Introduction
Most athletes who want to run faster focus on one thing:
More force.
More power.
A stronger push into the ground.
And while that matters…
💥 it only develops half of what creates speed.
👉 Most runners spend almost all their training time developing the push.
👉 Very few spend time developing what happens between pushes.
👉 That may be where speed is being left behind.
Because every stride has two essential phases:
- The push phase — where force is applied into the ground
- The swing phase — where the opposite leg cycles forward and helps organize the next stride
⚡ Why Most Speed Training Only Trains Half the System
Traditional speed training often centers around:
- stronger glutes
- more powerful hamstrings
- explosive force production
- more ground force
👉 That all matters.
👉 But it may only be half the picture.
Because running speed is not produced by the push phase alone.
It depends on how the push phase and swing phase work together as a system.
👉 When one leg is producing force into the ground…
the other is already organizing the next stride.
These are not separate actions.
They happen together.
🔄 That’s where many athletes miss a major piece of speed.
You can only express as much usable force as your system can balance.
👉 If the swing phase cannot keep up:
- stride length may shut down early
- timing can suffer
- turnover may stall
- force output may scale down
And speed gets limited.
➡️ Related: Running Mechanics Explained: The System That Makes You Faster
🚨 Why Stronger Legs Don’t Always Make You Faster
This frustrates a lot of athletes.
They:
- squat more
- deadlift more
- build stronger legs
- feel more powerful
Yet speed plateaus.
👉 Here’s where it gets interesting.
Stronger push mechanics alone do not guarantee a faster stride.
Often the limiter is the untrained half of speed:
the swing phase.
👉 If push improves…
but swing does not rise with it…
the system may reduce total output to preserve balance.
That can mean:
- less usable force
- less efficient transfer of force
- less speed than your strength suggests
⚠️ Sometimes the issue isn’t strength.
👉 It’s system imbalance.
🔍 Push and Swing Do Not Happen in Sequence
Many runners picture speed like this:
Push. Recover. Repeat.
👉 Fast running is not built that way.
At speed:
- one leg produces force
- one leg cycles forward
- the arms support the system
all at the same time.
That timing is critical.
Because speed is not just about how much force you create.
It is also about when force is organized.
💡 That changes how you think about speed.
👉 Not isolated muscles.
👉 A coordinated system.
🚀 Why the Swing Phase Can Become the Weakest Link
The swing phase is often underestimated.
Many think it simply moves the leg forward.
It does far more.
👉 It influences:
- stride length
- stride cycling
- timing
- force transfer
- overall balance in the system
And much of this depends on muscles athletes often undertrain.
Especially the hip flexors.
👉 If that part of the system lags…
Even a powerful push phase may be capped.
Often the issue isn’t effort.
👉 It’s a weak link.
➡️ Related: Hip Flexors for Running Speed
💥 What Happens When Both Halves of Speed Improve
👉 When push and swing improve together:
- force applies more cleanly
- the stride stays active longer
- turnover often improves naturally
- speed can rise without forcing mechanics
Those are outcomes.
Not cues.
👉 This is often what improving strength balance across the system looks like in motion.
👉 That may be the missing piece many athletes never realize they’re training for.
➡️ Related: How to Improve Strength Balance for Maximum Running Speed
⚙️ How to Train Both Halves of Speed
If you want to run faster…
don’t just ask:
How do I push harder?
Ask:
How do I improve both halves of speed?
Develop:
- force production
- swing phase function
- timing
- strength balance across the system
🎯 That’s where real speed gains often happen.
👉 That is one reason isometric methods can be so effective.
➡️ See: Isometric Training for Speed: The Complete System To Run Faster
Final Thought
Most athletes train the part of speed they can feel most.
The push.
But speed depends on more than what pushes you forward.
It depends on what prepares the next stride.
🔥 Train both halves of speed…
…and stop leaving speed on the table.
🔍 FAQ
What is the push phase in running?
👉 The push phase is when force is applied into the ground to help propel the body forward.
What is the swing phase in sprinting?
👉 The swing phase is when the leg recovers forward and helps organize the next stride.
Which matters more for speed, push phase or swing phase?
👉 Neither alone. Maximum speed depends on how well both phases work together.
Can a weak swing phase slow you down?
👉 Yes. It can reduce stride efficiency, timing, and overall system output.
Why do stronger legs not always make you faster?
👉 Because speed depends on coordinated system performance—not force production alone.
