Calisthenics for Runners: 10 Exercises to Improve Your Performance

There are many things you can do to improve your running performance, such as training consistently and following a proper nutrition plan. But have you ever considered incorporating calisthenics into your routine?

Calisthenics, also known as body weight exercises, is a great way to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance (1). It can help runners become more efficient in their movements and prevent injuries.

In this article, we’ll discuss 10 calisthenics exercises that specifically target the muscles used in running. These exercises can be performed anywhere and require no equipment, which makes them perfect for runners who are always on the go.

What Are the Best Calisthenics Exercises for Runners?

The best calisthenics exercises for runners are those that target the muscles and movements that are used in running. These include exercises that work on the core, legs, glutes, and upper body.

Here are 10 calisthenics exercises that can benefit runners:

1. Planks

Benefits: Strengthen the core, improve stability, and enhance posture.

Muscles Engaged: Core, shoulders, back, glutes.

Steps to Perform:

1. Start in a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
3. Engage your core and glutes.
4. Hold the position for as long as possible without allowing your hips to sag or rise.

2. Squats

Benefits: Build leg strength, enhance power and endurance.

Muscles Engaged: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves.

Steps to Perform:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
3. Keep your chest up and back straight.
4. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
5. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

3. Lunges

Benefits: Target the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, improving balance and coordination.

Muscles Engaged: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves.

Steps to Perform:

1. Stand with your feet together.
2. Take a step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at approximately 90 degrees.
3. Keep your front knee directly above your ankle.
4. Push back to the starting position.
5. Repeat on the other leg.

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4. Side Planks

Benefits: Focus on the obliques, helping with lateral stability.

Muscles Engaged: Obliques, core, shoulders, glutes.

Steps to Perform:

1. Lie on your side with your legs extended.
2. Prop yourself up on your forearm, keeping your elbow directly under your shoulder.
3. Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from head to feet.
4. Hold the position, ensuring your hips don’t drop.
5. Switch sides and repeat.

5. Glute Bridges

Benefits: Strengthen the glutes and lower back, which is essential for powerful strides.

Muscles Engaged: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back.

Steps to Perform:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2. Place your arms by your sides.
3. Lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top.
4. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

6. Push-ups

Benefits: Enhance upper-body strength, supporting overall running form.

Muscles Engaged: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.

Steps to Perform:

1. Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body until your chest almost touches the floor.
3. Keep your elbows close to your body.
4. Push through your hands to return to the starting position.
5. Maintain a straight line from head to heels throughout the movement.

7. Mountain Climbers

Benefits: Combine core strength with cardiovascular endurance.

Muscles Engaged: Core, shoulders, quads, hamstrings.

Steps to Perform:

1. Start in a plank position.
2. Bring one knee toward your chest.
3. Quickly switch legs, bringing the other knee toward your chest.
4. Continue alternating legs at a rapid pace.
5. Keep your core engaged and hips level throughout the exercise.

Read more: What Does Calisthenics Do To Your Body: A Blow-By-Blow Explanation

8. Burpees

Benefits: Full-body exercise that boosts cardiovascular fitness and strength.

Muscles Engaged: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core, quads, glutes.

Steps to Perform:

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Drop into a squat position and place your hands on the ground.
3. Kick your feet back into a plank position.
4. Perform a push-up.
5. Jump your feet back to the squat position.
6. Explode up into a jump, reaching your hands overhead.
7. Land softly and repeat.

9. Russian Twists

Benefits: Target the core, improving rotational strength and stability.

Muscles Engaged: Obliques, core, hip flexors.

Steps to Perform:

1. Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat.
2. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight.
3. Hold your hands together in front of you.
4. Twist your torso to the right, then to the left, moving your hands from side to side.
5. Keep your core engaged and movement controlled.

10. Supermans

Benefits: Strengthen the lower back and glutes, helping with posture and injury prevention.

Muscles Engaged: Lower back, glutes, hamstrings, shoulders.

Steps to Perform:

1. Lie face down with your arms extended in front of you.
2. Simultaneously lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground.
3. Hold the position for a few seconds, squeezing your glutes and lower back.
4. Lower back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Is Calisthenics Good for Runners?

Calisthenics is an excellent addition to any runner’s fitness regimen. These body weight exercises offer numerous benefits that can significantly enhance running performance.

