How to Strengthen Your Hamstrings for Running: Why Hamstring Pull Drills Matter More Than Strength Alone

Runners are often told to strengthen their hamstrings, but is having strong hamstrings enough to improve your running? In this episode of the RunRX Podcast, Coach Caroline and Coach Valerie take a closer look at the role of the hamstrings in running and explain why strength training alone may be missing an important piece. You'll learn the difference between building hamstring strength and teaching your body to use the hamstrings through the natural pulling action involved in running. Coach Valerie explains why runners need both strength and skill, and how understanding the purpose of each can help you develop better running mechanics.

The hamstrings are the muscles along the back of your legs, between your glutes and calves. Their action is to close the leg, as you can see when you bend your knee and bring your heel toward your glutes. Coach Valerie explains the difference between actively contracting the hamstrings, such as doing traditional butt kicks, and allowing the hamstrings to respond naturally through the pulling action used in the RunRX approach to running. Rather than trying to consciously force every movement, runners need to learn the pull through specific running drills. These pull-focused drills help develop the skill and coordination needed to use the hamstrings as part of the natural running movement.

Strength training still matters, but Coach Valerie explains why runners don't need excessively large or powerful hamstrings to run well. Running involves thousands of repeated movements, so the goal of strength training is to build enough strength to support your body weight and sustain movement over time. It isn't about turning every running step into a heavy strength exercise. She shares a personal experience from her earlier years as a strength coach, when a physical therapist explained that her hamstrings weren't weak; they were working harder than necessary because her running pattern wasn't correct. Even though she could lift heavy weights and perform single-leg deadlifts, she was still creating unnecessary muscle fatigue by not using the natural pulling response efficiently.

This episode breaks down the three parts of the RunRX training approach: Skill, Strength, and Self-Care. Skill means learning the running drills and the natural pull action. Strength means developing the muscular foundation to support your running. Self-care helps your body recover from the demands of training. You'll understand why learning the movement should come before simply adding more strength exercises, why trying to control every part of your stride can work against you, and how balancing skill and strength can help you become a more efficient runner. Whether you're dealing with tired hamstrings, recurring running injuries, or simply want to improve your running form, this conversation offers a different way to think about hamstring training.

Explore the RunRX Method and learn how to combine running drills, strength training, and self-care to build better movement habits. Find RunRX on YouTube at RunRXFit, visit https://runrx.fit to learn about coaching and membership options, or find the RunRX Academy app in the Apple App Store and Google Play.