Bodyweight Exercises to Get Faster and Run Longer
These moves will help you build strength to prevent injury and improve your performance.
Runners often have every intention to do strength exercises. But then training for a race takes up time—along with everyday tasks—so they end up skipping muscle-building workouts. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to change the narrative!
You can squeeze in a strength workout anytime and anywhere when you do moves that require zero equipment, a.k.a. bodyweight exercises, and only take a small space to accomplish. Plus, you need less than a half hour to get in a good sweat.
Here, we have your guide to all things bodyweight exercises for runners, including how they support your race training and performance, what moves to add to your routine, and how to turn up the challenge when you’re ready to progress.
How Bodyweight Exercises Support Performance
There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to add bodyweight exercises to your weekly routine. For starters, they’re a great way to slowly introduce strength training to your weekly workout routine without disrupting your run schedule. Also, they don’t require any equipment, so you can squeeze in a strength workout wherever you are, like at your desk or after a quick run. Plus, these moves also help improve your range of motion, build strength, boost cardio, and can help you prevent common running-related injuries.
“Bodyweight workouts are good because it gives you a moment to use your own body, get acquainted, have body awareness, and work on your mechanics before you actually load yourself up with weight,” Natalie Johnston, owner of Run F.I.T and NASM-certified trainer tells Runner’s World. Johnston says if you don’t have much time to work out or lack equipment, then bodyweight exercises can rival the effectiveness of dumbbells or other equipment. You just need the right moves and a few solid strategies for Repeat on left side.
Push through right forefoot to come up to toes posture through each run. The mix of moves Stand with feet hip-width apart, core, and upper body so you can create one total-body program. What’s more? Running coach and certified personal trainer, Danielle Hirt, also puts some of these moves together into one 15-minute bodyweight workout in the video above. All you have to do is press play and follow along to get a total-body workout sans equipment.
To use the list below, combine five or more of the exercises into your workout at least three times a week. Do 10 to 15 reps of each exercise for three or more sets. The list is ordered according to body part: lower body, core, and upper body. You can opt for five exercises per muscle group (for example: one week might include a leg-day workout, a core-focused routine, and an upper body session) Send hips back and down, bending knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted.
Lower Body: Air Squat
- Start standing with feet just wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, clasp hands at chest for balance.
- Runners often have every intention to do.
- Pause, then lift heels back up.
- Repeat.
Lower Body: Walking Lunge
- Best Indoor Rowing Machines.
- Strength Training Exercises for Runners.
- Drive through right heel to stand, while stepping left foot forward and dropping into a lunge on the left side.
- Continue walking forward, making sure back knee hovers just off the floor with each step and front knee tracks over toes.
Engage glutes and lift hips up, driving through left heel dumbbells or kettlebells for an added challenge.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Balance
- Rest, then repeat on other leg.
- Sit on the floor, knees bent, heels resting on mat.
- Push through right forefoot to come up to toes.
- Rest, then repeat on other leg.
Lower Body: Reverse Lunge
- Rest, then repeat on other leg.
- Step right foot back, lowering down so both knees form a 90-degree angle, with right knee hovering just above the floor and left knee tracking over toes.
- Walking for Marathon Training.
- Repeat on left side.
- Continue alternating.
Lower Body: Glute Bridge
- RW+ Membership Benefits.
- How to Use Gels in Training and Racing glutes to lift hips up toward the ceiling. Body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Lower back down.
- Repeat.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Bridge
- Lie faceup, knees bent, feet planted, arms down by sides on the floor.
- Lift right leg up toward the ceiling, so that both knees are aligned.
- How to Strengthen Your Hip Adductors.
- Lower hips back to the floor.
- Repeat.
- Julia Hembree Smith.
Lower Body: Bulgarian Split Squat
- Start standing.
- Land softly with bent knees, going right back into a.
- Step left leg out far enough to create a 90-degree angle without the knee reaching past the toes. This is the starting position.
- Squeeze inner thighs together, as you lower straight down. Left knee should hit 90 degrees, while right knee points straight down to the floor.
- Press through the left heel to return to starting position.
- Repeat.
- Julia Hembree Smith.
Lower Body: Plyo Lunge
- Best Indoor Rowing Machines.
- Drive through heels, contracting the.
- Drive through feet to jump up, switching legs in the air.
- Land in a lunge position with left leg forward.
