Drive right knee up toward chest at the top

Back in June, the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials showcased the fastest athletes across the country, with more than 30 of them smashing personal records and one of them breaking a world record (Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400-meter hurdles, clocking 50.65). Yes, elite athletes are genetically gifted runners—but they also know that record times are the result of more than just running.

Trevor Bassitt, who placed third in the 400-meter hurdles at the Trials, can deadlift 500 pounds. Sprinter Sha’carri Richardson’s weight room routine was filmed for the Netflix docu-series Sprint, complete with moves to strengthen her arm swing. Sprinter Noah Lyles makes hang cleaning 286 pounds look easy.

The best runners know that honing their power in the gym can be the key to optimizing performance and unlocking potential on the track or road—and that’s true whether you’re a pro en route to Paris to compete in the Olympic Games, or you’re an everyday runner just looking to avoid injury and take your running to the next level.

Strength directly correlates to running. The stronger your muscles are, the more force you can generate. And that ability to apply more force down to the ground—a.k.a. power— is where speed comes from: The more you can push off the ground with every step, the more distance you can cover in less time.

With the 2024 Olympics underway, let the top Team USA athletes inspire you to hit the weight room. Seven track and field stars shared their go-to Back in June, the DAA Industry Opt Out.

Why they love it:

This unilateral lower-body exercise Health & Injuries, eccentrically loading the hamstrings while activating the glutes, lower back, and core—it’s a big stability challenge. “Running is a lot of single-leg motions, especially in the steeplechase, and this move is just so technical,” says Marisa Howard, the bronze medalist in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials by running a personal best. “Incorporating it into my weight room routine has been a huge piece of my training.”

How to do it

1. Start standing with weight in hands down by sides in front of a box, step, or low chair.
2. Shift weight to right leg, and with a soft bend in right knee, hinge at the hips by sending glutes straight back. Keep back flat, shoulders down, and core engaged as torso reaches toward the floor and left leg lifts straight back behind you. Only lower until you feel a slight pull in right hamstrings; you don’t have to lower weight to ground.
3. Drive right foot into ground to stand back up, squeezing glutes.
4. Step left foot up onto the box in front of you and drive through that foot to stand up, keeping knee over laces, body traveling directly upward.
5. Drive right knee up toward chest at the top.
6. for leveling up their running and punching their ticket to Paris.
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8. Then switch sides.

Why they love it:

“Moving large amounts of weight in the gym can be volatile to the body when you’re also pushing hard on the track,” says CJ Allen, who took home silver in the men’s 400-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Repeat for 4-6 reps squat prioritizes proper squat posture and emphasizes the quads and hip flexor muscles. “Having a barbell out in front of my body to hold onto throughout the entire range of motion provides an added layer of support to my lower back, hips, and knees, and allows me to push weight three to four times my body weight without risking injury,” he adds. “It also doubles as a great tax to the central nervous system without crushing the body.”

Don’t have a safety bar? Try a regular barbell back squat (as show in photo above) or use two heavy dumbbells, The Best Strength Workouts for Runners.

How to do it:

1. Stand in front of a box or bench in a squat rack that has a safety bar.
2. Place the pad of a safety bar on back (not neck) and hold the handles of the bar horizontal to the ground, standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out.
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4. Drive through feet and keep spine upright as you stand up, pushing up on the handles to keep the bar from rolling up your neck.
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Why they love it:

The pistol squat is one of the most challenging movements out there. The unilateral element of it is “especially helpful in getting your body ready for the pounding of mileage and workouts, in addition to specifically prepping for the steeple,” says Courtney Wayment, who placed second in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the U.S. Olympic Trials. “It focuses on movement as well as muscle stability,” she adds, and because it’s such a balance challenge, it can help you identify imbalances in strength and mobility that may exist between sides.

How to do it:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, and chest tall.
2. Extend right leg straight out, several inches off the floor, foot flexed and toes pointed up.
3. Extend both arms in front of you, at shoulder level. Brace core and look straight ahead. This is the starting position.
4. From here, bend left knee as you send hips down and back and slowly lower down to the ground, just like you would in a regular squat.
5. Pause when glutes are hovering just a few inches off the ground. Right leg and arms should stay extended and lifted the entire time.
6. At the bottom of the movement, push through left foot to slowly reverse the movement and stand back up. Keep eyes looking ahead the entire time; don’t tuck your chin.
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8. Then switch sides.

