Legs · Bodyweight
Shuttle Runs
How to do the shuttle runs, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Timed hold
- Movement
- Gait
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Running back and forth between two points at maximum speed, focusing on quick direction changes.
- 1Sprint to a marker and decelerate quickly, feeling your quads and hamstrings work to change direction
- 2Push off explosively to sprint back, using short, powerful strides
- 3You should feel your heart rate elevate rapidly as you repeat the bursts
Common mistakes
- Don't neglect a thorough warm-up and dynamic stretching beforehand
- Avoid planting your foot awkwardly when turning; pivot smoothly to reduce knee stress
- Don't overstride or lean too far forward while sprinting
Muscles worked
The shuttle runs works the biceps, triceps, mid chest, lats, lower back, upper abs, lower abs, quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, side delts, forearms, upper traps, and obliques.
- BicepsSupport
- TricepsSupport
- Mid ChestSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
Kovo programs the shuttle runs for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed April 2026.