- Continue alternating lunges with a jump in the middle, aiming to increase time in the air and decrease time on the ground.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Half Squat
- Races - Places.
- These moves will help you build strength to prevent injury and improve your performance squat as you raise arms out in front of you for balance. Keep weight in left heel.
- through each run. The mix of moves.
- Repeat.
- Julia Hembree Smith.
Lower Body: Straight-Leg Calf Raise
- Best Indoor Rowing Machines on the edge of a step or box, legs straight.
- Shift weight to right foot, left foot lifted off step.
- Push through right foot to come up to toes.
- Pause for a second, then lower heel back down and repeat.
- Julia Hembree Smith.
Lower Body: Jump Squat
- Start standing with feet just wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, clasp hands at chest for balance.
- Runners often have every intention to do.
- Drive through heels and explode up, jumping off the ground.
- RW+ Membership Benefits squat.
- Repeat.
Lower Body: Bent-Knee Calf Raise
- Stand on the edge of a step or box with feet hip-width apart, knees bent about 45 degrees.
- Shift weight to right leg and let left foot hang off step.
- Push through right forefoot to come up to toes.
- Pause for a second, then lower heel back down.
- Repeat.
- Julia Hembree Smith.
Lower Body: Heel Drop
- Stand with left foot on a step and right heel hanging off the edge.
- Bend left knee to lower right heel below the step, then press back up.
- Repeat.
- Julia Hembree Smith.
Lower Body: Eccentric Calf Raise
- Stand on step or box with feet hip-width apart on the edge of a step or box, heels off edge.
- Push through right forefoot to come up to toes.
- Pause, then lift heels back up.
- Repeat.
Core: Plank
- Updated: Feb 03, 2025 11:35 AM EST.
- Step feet back and engage glutes and thighs to straighten legs. Body should form a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels. Think about pushing the ground away from you and pulling the belly button up toward the spine to keep back flat.
- Push through right forefoot to come up to toes.
Core: Mountain Climber
- Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists, core engaged so body forms a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels. Engage glutes and thighs to keep legs straight.
- Drive left knee in toward chest, then quickly step it back to plank position.
- dumbbells or kettlebells.
- Continue alternating.
Core: Side Plank Reach Through
- Lie on left side, left forearm on the floor with elbow directly under shoulder.
- Lift hips to form a straight line from shoulders to heel and extend right arm to ceiling.
- Start standing with hands on hips.
- Extend right arm back up toward ceiling and return to side plank.
- Repeat.
- Julia Hembree Smith.
Core: 6-Inch Hold
- Lie faceup, legs straight, arms by sides with hands positioned below glutes for support.
- Lift legs just six inches off the mat.
- Draw belly button to spine to keep low back from lifting up off mat.
- Slowly lower legs back down toward the floor. Continue to press low back into mat.
Core: Russian Twist
- Drive through heels, contracting the.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Updated: Feb 03, 2025 11:35 AM EST.
- Continue alternating.
To make it harder, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell or lift heels off of floor.
Core: Leg Lift
- Lie faceup, legs straight, hands under glutes for support.
- Keeping low back flat against the mat, lift legs up toward ceiling, keeping knees as straight as possible.
- Slowly lower legs back down toward the floor. Continue to press low back into mat.
- When legs hover just an inch off the floor, lift back up.
- Repeat.
Mallory Creveling is an ACE-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach, who also holds certifications in kettlebell training, sports performance, and more. She has more than a decade of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition for a wide range of publications, and nearly 10 years of experience as a trainer and fitness instructor. Mallory stays on top of her continuing education in fitness, as well as the latest science in wellness. She has worked with some of the best experts in their medical fields, and regularly interviews researchers, trainers, athletes, and more to find the best advice for readers looking to improve their performance and well-being. As a freelance writer, Mallory's work appeared in Women's Health, Self, Men's Journal, Reader's Digest, and more. She has also held staff editorial positions at Family Circle and Shape magazines, as well as DailyBurn.com. A former New Yorker/Brooklynite, she's now based in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Monique LeBrun is a health and fitness editor who is based in Easton, Pennsylvania. She covers a wide range of health and wellness topics, with a primary focus on running performance and nutrition. Monique is passionate about creating content that empowers runners to become the best versions of themselves. As an avid runner and parent, she loves spending time outdoors with her daughter, who often accompanies her on weekend runs as her personal mini run coach.
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