The last thing anyone wants to do after a tough run is 100 air squats – but there could be some crucial performance benefits you’re not taking advantage of. After hearing three-times Hyrox World Champion Hunter McIntyre advocate for the brutal finisher to his sessions, runner and author Benjamin Williams (@boltinben) decided to put the theory to the test.
McIntyre has previously claimed that completing 100 air squats at the end of all of his runs has helped him to build stronger legs overall, enhancing both endurance and explosive power, while also improving recovery in the long-term. The benefits aren’t just physical, either, with McIntyre suggesting it helps to build mental toughness for difficult moments during races and events.
‘I heard Hunter McIntyre talking about the benefits of doing 100 air squats after every run – building leg endurance, explosive power, and a bit of mental toughness. Figured I’d give it a crack,’ Williams said.
Over the course of the past two months, Williams has ended his runs pushing through the pain barrier to further simulate that tired-leg feeling. He noted that his legs felt more solid, his lifts in the gym improved, and he is able to recover a lot better from harder efforts. ‘Legs are stronger, not just faster,’ he wrote. ‘My body’s adapting, not breaking. Less DOMS [delayed onset muscle soreness], more go.’
He added: ‘It’s a mental grind too. Knocking out 100 squats when you’re already tired teaches you to push through – a huge win when you’re deep in a run and your legs are screaming to stop.’
Rather than jumping straight into an unbroken set of a century of squats, Williams suggests starting off with 3 sets of 20-30 air squats after each run, before gradually building up. Controlling the reps and achieving a full range of motion is crucial to obtain the full benefits from the exercise, while it’s also important to complete them immediately after the end of a run.
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Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_