Ideal for: all athletes.
Difficulty level: none really and will be able to be performed by most – however, as with any exercise, don’t overdo it, if you have little or no familiarity, as sore legs (and glutes) will result!
Benefits: general lower body strength, balance and coordination.
How to: start standing, and take a large step forward, placing your foot flat on the ground. Your front thigh should be parallel to the ground with the knee over the ankle.
Push off strongly from this position and pull the rear leg to the front.
To make the exercise more running specific, pull the heel up to your bottom at it passes from the rear to the front and coordinate your arms in a running style.
How many: Do 4x10 and increase the reps and distances as you develop specific fitness.
You could incorporate some reps into your warm-ups.
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