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Running coach Ania Gabb recommends heel-elevated squats as a weekly strength exercise for her running clients. She says the variation works several leg muscles and can allow a deeper squat, but the report provides no evidence that it prevents injuries or works for every runner.
Running coach Ania Gabb recommends that her clients include heel-elevated squats in their weekly workouts, saying the variation trains the calves alongside other leg muscles and can make it easier to squat through a greater range of motion. The advice, reported by Fit&Well, is a coach’s training recommendation—not evidence that the exercise prevents running injuries.
Gabb told Fit&Well that the calves are involved through every phase of running, helping absorb forces around the ankles and knees and contributing to the push-off. She said she is seeing runners work their calves harder as some wear carbon-plated running shoes, which she described as encouraging a forefoot running position. The report does not provide research or figures to quantify that effect.
The exercise is a squat performed with the heels raised on thin wedges or weight plates. Gabb said the setup can help people with tight calves or ankles keep their balance while lowering into a squat. She recommends beginning with bodyweight to learn the movement, then adding a dumbbell or barbell if appropriate. Her suggested starting volume is three sets of eight to 10 repetitions with a barbell, or three sets of 10 to 12 with lighter dumbbells.
For the bodyweight version, place the heels on two thin plates set about hip-width apart. Keep the chest facing forward and the knees apart as the hips move back and down; raise the arms in front if that helps with balance. Gabb advises lowering until the thighs are parallel with the floor, or lower if comfortable, then driving back to standing. The report recommends doing the movement without running shoes, which can tilt the wearer forward, and suggests flat-soled lifting shoes or bare feet instead.
How the Squat Fits Running Training
The recommendation offers runners a practical way to add lower-body strength work without treating running itself as the only preparation for running. The raised-heel position may make a deeper squat more accessible for people whose ankle or calf mobility limits a standard squat, while the movement loads the calves, quadriceps, glutes and hamstrings, according to Gabb.
That does not establish that the exercise reduces injury risk. The source presents Gabb’s professional advice and rationale, but does not cite a study testing heel-elevated squats against injury rates or running performance. Runners should read the injury-prevention wording as a training aim, not a guaranteed outcome. Strength work may support preparation for running, but individual needs and tolerance vary.
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Why Gabb Focuses on Calves
Gabb’s recommendation is tied to the role she assigns to the calf muscles during running. The report identifies the soleus, which sits deeper in the lower leg, and the more prominent gastrocnemius as the two main calf muscles. It says these muscles contribute to absorbing impact and generating force as the runner leaves the ground.
Gabb also suggests that shoe design may affect how hard the calves work. She points to carbon shoes that encourage running on the balls of the feet, but the material supplied does not specify which models, runners or training conditions she is referring to. She recommends pairing raised squats with single-leg and conventional deadlifts and calf raises a couple of times a week. Her advice is to start with manageable sets and repetitions rather than adding substantial load immediately.
“When you run, your calves are one of the main muscle groups used through every phase of the running action.”
— Ania Gabb, running coach, speaking to Fit&Well
What the Advice Does Not Establish
The supplied report does not describe a clinical or comparative study showing that heel-elevated squats prevent injuries, improve race times or are better than other strength exercises. It also does not provide a source for the claim that carbon shoes increase calf workload, or specify how often every runner should use them. Those points remain Gabb’s coaching observations and recommendations.
The report does not set out modifications for people with current pain, a recent injury, balance limitations or other health concerns. A raised-heel squat may not suit everyone, and the suggested sets and repetitions are not a personalized plan. Anyone who experiences pain, is returning from injury or has a condition affecting exercise should seek guidance from a qualified health or fitness professional before adding loaded squats.
How Runners Can Start Safely
Gabb’s practical progression is to rehearse the squat with bodyweight first, using stable, thin plates or wedges and a comfortable range of motion. Runners who can perform it steadily may add a light dumbbell or kettlebell held close to the chest, or progress to a barbell, while following her suggested lower starting volume. The report does not specify a formal schedule beyond recommending the exercise as part of weekly training.
She also recommends pairing the squat with deadlifts and calf raises a couple of times a week. Runners should adjust or stop the exercise if it causes pain, and consider professional advice if they are unsure about technique or loading. No follow-up results or further evidence supporting the injury-prevention claim are included in the source material.
Key Questions
What exercise does Ania Gabb recommend for runners?
Gabb recommends heel-elevated squats, performed with the heels on thin wedges or weight plates. She says the variation works several leg muscle groups and can make it easier to reach a deeper squat.
Does the exercise prevent running injuries?
The report presents injury reduction as a reason for Gabb’s advice, but it does not cite research showing that this squat prevents injuries. It should not be treated as a guarantee.
How should a beginner try heel-elevated squats?
Gabb advises starting with bodyweight to become familiar with the technique before adding load. Her suggested starting volume for loaded versions is three sets of eight to 10 barbell repetitions or 10 to 12 repetitions with lighter dumbbells.
What else does Gabb suggest adding to a running strength routine?
She recommends pairing the squats with single-leg and regular deadlifts and calf raises a couple of times a week. The report does not provide an individualized schedule for each runner.
Source: fitandwell.com
