6 Strength Training Exercises For Hurdling

The lower leg muscles are extremely important for hurdlers. There is an immense amount of practice and exercise that goes into hurdling. They have a lot to do with the stability and explosiveness of your stride when you're in track stance.

The calves, hamstrings and quads are all important muscles to work on when training for hurdling. Strength training exercises can boost your lower leg muscles:

Best Strength Training Exercises for Hurdling

Here's are six such exercises:

#1 Calf Raise

Calf raises are a great workout for strengthening the lower leg muscles. They can be done with or without weights, with a partner, and in many different variations.

The easiest way to do calf raises is standing on a step or box with your toes on the edge so that only your heels are touching the ground. Lift one foot at a time up as high as you can off of the ground before lowering it back down again and repeating with each leg until failure occurs.

To make this exercise more challenging, try lifting two or three dumbbells (either equal weight or unevenly weighted) while doing calf raises. There should be additional resistance when raising your heel off of the ground and coming back down again.

However if you do not wish to use weights then simply performing regular calf raises is also beneficial.

#2 Squat

Squats are a compound movement that work the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves simultaneously. These lower body muscles are essential for hurdling because they help you maintain balance during your running stride and assist with jumping distance. You can perform squats in a variety of ways with dumbbells or barbells—or no equipment at all.

Using proper form is important when performing this exercise so that you don't risk injuring yourself while working out. When first learning how to do squats, start off by standing on one foot as if you were doing a single-leg squat (also known as a pistol).

Once you feel comfortable balancing yourself on one leg without falling over, place both feet flat on the floor in front of each other. Lower down into an actual squat position where the hips go below 90 degrees and thighs parallel to ground level.

#3 Hamstring Curl

Hamstring curls are a good exercise, as they strengthen the muscles in the backs of your thighs and lower legs. They can help you jump higher, run faster and make sharp turns when you’re sprinting or playing any kind of sport where quick turns are important.

Hamstring curls also improve your balance. If you have strong hamstrings, it'll be easier for you to keep your balance when doing other exercises that involve running or jumping.

To do hamstring curls:

Get into the same starting position. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart with toes neutral but slightly outward so that they point slightly away from each other rather than directly forwards or straight ahead.

That helps balance when doing sprinting-related activities later on in life. Your knees should also have some bend in them rather than being totally straightened out all day long (this is called 'flexion').

Bending at the knee prevents overuse injuries while still allowing full range of motion at both ends. Think about how much more useful it would be if someone is able to walk without ever having practiced walking before. This means they'd probably get hurt after walking around too long without stretching first.

#4 Romanian Deadlift

Here's how it's done:

Stand with feet hip-width apart. and hold a light dumbbell in each hand.
Keep your back straight, knees slightly bent and arms straight out at your sides. Keep them close to the body as you bend at the hips to lower down into a squat position.
As you squat down, lower the weight till it reaches about shin level on one side of your legs.
Alternate lifting up on each side as you stand up again.
To get an even better workout for this exercise try doing Romanian deadlifts by keeping both arms extended straight throughout (rather than switching sides).

#5 Hip Thrust

Hip thrusts are great for targetting the glutes, lower back and hamstrings. The movement trains your core as well.

It's one of the best exercises you can do to build strong legs and improve strength in hurdling.

#6 Seated Leg Press

The seated leg press is similar to the leg press, but you sit down instead of standing. You can use this to target your quadriceps and hamstrings.

This is a great exercise because it's easy to do anywhere and requires little equipment, so it’s perfect for home workouts or gym sessions on an off day. To do this exercise:

Sit down on a bench with your back straight, feet shoulder-width apart on the floor and knees bent at 90 degrees.
Press the weight up till your legs are straight (don't lock out). That’s one rep. Lower the weight slowly back down again under control until your knees are bent at 90 degrees before repeating another rep with good form.
Don't let yourself bounce at any time during this movement or else you risk injury.