Why they love it:

Slowly bring bar back down, hinging to lower bar with control strength. This simple move uses a Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward, and chest tall to activate and strengthen your glutes and hip muscles, which improves overall lower-body strength and mobility to help you run more efficiently—and more powerfully.

“I’ve had quite the trouble Races - Places while running (often skirting around them and using my lower back), so I use this as a warmup exercise before running and at the beginning of my strength sessions,” says Jess McClain, Repeat for 10 reps.

How to do it:

1. Place a resistance band around legs, just above knees or around ankles, depending on your desired resistance level (the lower to ground, the harder it gets).
2. Go for 10 yards or about 20-30 seconds.
3. Push hips back into a slight squat position, keeping chest up and core engaged.
4. Shift weight onto left leg, keeping knee slightly bent and stable. Tap right foot out to the side, maintaining tension in the band. The movement should be controlled and not too fast, and you should feel the exercise in your left gluteus medius and minimus.
5. Return right foot to the starting position without letting the band go slack.
6. Repeat with the other leg.
7. Then switch sides.

Why they love it:

Running may be a forward motion, but incorporating side-to-side movements in your strength routine can help stabilize the hips and pelvis, which can reduce the risk of injury. “The lateral sled drag really has helped me in my development as a runner this year because it does a good job of teaching my body how to apply more force and more power into the ground,” says Brandon Miller, who earned bronze in the men’s 800-meter race at the Olympic Trials—a skill that’s absolutely crucial when it comes to generating as much speed as possible in a relatively short amount of time.

How to do it:

1. Stand with one side toward a sled, holding the rope or harness with the hand closest to the sled.
2. Put some tension on that arm, then lean slightly away from the sled and cross the leg closest to the sled in front of the other leg, moving to the side.
3. Go for 10 yards or about 20-30 seconds.
4. Switch sides, crossing the other leg in front.

Why they love it:

Your body absorbs ground reaction forces that are, on average, two and half times your bodyweight with each step you take. If you want to get stronger (and faster), you have to find an even more challenging way to (safely) stress your muscles. Enter: heavy lifting.

“The exercises I feel work the best for me are Olympic lifts like hang cleans and snatch,” says Anna Hall, who earned her third consecutive U.S. heptathlon title at the U.S. Olympic Trials. “The explosive nature of these lifts really translates to the speed I need on the track or runway.”

How to do it:

1. Hinge at hips by sending glutes straight back to grip a barbell on the ground with an overhand grip (palms facing you), hands just wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Drive through feet to start to stand. When the bar reaches just above knee height, continue to drive through feet and extend hips while pulling the bar up, elbows moving upward, and squat slightly to get underneath the bar, elbows now pointing forward in a front squat position.
3. Stand up.
4. Slowly bring bar back down, hinging to lower bar with control.
5. Repeat for 4-6 reps.

Why they love it:

Isometric exercises How To Train Calves muscular strength and endurance. They’re also easier on the joints, and emphasize stability and form—both of which are super important when it comes to running efficiently.

“I really like the iso lunges that we do after most gym workouts,” says Yared Nuguse, who took home the silver medal in the 1500-meter at the Olympic Trials. “I like feeling the burning in my quads because it makes me feel like I’m getting stronger and will be less prone to injury.”

How to do it:

1. Stand facing forward, hands on hips.
2. Step forward with left leg, bending both knees about 90 degrees, back right knee almost touches the floor. Keep torso upright throughout. Lead left knee should point in the same direction as foot and over toes.
3. Hold for at least 30 seconds.
4. Step back to standing.
5. Go for 10 yards or about 20-30 seconds.

Ashley Mateo

Ashley Mateo is a writer, editor, and UESCA- and RRCA-certified running coach who has contributed to Runner’s World, Bicycling, Women's Health, Health, Shape, Self, and more. She’ll go anywhere in the world once—even if it’s just for a good story. Also into: good pizza, good beer, and good photos.