6 Best Squat Exercises for Sprinting

It’s important to do squat exercises for sprinting to strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. The entire lower body engages during sprinting and running, so it’s important to focus on exercises that help the muscles become thicker and stronger to withstand resistance during sprints.

One of the reasons you should focus on squat exercises is because squats are an exercise that can help with all three muscle groups that make up the legs.

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Squat Exercises for Sprinting

Here are six best squat exercises for sprinting you should know about if you’re preparing yourself for sprints.

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1) Jump Squat

One of the first squat exercises for sprinting you should include in your workout routine are jump squats.

To do jump squats, stand slightly wider than shoulder-width, and go to a squat position. When moving upwards, use your quadriceps to push through, and take a jump before landing on your feet again. It’s important to make sure you keep your knees soft to avoid injuries.

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2) Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is an advanced version of lunges but it helps with working on the hamstrings and glutes as well.

Additionally, Bulgarian split squats are an excellent exercise to do if you want to improve your overall balance and stability. You can read the guide for doing Bulgarian split squats here.

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3) Sumo Squat

Sumo squats are esspecifically helpful for hamstrings. To do sumo squats, you need to have your feet considerably wide apart.

Go down in a squat position but keep a strong muscle-mind connection with your hamstrings. You should squat till the point where you feel the stretch in your hamstrings before moving back to the starting position.

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4) Front Squat

Front squats are compound exercises that work on the quadriceps and hamstrings. You can do this exercise using a barbell or dumbbells.

If you use dumbbells, hold them in front of your chest, and proceed to do squats. If you’re using a barbell, place the barbell on your shoulders, and engage your core for better balance before doing squats.

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5) Barbell Overhead Squat

Squat exercises for sprinting also involve CrossFit movements. The barbell overhead squat enables you to work on your balance and improve leg strength.

Ideally, you should do a barbell overhead squat with just the barbell to understand the form and balance of the exercise. Move to adding weights once you’ve mastered it.

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6) Bodyweight Squat

It goes without saying that bodyweight exercises are an excellent form of resistance training. Therefore, you mustn’t ignore bodyweight squats when preparing your quadriceps for sprinting or running.

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Bottom Line

It’s important to have warm-ups and cool-downs before and after sprinting. Your muscles need to be aware of the resistance they will have to withstand before you begin running. Cool down exercises also help with improving heart health.

You must keep yourself hydrated all the time, even if you do not feel thirsty. Hydration helps with improving your muscle endurance.