By focusing on improving strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance, calisthenics helps runners move more efficiently and reduce the risk of injuries (1) (2).

Improved Strength

Calisthenics targets the key muscle groups used in running, such as the legs, core, and upper body (3). Building strength in these areas can lead to more powerful strides and better overall running mechanics. Exercises such as squats, lunges, and push-ups can develop the muscles needed to sustain longer runs and improve speed.

Enhanced Balance

Balance is essential for runners, particularly when navigating uneven terrain or making quick directional changes (4). Calisthenic exercises such as single-leg stands and planks help improve balance by engaging the stabilizing muscles. This enhanced stability can lead to more efficient movement patterns and reduce the likelihood of falls or missteps. These will all come together to reduce the chances of injury, which will be further discussed below. 

Increased Flexibility

Flexibility is often overlooked, but it’s essential for maintaining a healthy range of motion in the joints (5). Calisthenics such as leg swings, dynamic stretches, and yoga poses can improve flexibility, allowing for smoother and more efficient strides. Greater flexibility also helps prevent muscle tightness and soreness, which are common issues for runners.

Injury Prevention

One of the most significant advantages of incorporating calisthenics is the potential for injury prevention. Strengthening muscles and improving balance and flexibility can protect against common running injuries such as shin splints, knee pain, and ankle sprains (6). A balanced body is less prone to overuse injuries and can allow for a greater ability to recover quickly from the stresses of running.

Convenience

Calisthenics can be performed anywhere and requires no equipment, making it incredibly convenient for runners. Whether you’re at home, in a park, or traveling, you can easily fit a quick calisthenics session into your routine. This flexibility ensures that you can stick to your fitness goals without the need for a gym or specialized equipment.

Can You Mix Calisthenics and Running?

Mixing calisthenics with running can be a game-changer for your overall fitness and running performance. 

It’s part of a concept called cross-training, which involves incorporating different forms of exercise into your routine to improve overall fitness and target different muscle groups (7). 

By adding calisthenics to your training, you can strengthen muscles that may not be adequately engaged during running.

In addition, cross-training can help prevent plateaus in your progress and keep your workouts interesting and diverse.

How to Combine Calisthenics and Running

To effectively combine calisthenics and running, you can either do it on separate days or integrate them into the same workout. Here are a few ways you can incorporate calisthenics into your running routine:

Body Weight Exercises on Rest Days

Consider incorporating calisthenics on your rest days to keep your body active without the same impact running typically has on your body. Exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, and planks can help maintain muscle strength and flexibility while giving your legs a break from the repetitive pounding of running.

Warm-ups and Cool-downs

Adding calisthenics to your warm-up routine can prepare your muscles for the run ahead. Dynamic stretches, leg swings, and body weight exercises such as lunges and squats can activate key muscle groups, enhancing your performance. 

Similarly, incorporating calisthenics into your cool-down helps with muscle recovery and flexibility. Static stretches and yoga poses can be particularly beneficial for this purpose.

Short Sessions Post-Run

A quick calisthenics session after a run can be an excellent way to target muscles that may not have been fully engaged. Focus on exercises that complement your running, such as core workouts, upper-body strength exercises, or balance drills. These short sessions can help round out your training without overwhelming your schedule.

Circuit Training

For those who are looking to maximize their workout efficiency, circuit training that combines high-intensity interval training with calisthenic exercises can be highly effective (8). 

For example, alternate between running for a set distance or time and performing a series of body weight exercises. This approach keeps your workouts varied and challenging, preventing monotony and promoting continuous improvement.

Does Calisthenics Improve Sprint Speed?

Sprinting is a high-intensity activity that requires a combination of speed, strength, and agility. While traditional sprint training often focuses on running drills and track work, incorporating calisthenics into your routine can offer significant benefits. Calisthenics, or bodyweight exercises, can improve sprint speed by targeting specific muscles, enhancing flexibility, and helping with injury prevention.

Should I Run or Do Calisthenics First?

You should consider your fitness goals when deciding whether to run or do calisthenics first. If your primary focus is running performance, then it’s best to prioritize your runs and perform calisthenics afterward. However, if you’re looking to build strength and improve overall fitness, doing calisthenics before you go for a run can help activate key muscle groups and prepare your body for the physical demands of running.

