squat – 20 seconds per side

How to do it

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in the left hand.
2. Step right foot back a few steps, lifting heel, but firmly planting toes. This is the starting position.
3. Bend left knee and send hips back and down to lower into a staggered squat. Keep chest tall, shoulders down and back, and core engaged.
4. Drive left foot into floor to return to the starting position. 
5. Repeat for reps. 
6. Then switch sides.

Modification

Before moving onto a single-leg variation of the squat, focus on a regular squat. To do so, hold one dumbbell with both hands by the head at chest. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out. Lower into a squat by sending hips down and back. Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds. Then drive feet into floor to stand back up. Repeat.

Strength Set B: 3 rounds

1. Lateral Step Down – 8 reps per side

How to do it

1. Stand on top of box about 6-8 inches high on left foot, right foot hanging over the right side of the box. Hold dumbbell or kettlebell in left hand, down by side. 
2. Slowly lower down, making sure knee tracks over toes and hips go straight back, so right foot only lightly taps the floor to right of box. Keep chest tall and core engaged.
3. Drive left foot into box to stand back up. 
4. Repeat for reps.
5. Then switch sides.

Modification

Perform the step down, but with right foot taping straight back behind the box (only lightly tapping the floor), instead of to the side. Make sure knee tracks over toes and hips go straight back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand down by sides (or start with one). 

2. Front Foot-Elevated Split Squat – 8 reps per side

How to do it

1. Stand behind a box about 6-8 inches high. 
2. Place left foot on top of box, and step right foot back, heel off ground but toes firmly planted. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in left hand, down by side. This is the starting position.
3. Bend both knees to lower into a lunge position, back left knee very lightly tapping floor (or close to it) and front right knee tracking right over toes. Engage inner thighs and core to maintain stability.
4. Drive through feet to stand back up to starting position.
5. Repeat for reps. 
6. Then switch sides.

Modification

Perform the same move, but with the front left foot on the ground, instead of the box, to reduce range of motion. 

Strength Set C: 3 rounds

1. Forward-Backward Pogo – 12 reps

How to do it

1. Stand with feet about hip-width apart, hands on hips.
2. Staying quick on feet, hop forward.
3. Then quickly hop backward. Try to reduce the time of feet on the ground. 
4. Continue alternating forward and backward hops.

Modification

Eliminate the hop and step forward and backward, one foot at a time, keeping heels lifted and walking on toes. 

2. Unilateral Alternating Kettlebell Swing – 12 reps

How to do it

1. Start standing, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, kettlebell in front of you, about arm’s length away.
2. Hinge at hips and grab the kettlebell with right hand.
3. Drag it back and up, behind you, right at groin.
4. Drive feet into ground and powerfully extend hips to swing the bell forward and up. 
5. Hit a plank-like position at the top, shoulders right over hips. Avoid leaning back. When you reach the top, grab the bell with the opposite hand.
6. Allow momentum of the bell to swing back down, sending hips straight back for the hinge as it lowers.
7. Repeat, alternating which arms swings the bell by switching hands at the top of each swing.

Modification

Start with a regular kettlebell deadlift, hinging at the hips to lift and lower the bell, right between feet (no swinging). When you’re ready to progress that, go into a regular kettlebell swing, performing the move above, without switching hands and instead keeping two hands on the kettlebell the entire time.

Cooldown: 1 Round

1. Standing Hamstring Stretch – 20 seconds

How to do it

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Fold forward at the waist, letting head hand heavy and arms hang loose.
3. Hold here, breathing deep. 

2. Supine Figure 4 Stretch – 20 seconds per side

How to do it

1. Lie faceup on mat. 
2. Cross right ankle over left knee.
3. Grab behind left thigh, pulling left knee toward chest. Flex both feet.
4. Hold here, driving right knee toward floor to open up hip.
5. Then switch sides. 

The Benefits

• Strengthen key running muscles
• Improve form and efficiency, and quicken leg turnover
• Strengthen weak areas, like glutes and calves
• Build single-leg stability
• Add force, speed, and power to your stride for faster paces and better hill climbs