Speed work is an essential part of any training plan. But higher-intensity running also puts more stress on your tendons, ligaments and muscle tissue. Andrew Kastor, coach of the Mammoth Track Club, recommends preworkout drills to help bridge the gap between the warm-up and the workout.
Drills increase the range of motion in joints, which allows you to stride with less effort. Kastor says drills also fire up your nervous system, making it more efficient at controlling muscles.
This Glute Workout Will Ignite Your Power:
High Knees
Activates: hip flexors
Stretches: glutes
Activating the hip flexor reduces the work the calf has to do to generate knee drive. Increasing the work the hip flexor does also helps prevent Achilles issues and plantar fasciitis.
Butt Kicks
Activates: hamstrings
Stretches: quads
This drill works on what Kastor calls "heel pull-through" (keeping the heel close to the butt as your knee drives forward), which improves efficiency at fast paces.
Backward Striders
Activates: glutes
Stretches: Other Hearst Subscriptions
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