Want to run faster? A running coach recommends these 3 exercises for more speed

Add these three exercises to the end of your leg day or after your runs

A woman running in a city
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Whether you’re fairly new to running or have been doing it for years, at some point you’ll want to find ways to help yourself get faster. But how do you go about that? Do you just run more? Not exactly. “Speed isn’t just built by running more — it’s built in the gym too,” explains Running Coach and professional ultra runner, Yana Strese, on a recent Instagram post.

In fact, Strese says you need a mixture of exercises that work on a range of different performance factors, including building better force production in your legs, stability, and overall strength. If that sounds quite overwhelming, don’t worry, Strese has shared a three-move workout that she says is perfect for adding onto the end of your runs, twice a week, or as a leg finisher during your strength training sessions.

This workout consists of weighted lunges, box jumps and treadmill incline sprints. “Box jumps build that quick power off the ground, weighted lunges improve single-leg strength and stability, incline sprints train max effort and force production,” she says. Here’s how many reps/sets Strese suggests for each:

  • Box jumps – 3 sets 10 reps
  • Weighted forward and reverse lunges – 3 sets 12 reps
  • Treadmill incline sprints – 6 sets 20 seconds

Make sure you're wearing a good pair of running shoes on your feet for those incline sprints. Also, make sure you're incorporating strength training sessions at least twice a week – it's something many runners still miss out, but is crucial for performance and injury prevention. Not sure what to do? Here's a five-move lower-body workout you can try.

Bryony Firth-Bernard
Staff Writer, Active

Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. She is a certified personal trainer and also a part-time fitness instructor. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.

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