You Know You Should Do Glute Strength, But Ditch the Clamshells if You're a Runner

Every time one of my athletes or friends say they do clamshells to help with their glute strength I want to scream. Clamshells have a place in rehab, especially post-surgery or for individuals who are just beginning to engage in exercise. But for runners, clamshells are not enough.

Running demands dynamic, upright, and single-leg control. Clamshells are performed lying on your side, in a non-weight bearing position, and they do not train the glutes the way they're used during gait. Runners need more than glute activation, they need strength and power that translates to movement.

What the Glutes Do in Running

During the gait cycle, the glutes, primarily the gluteus maximus and medius are responsible for:

• Driving hip extension during push-off

• Stabilizing the pelvis and trunk in single-leg stance

• Controlling frontal and transverse plane motion

• Assisting with shock absorption

  
  

When glute function is lacking, the body compensates. Common signs of this include:

• Increased vertical oscillation (bouncing)

• Low back or hamstring overload

• Shortened stride length

• Excessive loading of the calf and Achilles complex

• Hip drop or knee valgus with single leg squats or running

  
  

Why Aren't Clamshells Enough?

Clamshells isolate the glute medius, but they do so in a non-functional position. They don't load the muscle meaningfully, they don’t train hip extension, and they don’t prepare the body for the demands of running. For athletes or active runners, this type of exercise lacks the intensity and specificity required for adaptation.

Glute Exercises That Improve Running

To build glute strength that supports running performance and reduces injury risk, exercises must challenge the glutes in positions that replicate running mechanics. This includes:

• Hip Thrusts: Train powerful hip extension and maximize glute max activation.

• Single-Leg Deadlifts: Improve hip and trunk control, especially in single-leg stance.

• Step-Downs / Bulgarian Split Squats: Build eccentric control and alignment in frontal and sagittal planes.

• Lateral Band Walks (Standing/Athletic Stance): Target hip abductors in a more relevant posture than sidelying.

• Plyometric Progressions: Skater bounds, hill sprints, and single-leg power drills enhance reactivity and force production.

• Kneeling Hip Flexor Strength Work: Support reciprocal hip mechanics and improve active range for push-off.

• Standing clamshells: Help with rotational stability in a single leg, loaded position while forcing the glutes to maintain plevic stability.

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Core stability and diaphragmatic breathing should also be addressed to support pelvis and trunk control under load.

Clamshells may be appropriate in early rehab or sedentary populations, but they are not a high-value glute strength exercise for runners. Strength work must be specific to the demands of running: upright, single-leg, and progressively loaded. Exercises should target hip extension, frontal plane control, and reactivity to truly improve performance and reduce injury risk.

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