Home » Running Mechanics » Push (Drive) Phase of Running: Why Most Athletes Overtrain It

If you ask most athletes how to get faster, you’ll hear the same answers:

“Get stronger”
“Drive harder”
“Explode off the ground”

And to be fair…

👉 they’re not wrong

But they’re not complete either.

What Is the Push (Drive) Phase of Running?

The push phase—also known as the drive phase—occurs when your foot is on the ground and you drive your body forward.

This is where your body produces force against the ground using:

glutes
hamstrings
quads
calves

👉 It’s the most visible and most trained part of running

And that’s exactly where the problem begins.

👉 To see how this fits into the full running system, read:
Running Mechanics: How Speed Is Actually Created

The Problem: This Is All Most Athletes Train

Walk into any gym and you’ll see athletes doing:

squats
lunges
deadlifts
calf raises

Go out to the track and you’ll see:

sprints
hill runs
sled pushes
parachute runs

All of these are great exercises.

But they all have one thing in common:

👉 they overload the push phase

👉 same muscles
👉 same function
👉 same part of the running cycle

Do a Quick Self-Check

Think about your own training for a moment.

What are your go-to speed exercises?
What do you rely on to get faster?

Now ask yourself:

👉 What muscles are actually doing the work?

Chances are, it’s the same ones:

glutes
hamstrings
quads
calves

Almost every time.

And that’s the issue.

👉 If your speed training always comes back to the same muscles…
👉 you’re only training part of the system.

👉 In fact, for most athletes, this is the only phase they truly train.

Why the Push (Drive) Phase Gets So Much Attention

There are a few reasons why athletes overtrain this phase:

1. It’s Easy to See and Measure

You can:

feel it working
load it with weight
track strength gains

👉 That makes it appealing

2. It’s What Most Athletes Learn First

From a young age, athletes are taught:

stronger legs = faster speed

So they continue to:

👉 double down on leg strength

3. Most Equipment Targets It

Weight rooms are built around:

pushing
lifting
driving force

👉 Not cycling or repositioning the leg

The Hidden Limitation of Push-Only Training

Getting stronger in the push phase does help…

👉 up to a point

But here’s what most athletes never consider:

👉 Once your foot leaves the ground… the push phase is over

What happens next determines how fast you actually run.

If your body cannot:

move the leg forward quickly
reposition it efficiently
cycle into the next step

👉 then all that push strength has limited value

Why Stronger Legs Can Actually Make You Feel Slower

This is where things get interesting.

As athletes build strength in their legs:

muscle size increases
force production improves

But also:

👉 the leg becomes heavier

Now, when that leg leaves the ground:

👉 it has to be lifted and accelerated forward

If the muscles responsible for that action are undertrained:

👉 the stride slows down
👉 turnover decreases
👉 movement feels heavier

👉 This is why athletes often feel like:

“they have bricks in their legs”

Even though they’re stronger than ever.

What Coaches Are Starting to Notice

This isn’t just theory.

Coaches and athletes are beginning to recognize:

👉 something is missing

For example, one NFL strength coach reported seeing:

“a tremendous difference… more strength in the hip flexors… and speed improved dramatically”

👉 Not from more pushing

👉 But from training what had been ignored

The Real Role of the Push (Drive) Phase

The push phase is important.

👉 You need it

But it’s only one part of the system.

👉 Running is not just about how hard you push

👉 It’s about how efficiently you move through the entire cycle

What Most Athletes Are Missing

If your training is focused only on:

pushing harder
building leg strength
increasing force output

Then you’re missing:

how the leg moves forward (swing phase)
how it returns to the ground (pull phase)

👉 And those phases are critical for speed

🔗 Where to Go Next

Now that you understand the limitation of push-only training:

👉 continue here:

Final Takeaway

The push phase is not the problem.

👉 Over-relying on it is

If you only train how hard you push:

👉 you limit how fast you can run

If you train the full system:

👉 everything changes

❓ FAQ: Push (Drive) Phase of Running

What is the push phase in running?

It’s the phase where your foot is on the ground and you generate force to move your body forward.

What is the drive phase in sprinting?

It’s another term for the push phase, often used by coaches to describe the initial force-producing portion of running.

Does stronger leg training improve speed?

It helps the push phase, but does not fully develop speed on its own.

Why do athletes overtrain the push phase?

Because it’s easy to measure, heavily emphasized in gyms, and widely taught as the primary way to get faster.

Can too much push training slow you down?

It can limit performance if it’s not balanced with proper swing and pull phase training.