Want to get quicker at running? These 6 moves will build your leg strength and boost your speed

To improve your running speed, you need to run regularly. But, while running consistently will help, you also need to work on improving overall strength and lower-body strength.

After all, your legs are working hard to propel you forward, and if they’re weak, they simply won’t have the power you need to speed up. Adding a leg-strengthening workout into your weekly routine could help you finally hit a new running PB.

I’m a personal trainer, and I know which moves can help you build stronger legs and increase power. Grab a set of the best adjustable dumbbells, because here they are.

Why do strong legs matter for running?

As a trainer and avid runner myself, I have seen firsthand the difference that leg strength has on my running speed. And research backs this. Did you know that runners who also engage in strength training were shown to perform 3 to 5% better than those who don’t?

Not only does strength training help me run quicker, but strong leg muscles also mean my joints are supported, reducing the chance of injury. If you’re anything like me, pounding the pavement continually can really make your knees sob, not to mention your ankles and hips.

Tight muscles and sore joints can quickly cause imbalances, which means another part of your body overcompensates. This can then cause more pain and potential injuries, and the cycle continues. Introducing strength workouts can help avoid this, and ensuring you have strong glutes (the muscles in your butt), for example, is vital for preventing your hamstrings from having to do more work than they bargain for.

Incorporating some unilateral exercises into your routine, which work one side of the body at a time, is also great for smoothing out imbalances. And if you’re worrying about adding mass to your body, which may slow you down, then fear not. Research has found that when long-distance endurance runners add strength training to their routines, they don’t get significantly bulkier.

I will add that I recommend stretching before you exercise and cooling down after. This applies to your runs and your strength training; if you swerve either, then you put yourself in the firing line for injuries.

Your 6-move leg-strengthening routine

For the below, you’ll need a dumbbell; however, you can do some of these moves with a barbell if you prefer. Make sure the weight is challenging you so that the last rep or two of any set feels like a struggle.

1. Squat

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
• Hold a dumbbell with both hands close to your chest.
• Keep your chest up and core engaged as you push your hips back and bend your knees.
• Lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Pause, then drive up through your heels to return to standing.
• 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

2. Reverse lunges

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Either hold a dumbbell in both hands close to your chest or hold one dumbbell in the opposite hand of the leg that’s working.
• Step one leg back and bend both knees to 90 degrees.
• Make sure you keep your front knee above your ankle and don’t let it travel past your toes.
• Push through your front heel to return to standing.
• Complete the reps on one leg before moving to the other side.
• 4 sets of 10 reps.

3. Calf raises

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding onto a wall or chair for balance if needed.
• Push through the balls of your feet and lift your heels as high as possible.
• Pause for a second at the top, then slowly lower your heels back down. That’s one rep.
• 3 sets of 20 reps.

4. Step-ups

• Stand facing a bench or step.
• Hold a dumbbell in your left hand or one in each hand.
• Place your right foot fully on the bench, push through your heel and lift your body so you’re standing on the bench.
• Step back down carefully, leading with the same leg.
• Complete all reps on one side before moving onto the other side.
• 3 sets of 10 reps per side.

5. Hip thrusts

• Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench.
• Hold a dumbbell with both hands over your hips.
• Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
• Drive through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Your upper back should remain on the bench with your gaze forward.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower yourself back down. That’s one rep.
• 4 sets of 12 reps.

Plank with leg lifts

• Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a straight line.
• Engage your core and glutes as you slowly lift one leg off the floor, keeping it straight.
• Keep your hips steady and rocking from side-to-side.
• Hold your leg here briefly, then lower it back down and swap sides.
• 3 sets of 16 reps.

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