Intermediate

B-March

The B-March extends the A-March by unfolding the knee at the top of the cycle and then sweeping the foot back and down under the body. That reach-and-pull rehearses the eccentric hamstring action of top-speed running and teaches athletes to apply force backward into the ground. Program it after A-series drills once marching posture is solid.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Hamstring, Quads
Type
Cardio, Functional
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Gait Drill
Muscles worked
Target
Rectus Femoris, Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus
Secondary
Gluteus Maximus, Tibialis Anterior
Tertiary
Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Upper Rectus Abdominals, Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    March forward driving one knee up to hip height with the ankle dorsiflexed.

  2. 2

    At the top, extend the lower leg forward so the knee nearly straightens.

  3. 3

    Immediately sweep the foot back and down, clawing it under your hip as it lands.

  4. 4

    Keep the torso tall and stable; avoid leaning back to counterbalance the reach.

  5. 5

    Alternate legs in rhythm, coordinating a strong opposite-arm swing.

  6. 6

    Cover the set distance smoothly, prioritizing a clean paw-back over speed.

Tips

  • Picture scraping mud off the sole as the foot sweeps down and back.
  • Do not kick the leg out and let it fall; the return must be active and hamstring-driven.
  • Keep the reach controlled so you feel the hamstring load rather than snapping the knee.
  • Hold tall hips throughout so the paw-back happens under, not in front of, the body.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The knee sinks toward the ground as the shin unfolds, so the reach happens from a low thigh and the hamstring never gets the length the drill is after.
  • The march accelerates until it is a B-skip without the hop, and the reach shortens to keep up; a B-march should look slow and deliberate.
  • The arm on the reaching side swings forward with that leg instead of opposite to it, which is the one coordination error that makes the whole drill feel wrong.
  • Twenty of these on cold hamstrings is a lot of tension at length for a drill that looks gentle; put it after the A-series and keep the first few reaches small.
  • The sole drags along the ground through the whole sweep rather than meeting it at the end, so the foot is scuffing instead of striking.

Frequently asked

How many B-marches should you do in a session when you are new to the exercise?
Count reaches instead of distance: six to eight per leg makes a trip, and one or two trips makes a session. Build the reach within the trip rather than across the weeks, small on the first few steps and full by the last few. Once or twice a week sits comfortably beside running work, and it always goes after the A-series. End a trip the moment the sweep starts landing in front of you, however many reaches are left.
How do I make the B-march easier or harder?
Easier: stand on one leg with a hand on a wall and run the pattern in place, knee up, shin out, foot pulled down underneath you, one side at a time. Reaching only halfway keeps the hamstring tension low while the timing is learned. Harder: add the hop and you have the B-skip, quicken the cycle toward running speed, or alternate one A-march step with one B-march step so the two patterns sit side by side. A bigger reach on legs that have done nothing yet is not a progression.
What does the B-march train, and who should leave it alone for now?
It trains the switch from reaching forward to pulling back: the moment the hamstring slows the shin down and then drives the foot into the ground, which is how force gets applied at speed. Sprinters, hurdlers, and field-sport athletes rehearse that timing here slowly. It is the wrong drill while your A-march still sinks at the hips, and the wrong one to meet for the first time on a hard training day. Anyone with a recent hamstring strain should wait until fast running feels comfortable again.

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