These two exercises can make you a stronger runner and improve your form
By Dr. Tim Richardt, DPT
Humans were made to move. Some of that movement is beautiful, like Eliud Kipchoge gliding over the ground at 4:35/ mile, or my friend Jimmy with his two sided lightsaber….
When it comes to a runner’s lower body, two movements run the show: the “squat” and the “hinge.” Today I’ll explain exactly how these two moves relate to the thing we all care about: running fast and far without pain.
WHY RUNNERS SHOULD SQUAT
Fundamentally, a squat “pattern” is how humans move their centers of mass vertically and produce force in that up and down direction. There are two key movements that you’ll see in a good squat. One, the shin translates forward over the foot and two, the pelvis rotates backwards. If both of these things don’t happen, you ain’t squatting, and you might find yourself falling over. I’ve done it…a few times.
But Tim, I don’t get into this position when I’m running – why should I care? Well to sort that out, let’s divide the running stride into two parts: “swing phase” and “stance phase”.
The Phases of The Running Stride
For now, let’s only focus on what the leg in contact with the ground does when we run. We can further subdivide “stance phase” into “early stance” and “late stance”.
If you want to cruise like Nicky Symmonds during a beer mile world record attempt, you need proficiency and strength in both early stance positions AND late stance positions. And what might those keys to proficiency be? You guessed it – shin angle and pelvic rotation.
When your foot first strikes the ground in EARLY stance, we see a more vertical shin angle and a more posteriorly rotated pelvis (if you’re curious about how the pelvis works in running, I tackle that beast of a bone structure here). As the leg moves towards the LATE stance phase, you’ll see more shin angle and a forwardly rotated pelvis.
Remember, a good squat has a positive shin angle and a posteriorly rotated pelvis and so does running! Hopefully these photos of me on a treadmill help connect these dots.
While proficiency in squatting does not guarantee ideal running mechanics, it’s a great place to start. I work with many runners, both in-person and remotely, who struggle to tilt their shin bone over their foot while keeping even pressure through their heel, base of the big toe, and base of the little toe. Likewise, when I see an athlete struggle to rotate their pelvis backwards, I get all giddy thinking of how much squatting will help them! Good things happen to your running when you improve your ability to squat and increase your shin angle.
Training your body with these fundamental moves might “unlock” these positions during running. “Un-locked” means freer motion with increased stride length AND better load management leading to lower likelihood of injury.
WHY RUNNERS SHOULD HINGE
If you’ve ever performed a deadlift, a Romanian deadlift (RDL), or kettlebell swing, you’ve performed a member of the “hinge” family. A hinge is the yin to the squat’s yang, and it’s how we move our center of mass forwards and backwards to produce horizontal motion.
Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn’t a great runner but he once said, “The Squat is Food. The Deadlift is water. We need both.” Wise words, Mister Terminator sir!
A good hinge involves a more vertical tibia (like early stance) and a more forward rotated pelvis (like late stance).
As you can see, this helps us train efficiency, familiarity, and strength in all the positions we find in the running stride.
| Body Position | Squat | Hinge |
Vertical shin (early) | X | |
Angled shin (late) | X | |
Posteriorly rotated pelvis (early) | X | |
Anteriorly rotated pelvis (late) | X |
So, if we incorporate both squatting and hinging into our training, our bodies improve in the aspects of both early and late stance. Proficiency (movement quality, not raw strength) in squatting and hinging means that your body has the opportunity to exhibit low AND high shin angles as well as posterior AND anterior pelvic rotation.
Trying Out The Movements
Dumbbell Squat:
Romanian Deadlift (Hinge):
If you’d like to try these exercises as part of a custom injury prevention program, try the Recover Athletics app for free right here!
Want to get your form analyzed and work with me on a custom program to help you run farther, faster, and healthier? You can reach me on instagram or at richardtphysicaltherapy@gmail.com