Dynamic High Knees

Category: 🟧 Cardio / Plyometrics – Coordination – Explosiveness
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ (intermediate to advanced)
Equipment: Bodyweight only, training shoes, stable surface

Goal

Improve leg turnover and coordination in a running posture.
Boost cardio-respiratory capacity in a HIIT block or Tabata finisher.
Strengthen the hip flexors, dynamic core bracing, and overall running posture.

Muscles worked

Main: Hip flexors (psoas, iliopsoas), quads, calves.
Synergists: Hamstrings, glute med and max, deltoids, biceps and triceps (arm drive).
Stabilizers: Abs, deep core, lower back, shoulder girdle.

Variations

Basic version: Slow high knees without bouncing, focusing on knee height and posture.
Supported version: High knees while holding on to a wall or stable support to secure balance.
“Controlled pace” version: 30 s work / 30 s recovery, steady cadence, ideal as part of the warm-up.
On-the-spot sprint version: Very fast high knees with higher knee lift, only for experienced exercisers.
Band-resisted version: High knees with a resistance band around the thighs to increase tension.
Tabata version: 20 s “ON” / 10 s “OFF” × 8 rounds, maximum cadence with clean technique.

High knees are a staple in cardio blocks: a movement that looks simple, but once the cadence goes up, it becomes brutal for your heart rate.

Technique — Step by step

Start position:
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, chest up, eyes looking straight ahead. Arms are bent around 90°, close to the body, ready to drive like in running.
Knee drive and bounce:
Drive one knee up toward your chest until it reaches hip height while keeping your core braced. The foot on the floor pushes lightly into the ground to create a soft bounce on the ball of the foot, without slamming the heel.
Alternating and arm/leg coordination:
Switch legs quickly as if you were running on the spot. Let the arms follow naturally: right knee / left arm forward, then alternate. Keep the torso stable and avoid leaning forward or backward.
Rhythm and breathing:
Gradually increase cadence while maintaining knee height and posture. Breathe with the rhythm (2 steps to inhale, 2 steps to exhale) and aim for light, quick, controlled contacts with the floor.

❌ Common mistakes	✅ Best practices
🚫Torso leaning forward, eyes on the floor, which breaks the running posture. 🚫Knees barely lifting, turning it into simple “jogging on the spot” with no real hip-flexor work. 🚫Heavy impacts on the heels, loud landings, unnecessary stress on the joints. 🚫Arms almost still or out of sync with the legs, losing rhythm. 🚫Very high cadence right from the start: technique collapses after a few seconds, breathing is completely blown.	💡Keep the chest tall, eyes forward like when you run: the spine stays aligned. 💡Aim for knees at hip height while staying braced, even if you need to slow the cadence. 💡Land on the balls of your feet, soft and quiet, heels barely brushing the floor. 💡Drive the arms like in a sprint: elbows around 90°, smooth forward/backward motion synced with the legs. 💡Start at a cadence you can sustain for 20–40 s, matching breathing to the rhythm (2 steps in / 2 steps out).

❌ Common mistakes

✅ Best practices

🚫Torso leaning forward, eyes on the floor, which breaks the running posture.
🚫Knees barely lifting, turning it into simple “jogging on the spot” with no real hip-flexor work.
🚫Heavy impacts on the heels, loud landings, unnecessary stress on the joints.
🚫Arms almost still or out of sync with the legs, losing rhythm.
🚫Very high cadence right from the start: technique collapses after a few seconds, breathing is completely blown.

💡Keep the chest tall, eyes forward like when you run: the spine stays aligned.
💡Aim for knees at hip height while staying braced, even if you need to slow the cadence.
💡Land on the balls of your feet, soft and quiet, heels barely brushing the floor.
💡Drive the arms like in a sprint: elbows around 90°, smooth forward/backward motion synced with the legs.
💡Start at a cadence you can sustain for 20–40 s, matching breathing to the rhythm (2 steps in / 2 steps out).

Standard formats

	HIIT (Cardio Peak block)	Tabata (Explosive finisher)
Work duration	20–40 s	20 s
Rest	20–40 s	10 s
Number of rounds	4–8 rounds depending on level	8 rounds
Target intensity	RPE 7–9, high cadence but running posture always under control.	RPE 8–9, high knees and stable core all the way to the last round.

Start HIIT timer

Start Tabata timer

1% Method

	HIIT Cardio Peak 1	Final Tabata Cardio Peak 2
Goal	Create a controlled cardio peak around a running-on-the-spot movement.	Short but very intense finisher to spike endorphins.
Structure	Block of 20–40 s work / 20–40 s rest.	Fixed format 20 s work / 10 s rest × 8 rounds.
Placement	Phase 3 – Cardio Peak 1, after warm-up and pre-activation.	Phase 6 – Cardio Peak 2, at the end of the workout.
Load	Bodyweight, working on cadence and knee height.	Bodyweight, adjust cadence if technique breaks down.
Frequency	1–2×/week in full-body / high-intensity cardio sessions.	1×/week max at the end of a full-body or cardio block.
Key cue	Running posture first, leg speed second.	Stay explosive but clean all the way to the last round.

Learn more about tempo

1% Method integration

HIIT – Cardio Peak 1 (5 min)

Tabata – Cardio Peak 2 (4 min)

Phase 2 – Neuro-Connection (3–4 min)

Goal: prime the neuromuscular system by breaking down running posture and knee height.

Level 1 – High-knee marching (no bounce)

“Drive one knee up after the other to hip height, without jumping, keeping your chest tall.”
“Take time to feel the hip flexors and core bracing working.”

Level 2 – Slow high knees with light bounce

“Add a small bounce on the balls of your feet while keeping the same knee height.”
“Keep the torso stable, no tipping forward.”

Level 3 – Arm/leg coordination

“Add a strong arm drive, like when you run: right knee / left arm forward.”
“Keep elbows around 90° and a smooth forward/backward rhythm.”

Level 4 – Progressive cadence build

“Slightly increase frequency while keeping the same knee height and the same quality posture.”
“This block stays a neural prep: smooth, controlled, not an all-out sprint for speed.”

Goal: hit the HIIT block with a running posture that feels automatic, clean, and coordinated.

Phase 3 – Cardio Peak 1 – HIIT (5 min)

Goal: create a cardio peak with high leg cadence and a solid running posture.

Cues to go further:

“Knee height before speed: keep knees at hip level even if you need to slow down a bit.”
“Hold a steady rhythm for the whole interval instead of an uncontrolled sprint at the start.”
“Keep contacts light and quiet on the balls of your feet, heels barely touching the floor.”
“If form breaks down, drop cadence rather than knee height.”
“Aim for an RPE of 7–9: out of breath but still clean on every rep.”

Phase 6 – Final Tabata (4 min – 20/10 × 8)

Goal: explosive finisher to end the workout with a strong endorphin peak and real speed sensation.

Advanced cues:

“On every 20-second block, give your best while keeping the same quality posture.”
“If fatigue hits, slightly lower the cadence but keep the knees high.”
“Use a reference: try to keep roughly the same number of steps from the first to the last round.”
“Keep breathing with the movement, don’t hold your breath: let breathing follow your leg drive.”

Recommended frequency

Use 1–2 times per week in high-intensity cardio blocks (HIIT or Tabata), depending on total weekly volume.
Avoid scheduling very fast high knees the day before or after other highly explosive sessions (sprints, heavy plyometrics).
High knees pair well with more controlled lower-body strength blocks (squats, lunges) and core work.

Placed at the right time in the workout, dynamic high knees turn a simple cardio block into real leg-speed and running-posture training.