The Hamstring Strength Most Runners & Triathletes Are Missing— Weekly 3×1
3 Simple Upgrades to Move Better, Race Better (in just 3 minutes)
In this edition:
• Why eccentric hamstring strength protects runners
• A pro-level setup that lets you load single-leg work properly
• The landmine single-leg deadlift: secret weapon for athletes.
Let’s dive into it.
1️⃣ Low-Hanging Fruit — Eccentric Hamstring Strength
Many athletes focus on pulling exercises that shorten the hamstrings, but forget to train them while they are lengthening under load.
Think about your biceps.
If you could curl the weight up but couldn’t control it on the way down, that would be a problem.
Your hamstrings are no different.
They must be strong when they are contracted and when they are lengthened.
Strength under length gives you the ability to tolerate higher loads and avoid injury!
2️⃣ What the Pros Are Doing — Landmine Single Leg Deadlift.
Problem: It is hard to balance on one leg but get enough weight for single leg deadlifts. Athletes can’t load the movement enough to stimulate real adaptation
The Fix: Enter the Landmine set up. By anchoring the barbell to a fixed point, the movement becomes more stable. (see video below for the setup)
More stable = more weight = better gains.
Our goal here is simple, get enough weight through the hamstring. However, if the bottleneck is stability. Take that out of the equation for now.
Since you are an athlete, there are times where fatigue prevents you from being stable and therefore you sacrifice load. This solves that problem!
If your goal is load, focus on load. If your goal is stability focus on stability. Do not sacrifice one for the other.
3️⃣ Exercise Deep Dive — Landmine Single Leg Deadlift
The landmine single leg deadlift is a must add to your arsenal to build true posterior line strength.
1. What it works:
Glute max and hamstrings
Glute medius and hip stabilizers
Posterior chain coordination
Core and anti-rotation stabilizers
2. Why it matters:
Builds single-leg posterior chain strength that mirrors running mechanics
Improves hip hinge control without excessive spinal loading
Strengthens the glutes to reduce hamstring and low-back overuse
Trains stability while producing force through one leg
3. Performance benefits:
Enhances hip extension power for stronger push-off
Improves balance and control during stance phase
Reduces energy leaks from hip rotation or pelvic drop
Builds durability for hills, accelerations, and late-race fatigue
4. How to train it:
Start: 2 sets of 10-15 reps per side to master the movement.
Progress: 7–10 reps with increased load
Focus: Long spine, hips square, smooth hinge, strong drive through the stance leg
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
REMOTE STRENGTH COACHING - Two options for you to choose from.
Excited to bring this back with a new system (we created) to perfectly integrate with your training!
*by application only
PREVIEW!
Next week we’ll dive deeper into other loading types for hamstrings, including a powerful variation you probably have not tried!
Stay tuned this month for our hamstring deepdive!