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Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Explore/Running

Gym exercises for

Running

Heavy strength work makes runners more economical. These are the lifts that do it.

  • Running economy from heavy strength and plyometrics
  • Calf and soleus capacity
  • Single-leg stability

19 exercises · Waiting for the first lifter ratings · Updates live

Running workout My tier list
S
Single-Leg Calf Raise
Bulgarian Split Squat
Seated Calf Raise
Pogo Hops
A
Jump Rope
Single-Leg RDL
Trap Bar Deadlift
Reverse Lunge
Step-Up
Nordic Curl
B
Barbell Back Squat
Tibialis Raise
Barbell Hip Thrust
Leg Press
C
Depth Jump
Copenhagen Plank
Side Plank
Box Jump
Banded Lateral Walk
D
—
F
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Full ranking

  1. 1S
    Single-Leg Calf Raise
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    89
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  2. 2S
    Bulgarian Split Squat
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    86
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  3. 3S
    Seated Calf Raise
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    86
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  4. 4S
    Pogo Hops
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    85
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  5. 5A
    Jump Rope
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    81
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  6. 6A
    Single-Leg RDL
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    81
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  7. 7A
    Trap Bar Deadlift
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    75
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  8. 8A
    Reverse Lunge
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    74
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  9. 9A
    Step-Up
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    74
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  10. 10A
    Nordic Curl
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    70
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  11. 11B
    Barbell Back Squat
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    69
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  12. 12B
    Tibialis Raise
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    63
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  13. 13B
    Barbell Hip Thrust
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    56
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  14. 14B
    Leg Press
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    56
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  15. 15C
    Depth Jump
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    54
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  16. 16C
    Copenhagen Plank
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    51
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  17. 17C
    Side Plank
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    51
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  18. 18C
    Box Jump
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    49
    Research
    —
    Lifters
  19. 19C
    Banded Lateral Walk
    Band
    No ratings yet
    44
    Research
    —
    Lifters

What are the best gym exercises for running?

Right now Single-Leg Calf Raise ranks first, with an overall score of 89 from the research rubric. It’s followed by Bulgarian Split Squat and Seated Calf Raise. The best choice for you depends on your equipment and how it feels on your joints, which is why every exercise links to alternatives.

Why it ranks: Calves and Achilles take several times bodyweight with every stride.

How these scores are calculated →