Figure Eight — Backward: A Complete Guide
Quick Intro
Figure Eight — Backward is a backward running drill performed by tracing the Figure Eight Cone Run’s figure-eight loop around two cones while moving backward around both, combining a backward stride with continuous directional change rather than the standard version’s forward run. It’s dosed by attempts through the full loop, and it is a significant coordination jump from the forward figure eight, not just a direction reversal.
Equipment Needed
Figure Eight — Backward needs two Training Cones, set out in the same figure-eight layout the standard drill uses.
Why Figure Eight — Backward Matters
Tracing the continuous curved loop backward calls on the outer hip (gluteus medius) and the side of the waist (obliques) to control the body through a constant, unbroken direction change, while the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris and semitendinosus) drives the backward stride itself. The glutes (gluteus maximus) control the hips through the low, continuous curve. The front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) keeps the knees bent under the leaning body. The muscles along the spine (erector spinae) keep the trunk upright through the repeated shoulder checks, and the calf (gastrocnemius) and deeper calf muscle (soleus) manage the backward ground contacts through the unbroken loop. The hip flexors (iliopsoas) cycle the legs in reverse, and the shin (tibialis anterior) keeps the feet responsive without a forward view of the curve. Agility is the main demand, as in the standard figure eight, with coordination and balance both higher than in the forward run.
When to Do It
This version fits best once the standard Figure Eight Cone Run loop already feels smooth and continuous moving forward, since tracing the same curve backward asks for a coordination jump on top of a pattern that’s already learned. It also works well as a test of body awareness within one continuous, unbroken curve, a demand the straight-line cone drills don’t share.
Anyone with a current ankle or knee issue should approach this carefully, since maintaining a continuous curve while moving backward removes the visual feedback that normally helps time each turn.
Getting Ready
A few minutes of easy jogging followed by a slow, controlled backward pass around one loop of the figure eight rehearses the specific coordination demand this version depends on. A slow walkthrough of the full loop, checking briefly over the shoulder at each transition, previews the rhythm before pace is added.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. The setup. Stand near the center point between the two cones, facing away from the first loop, ready to backpedal.
2. The first loop. Backpedal around the first cone in a continuous curve, checking briefly over the shoulder to track the path.
3. The crossover. Transition through the center point into the second loop without breaking the continuous curve.
4. The finish. Complete the second loop around the far cone to finish one full figure eight.
How Many, How Often
Figure Eight — Backward is dosed by attempts through the full loop, with full rest between them.
| Level | Where you’re at | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | New to tracing the loop backward | 2 to 3 attempts at a controlled pace, checking over the shoulder through both loops to confirm the curve’s shape. |
| Intermediate | The backward curve feels stable and continuous | 3 to 4 attempts at a faster pace, keeping the curve smooth through the center crossover. |
| Advanced | Ready to test full speed moving backward | 4 to 5 attempts at full effort, resting fully between each. |
Keeping the curve continuous through the center crossover matters more here than raw backward speed, since breaking the loop into separate, disconnected turns undoes the coordination demand this version is built around.
Modifications and Variations
Figure Eight — Backward has one direct relative: the standard forward loop.
For an easier entry point, Figure Eight Cone Run traces the identical loop facing forward, removing the added coordination demand of moving backward through a continuous curve.
Progression path: the forward loop gets the continuous curve learned first; this backward version then adds a coordination jump on top of that same curve.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Breaking the curve into two separate, disconnected turns. Stopping or pausing at the center crossover instead of flowing through it turns a continuous loop into two isolated backward cuts, missing the coordination demand this version exists to train. Keeping the path smooth through the crossover is what separates a true figure eight from two disconnected turns.
Standing too tall while backpedaling through the curve. A high, upright backward stride reacts too slowly to the continuous direction change a curve demands. Staying low throughout keeps the body ready to adjust the loop’s shape as it happens.
Skipping the shoulder check through the crossover specifically. The center crossover is exactly where a missed check is most likely to send the loop off its intended shape. A brief, deliberate look at that specific point keeps the whole figure eight accurate.
After Your Set
The backward stride through a continuous curve loads the hamstrings and lower back differently than the standard forward loop does. Set one heel on the ground with the leg straight and hinge forward from the hips to open the back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris and semitendinosus), which did most of the driving on the backward stride. Reaching one arm overhead and leaning the torso away eases the muscles along the spine (erector spinae), held upright through every shoulder check.
Going Deeper
The underlying curve stays exactly the same shape as the forward version; what’s gone is the sight of it forming, and that loss alone accounts for the coordination jump this version represents. Effortless as the curve feels moving forward, shaping it blind is a wholly separate skill, worth deliberate practice on its own.
Someone new to this version typically needs several attempts before the crossover stops feeling like two separate turns and starts feeling like one continuous shape, since that shift is the skill being built here, not backward speed on its own.
How to Know You’re Improving
- The center crossover flows as one single continuous motion
- The shoulder check happens briefly and automatically at both the crossover and each loop
- The loop’s shape stays consistent between the first and second half
- A full attempt at pace can be completed without the curve breaking into disconnected turns
A continuous, unbroken curve through the whole figure eight, not just backward speed, is what marks progress here.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, pushing the body backward around a continuous loop)
- Rectus Femoris (a front thigh muscle that crosses both the hip and knee, carrying a leaning body through a reversed curve)
- Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, reaching the foot back along a bending path)
- Gastrocnemius (a calf muscle, keeping the toes loaded through curving backward travel)
- Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, measuring each backward step on an arc)
- Semitendinosus (the inner hamstring, controlling the knee as the body banks in reverse)
- Soleus (a deeper calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius, steadying a tilted ankle with no view of the ground)
- Tibialis Anterior (a muscle along the front of the shin, keeping the forefoot down on an angled backward contact)
- Gluteus Medius (a smaller glute muscle at the side of the hip, resisting the outward pull of a backward curve, switching to the other side as the eight changes direction)
- Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, keeping the torso stacked against the reverse lean)
- Obliques (the muscles along the sides of the waist, rolling the trunk the other way at the crossover)
FAQ
Is this just the forward drill run in reverse? Not quite. Tracing a continuous curve without a forward view of it demands more coordinated body control than simply moving in reverse (see Quick Intro above).
What’s the difference between this and Cone Slalom — Backward? This version traces one continuous curved loop around two cones, while Cone Slalom — Backward weaves through a straight line of discrete cones, a different shape even though both reverse the direction of travel.
Why is balance such a large part of this drill? Maintaining a continuous curve without sight of it challenges balance at least as much as it challenges coordinated movement, and both matter more here than in the forward version (see Why It Matters above).
Is this harder than Figure Eight — Wide Cones? Yes, considerably. Figure Eight — Wide Cones opens the spacing to make the forward curve gentler, while this version keeps the standard spacing and reverses the direction of travel.
A harder variation of Figure Eight Cone Run, alongside Figure Eight — Wide Cones and Figure Eight — Tight Cones.