Butt-Kick Exercises for Running

Your running performance is dependent not only on the level of your cardiovascular fitness, but also on your running technique. To improve your technique, pick one to two days per week to perform a routine of drills that focus on developing correct running form. One such exercise to incorporate into your workout is the butt-kick.

  1. Benefits

    • During the recovery phase of running, your hamstrings contract to pull your lower leg back behind you. A more powerful contraction means you’ll be able to strike the ground with more force and thus more effectively propel your body forward. Because the butt-kick drill accentuates this contraction at the hamstrings, it increases their strength and power. These developments, besides helping your running performance, also decrease your risk of hamstring injury while running.

    Technique

    • The butt-kick drill can be done from a stationary position or while traveling forward. To perform while in a stationary position, run in place but with each step, bring your heels all the way back to your buttocks. You should be simultaneously swinging your arms from the shoulders with your arms bent to 90 degrees, like you would when actually running. When performing the drill, kick your heels directly backwards but do not allow them to flare out to your sides. Also, your arms should swing at the shoulders directly forwards and backwards and not from side to side. Keep your torso upright and eyes pointed forward throughout the drill.

    Training

    • You can incorporate the butt-kick drill into your workout at different times. It can be used when doing a dynamic warm-up to increase the temperature of your hamstrings and prepare them for your upcoming running workout. You can also assign them within a workout filled with a series of other running form drills. Adding them at the end of your runs is also beneficial, because it will drive home the correct technique of the running recovery phase and help improve muscle memory.

    Volume

    • Beginners should start out with stationary butt-kickers. Perform two sets of 20 butt-kicks on each leg. Once you’ve mastered the stationary version, add forward motion to the drill. With each step, move ahead. Perform the drill for 10 to 25 yards and then turn around and perform butt-kicks until you return to the starting line. Start by completing two to three sets and eventually build up to five sets.