All Exercises
mat

mat Exercises

Browse all mat exercises for strength training.

Showing 10 exercises

Copenhagen Plank

A side plank variant with the top leg supported on a bench, training adductor strength and trunk stability. The strongest groin-injury prevention drill in the literature for cutting / running sports — particularly relevant for runners with tight or weak inner thighs.

Intermediate

Dead Bug

Core stability exercise with alternating arm and leg extensions while maintaining flat back.

core
hip flexors
Beginner

Fire Hydrant

Hip abductor and glute medius activation. Opens the hips and fires the lateral stabilizers before squat and lunge patterns.

Glute Medius
Hip Abductors
Beginner

Nordic Hamstring Curl

A kneeling bodyweight eccentric drill where the hamstrings work to slow a forward fall toward the floor. The strongest evidence-based hamstring-injury prevention drill in the literature for sprint-and-cut sports — and a strong eccentric-tolerance drill for trail runners on technical descents.

Advanced

Plank

The fundamental full-body stability exercise. Foundation for many other exercises.

core
shoulders
back
Beginner

Russian Twist

Rotational core exercise in V-sit position.

obliques
core
hip flexors
Intermediate

Side-Lying Hip Abduction

A side-lying isolation exercise targeting the gluteus medius — the lateral hip stabiliser that controls knee tracking and pelvic level during single-leg stance. A weak glute medius is a common cause of IT-band issues and patellofemoral pain in runners.

Beginner

Side Plank

A lateral isometric plank that targets the obliques, quadratus lumborum, and lateral hip — the anti-collapse chain that keeps the pelvis level on each foot strike. Late-race trunk stability separates runners who hold form from runners who lose minutes per mile.

Beginner

Side Plank with Rotation

A dynamic side plank variant with a controlled thread-the-needle rotation — the obliques resist collapse during the rotation phase and drive the return. Adds movement under load to the static side plank, training rotational anti-collapse capacity used on uneven trail surfaces and technical scrambling.

Intermediate

Superman

Full back chain activation with arms extended.

back
glutes
shoulders
Beginner