The glutes include three primary muscles: the Gluteus maximus, Gluteus medius, and Gluteus minimus. Both the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus are necessary to stabilize your body and legs when you run.
You also use them when you sit, squat, and stand. If you want to be a powerful runner then you need to have strong glutes that can help you propel forward. Quadriceps muscles include rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius. Quadri means 4 in Latin and stands for the four muscles — 3 that attach to the kneecap from the femur and the rectus femoris that attaches from the hip to the kneecap.
Running naturally strengthens the quadriceps and adequately develops these muscles. Hamstrings are found on the back of your legs similar to your bicep which gets contracted when you fold your elbow. Hamstrings are heavily used during running because of the constant extension and flexing of the lower leg.
The hamstrings bring the lower leg towards your buttocks. Hamstrings keep your leg from overextending. It is not uncommon for runners to do special exercises to strengthen their hamstrings, as weak hamstrings can lead to sprains and muscle pulls while intense running.
Just below and behind your knees define the calf muscles which are necessary for the movement of your toes. Usually, your calf muscles will make themselves known by becoming sore when you go on long runs; the calf muscles do the major lifting work of the leg while running.
Even though they are usually ignored, calf muscles have a great role to play in ensuring that the ankles and legs remain free from sprains. When you move your toe up instead of down the anterior muscles which run down the front of the shins get used. What is known as shin splints, which most beginning runners deal with, occurs due to the soreness of these muscles.
When you turn your toes out you find certain muscles near your heels and ankles getting stretched. These are your Peroneus Longus and Brevis which run down the sides of the shins. There is also the Peroneus Tertius which is mostly used for dorsiflexing which means the movement of backward bending of the ankle. While running focuses primarily on the lower body muscles which get the greater intensity of the workout, the upper body also gets worked out; especially the biceps and the pectoral muscles.
The deltoids or the shoulder muscles also get a good workout as all the swinging of the shoulders is facilitated by these muscles. Although it goes to say that it is mostly during sprinting that the upper body really gets a workout; the latissimus dorsi or the back muscles are also engaged along with the upper body muscles.
While stamina is built up by regular running, speed can be improved through special strength training exercises that can build the specific muscle groups used during running. If you want to improve your running performance then studying the functions of these muscle groups and finding ways to strengthen them and build power would yield good results. The primary focus of your strength exercise should be for your glutes, quads, hamstrings, abs, and calf muscles.
Strengthening these muscles is possible by using strength training exercises. This would not only ensure that your overall running experience will be pain-free, but it can also prevent injuries and sprains that plague many runners.
Some exercises that help improve these muscles and help running performance are as follows. Squats are power building exercises for the thighs, calves, and glutes. It can develop a lot of strength and power when used with weights. Planks are great for the abdomen as well as lower back and arms. For runners , this exercise can help build their core strength.
Take a look at this post on running foot maintenance for more information. Having trained as a sports rehabilitation therapist, James now works exclusively with distance runners, helping athletes from beginner to pro to run stronger and pain free. Check out James' marathon training plan for beginners [PDF]. His transition into distance running has taught him what his body is capable of, a process which is ongoing! Read more Contralateral Pelvic Drop.
Simply running more will help you improve efficiency as a runner. If only it was that simple, hey?! Important Running Muscle Groups The main muscle groups used in running are the glutes, the quads and hip flexors, the hamstrings, the calf muscles and the muscles of the core region. Located in your torso and pelvis, your core muscles connect your upper body to your lower body.
A strong core helps to maintain proper posture, balance, and form while running. It can also help to properly align your spine, pelvis, and lower body. Strong abdominals help your body stay upright and reduce the shock impact on your back. A weak core may cause you to compensate with other muscles, which can lead to injury.
Your hip flexor muscles are located at the front of your hips, right above your thighs. They connect your thighbone, to your low back, hips, and groin. The hip flexors help with pelvic and spinal stabilization. While running, you use these muscles when you flex your knee and leg up toward your body, as well as when you move your legs forward. Tightness in your hip flexors can compromise the action of your glutes, which can lead to compensation in other areas and even injury.
Your gluteal muscles are located in your buttocks. The strength of these muscles plays a vital role in running, as they propel you forward and help you run faster. The glutes also help to maintain stability in your torso so you can maintain proper posture. As the main muscles responsible for hip extension, they also help to stabilize and strengthen your hips. This helps to ensure alignment in your spine, knees, and feet. The quadriceps are a group of four long muscles located on the front of your thigh.
In running, they extend your knee and propel you forward. The energy that begins in your quads is transferred into the hamstrings. Connected to the kneecap, the quads are responsible for straightening and stabilizing your knees as you run. The hamstrings are located on the back of the thigh between the hips and knees.
The hamstrings also help with thigh extension as you move your upper leg backward. While the motion of running does not engage these muscles directly, they still play a vital role: namely, helping you to breathe.
In addition to keeping your lungs pumping, a strong core will help stabilize your hips and hold your center of gravity steady, which is so important for short and long runs.
As for your arms, shoulders, and upper back, these muscles help to smooth out your stride by providing counterbalance as you swing your arms. Try running with your arms behind your back.
Did you know that even our big toes play a vital role in strong running and balance? So there you have it. Time to get out there and put them to good use! I deal with high hamstring tendonitis on the left, and a right calf issue that no can diagnose.
MRI looks clean. I do single leg unweighted deadlift for my hamstring. Am afraid to try yoga because of overstretching? Do you have any thoughts on that? Hi Mina, Joanna here! Single leg deadlifts are a great exercise for aggravated hamstrings, especially unweighted. Finally, engaging your glutes: not a weird question at all!
It can actually be really hard to tell if your glutes are firing while running. The easiest check is to pay close attention to where your legs are sore after a long run.
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