Runners talk a lot about hamstrings, glutes, and core strength. But if you're not paying attention to your calves and quads, you're leaving speed, endurance, and injury prevention on the table—especially when it comes to terminal knee extension (TKE), the last bit of movement when your knee straightens before pushing off.
Your calves aren’t just for aesthetics or vertical jumps. They play a huge role in absorbing impact and propelling you forward with each stride. Every time your foot strikes the ground, your soleus and gastrocnemius (the two major calf muscles) handle an insane amount of force—up to 3-8x your body weight. Weak calves mean less shock absorption, which shifts stress to your knees, leading to runner’s knee, shin splints, or Achilles issues.
Your quads control knee extension, which is crucial for maintaining good form when your leg swings forward and prepares for landing. The vastus medialis oblique (VMO)—that teardrop-shaped muscle near your knee—gets a lot of attention in rehab settings because it plays a big role in stabilizing your knee at full extension.
TKE is the final few degrees of knee straightening before you push off the ground. If you don’t fully extend your knee, you lose efficiency in your stride. Your body compensates by overusing other muscles, often leading to knee pain, IT band issues, and even lower back discomfort.
Runners with limited TKE tend to land with a slight bend in their knee, which increases joint stress over time. Without full extension, you’re not maximizing the stretch-shortening cycle of your quads and calves, which means less power and more fatigue.
If you’re a runner, building strength in your calves and quads isn’t optional—it’s necessary. It improves your speed, reduces injury risk, and keeps your knees healthy for the long haul. But just doing a few random exercises isn’t enough. You need a plan.
That’s where we come in. At Hardbat Athletics in Newark, Delaware, we help runners train smarter, not harder. Book a No-Sweat Intro with one of our coaches and get a personalized strength plan that keeps you running strong—without nagging injuries slowing you down.
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