High Knees
High knees is an on-the-spot running drill in which you drive each knee up to about hip height in quick alternation. It trains the hip flexors, calves and running rhythm, and is used as a warm-up, a sprint-technique drill and a conditioning interval.
Also called: Knee Drive, Running High Knees, High Knee Run, High-Knee Drill · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: compound
Step by step
- Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and your weight on the balls of your feet. Bend your elbows to about 90°.
- Brace lightly, with your ribs down and your pelvis slightly tucked, so your trunk stays stacked over your hips.
- Drive one knee up until your thigh is about parallel to the floor, at hip height.
- As that foot comes back down, land softly on the ball of the foot under your hip and drive the other knee up straight away.
- Keep alternating quickly, with short, quiet, springy contacts with the ground.
- Swing your arms in opposition to your legs, as in sprinting, to set the rhythm.
- Keep your trunk tall and breathe continuously. At the end of the set, slow down to a march before standing still.
- Knees to hip height
- Tall and stacked, no leaning back
- Light, quick, quiet feet
- Drive the arms and the legs follow
- Land on the balls of your feet under your hips
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Hip flexors | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | C |
| Gastrocnemius | Secondary | C |
| Soleus | Secondary | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Secondary | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | D |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Stabiliser | D |
| Tibialis anterior | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
| Hamstrings | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Leaning back to lift the knees
Fix: Stay tall with a slight pelvic tuck; bring the knees only as high as posture holds.
Knees staying low
Fix: Set a hand or target at hip height and bring each thigh up to it.
Heavy, flat-footed landings
Fix: Land softly on the balls of your feet with short, quiet contacts.
Rhythm dropping to a march
Fix: Pump the arms faster and let the legs match their rhythm.
Holding the breath
Fix: Breathe continuously in a steady rhythm throughout the set.
What the research says
General fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choiceFat loss & conditioning · first choicePowerSport performance
- Conditioning — A lab study of bodyweight interval exercise that included high knees measured heart rates near 88% of peak, a vigorous intensity comparable to treadmill running intervals. High knees were one of several movements in that protocol.
- Sprint technique — Sprint-development reviews describe high-knee running as a low-speed, controllable technique and warm-up drill. Its use rests on coaching practice rather than controlled outcome research.
- Warm-up — Research finds warming up improves subsequent performance in most measures studied. A common approach is to start high knees as a march and build to full speed.
- Muscle size — Research on jump-type training finds small-to-moderate gains in muscle size, well short of traditional resistance training. High knees are generally used for conditioning and coordination rather than growth.
- Formats — Common formats are short hard intervals of about 20–40 seconds, longer continuous sets for endurance, and brief 10–20 second bouts in sprint-drill work. No research compares these formats for this drill.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the high knees in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.