Ultimately, the order in which you do these activities may not significantly impact your results, as long as you incorporate both into your routine regularly. It’s important to listen to your body and adjust accordingly based on how you feel on a particular day. As with any form of exercise, consistency is the key to achieving your fitness goals.

Read more: Beginner Running Plan for Weight Loss and Ultimate Confidence

Is Calisthenics or Weights Better for Runners?

When it comes to enhancing running performance, both calisthenics and weight training offer unique benefits. Understanding the advantages of each can help runners tailor their training to meet specific goals and needs.

For Strength

Calisthenics: Body weight exercises such as squats, push-ups, and lunges effectively build strength in the muscles that are directly involved in running. These exercises can improve functional strength, which translates well to running dynamics, helping with powerful strides and increased endurance.

Weight Training: Incorporating weights can provide additional resistance, leading to greater muscle hypertrophy and strength gains (9). Exercises such as deadlifts, leg presses, and weighted squats can target major muscle groups, offering a significant boost in raw power and muscle endurance.

For Flexibility

Calisthenics: Many calisthenic exercises naturally integrate stretching and dynamic movements, enhancing flexibility. Movements such as leg swings, dynamic lunges, and yoga poses help maintain a healthy range of motion, which is essential for efficient running form and injury prevention.

Weight Training: While weight training can improve strength, it may require additional stretching routines to ensure flexibility. Static stretches and mobility exercises are often necessary to balance out muscle stiffness that can result from heavy lifting.

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For Injury Prevention

Calisthenics: These exercises promote balanced muscle development and enhance joint stability, which reduces the risk of common running injuries such as shin splints, knee pain, and ankle sprains. The emphasis on body control and functional strength also helps with overall injury prevention.

Weight Training: Properly executed weight training can strengthen connective tissues and joints, providing robust support against injuries. However, the risk of injury from improper form or excessive weight is higher, necessitating careful attention to technique and progression.

For Convenience

Calisthenics: One of the major advantages of calisthenics is convenience. These exercises require no equipment and can be performed anywhere, which makes them ideal for runners who are often on the go or prefer outdoor workouts.

Weight Training: Requires access to a gym or weightlifting equipment, which can be less convenient for some runners. However, for those with consistent access to such facilities, weight training can be a valuable component of their fitness regimen.

Recommendation Based on Runner Profiles and Goals

For Beginners and Recreational Runners: Calisthenics may be more suitable due to its convenience and lower risk of injury. It provides a solid foundation of strength, flexibility, and balance, which are essential for building a robust running routine.

For Competitive Runners and Those Seeking Performance Gains: A combination of both calisthenics and weight training can be highly effective. While calisthenics ensures functional strength and flexibility, weight training can offer the additional power and muscle endurance needed for competitive performance.

For Injury-Prone Runners: With its focus on body control and balanced muscle development, calisthenics can be more beneficial. It helps maintain joint stability and reduce the risk of overuse injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can calisthenics make you run faster?

Calisthenics can improve running performance by targeting specific muscles, enhancing flexibility, and helping with injury prevention (2). By strengthening the muscles used during running and improving overall fitness, calisthenics can contribute to faster run times.

• Is it ever too late to start calisthenics?

It’s never too late to start calisthenics, as these exercises can be modified to accommodate different fitness levels and capabilities. However, it’s always essential to consult a medical professional before you start any new exercise routine. Especially for older adults, proper form and gradual progression are essential for preventing injury.

• Do marathon runners go to the gym?

Marathon runners often incorporate weight training into their training regimen, primarily for injury prevention and improved performance (10). However, the type and frequency of weight training may vary depending on individual goals and needs. In addition, many marathon runners also use calisthenics as a form of cross-training to supplement their running routines.

• Should a runner go to the gym?

Going to the gym isn’t a requirement for runners, but it can be beneficial in improving performance and preventing injuries. Weight training and calisthenics can both offer unique benefits to runners, depending on their goals and needs. However, consistency and proper form are essential for achieving results without increasing injury risk.

The Bottom Line

Incorporating calisthenics into your running routine can provide numerous benefits, including improved balance, flexibility, injury prevention, and convenience. It’s important to find a balance between the two activities that works best for your goals and schedule. 

Whether you choose to mix them together or do them separately on different days, cross-training with calisthenics and running can lead to significant improvements in your overall fitness and performance.