Drills are the secret sauce behind effortless, efficient running

Most runners underestimate running drills — but they’re one of the most powerful tools in your training. Drills don’t just warm you up; they reshape your mechanics, improve efficiency, and activate the muscles you need for fast, smooth running.

As runners, we use running drills for two purposes:

1. To improve our running form, and become better, more efficient runners

2. To prime our body for an important workout, by activating muscles and tendons

Running drills can be seen as a neuromuscular form of training; new synapses are formed and new connections are made in our brain.

We have several running drills in our toolbox, and mostly, they teach us the following:

- Short ground contact. One thing that separates most elite runners from amateur runners, is that the elites have a very short ground contact time. Their feet touch the ground for 0.1 – 0.2 seconds each step.

- Maximum force production. Within that short contact time, we need to produce maximum force, to enable our body to ‘fly’ for as long as possible, before touching the ground again

- Keep our body straight up and the hips high. Many amateur runners have a ‘sitting’ running form, whereby they are not using the full length of their legs. Partly this is learnt, partly it can be due to weakness in the hamstrings and glutes. Apart from running drills, strength training (lifting weights) is an important tool in dealing with muscle weakness. The higher the hips, the more force we can put into the ground.

Use of elastic energy. Our body has free energy at its disposal. The tendons around the ankles and knees are excellent in storing and releasing energy. Most elites are excellent in using that elastic energy. This is part of the reason why running at 3.00 per km looks effortless to them. Drills teach our body to use the elastic energy.

The different running drills that are shown in our videos are the following (note that this is just a selection of all drills that are available):

1. Scissors. A good exercise to start with. It focuses on a short and light contact on the ground. The feet should not passively hang down, but should be reactive: touch the ground and pop back up. The body has to be kept tall, with the core muscles engaged. Don’t lean backwards. Also excellent for activating our hamstrings.

2. Scissors, 2^nd version: Now it’s time to put some more force into the ground, creating a more aggressive push off. The hamstrings are now seriously engaged, making them ready for faster running.

3. Single leg skips. Also skips are great for teaching us short ground contact, while using the elastic energy of our tendons and muscles. Body is kept tall, and the core muscles engaged, while we drive our legs down to the ground with speed.

4. Double leg skips: another version of the skip drill, now focusing on bringing both legs down to the ground with force, preparing our body for an interval workout or speed session.

5. Hopping. Focuses mostly on short ground contact and a correct use of the Achilles tendons, in order to maximize elastic energy production. It’s also great for improving coordination.

6. Bounding. This exercise should be done at the end, when the body is ready for it. The focus is on hitting the ground with force, one leg at a time, thereby creating a hard push-off to fly as far as possible. Hamstring, glutes, calves and quadriceps are all engaged with this drill, as well as our tendons.

   
   

7. Hill Sprints are one of the purest, most powerful running drills you can add to your training. The incline naturally forces you into better mechanics—tall posture, high knees, quick turnover—while reducing impact on your joints. They fire up your glutes, hamstrings, and calves, building explosive strength that carries over into smoother, faster running on flat ground. A few short bursts uphill can do more for your power and form than miles of easy jogging ever will.

   
   

8. Strides, on the other hand, are all about rhythm and refinement. These controlled accelerations help you reconnect with good posture, relaxed speed, and efficient movement. They sharpen your cadence, improve your running economy, and gently remind your body what “fast but smooth” feels like. Whether you add them after an easy run or before a big workout, strides are the simplest way to stay sharp without adding fatigue.

   
   

Each drill teaches your body to reduce ground contact time, produce more force, run tall, and tap into the elastic energy stored in your tendons. Whether you're a new runner or chasing PRs, these drills make your form cleaner, your stride more powerful, and your movement more efficient. Use them before workouts, after easy runs, or as a weekly technique session.

Run smarter. Move better. Train like an athlete