Sprint, or fast run over a short distance, can be enjoyable. However, being a good runner doesn't just mean moving your feet quickly and making lightning-fast leaps forward. To become a good sprinter, you need to take care of yourself and exercise regularly. You will need to learn how to use your energy correctly and keep your body in great shape. The combination of these three factors will help you reach speeds you never dreamed of before.
Steps
Training mode
- Monday (speed work): run ten times 80 meters (that is, run 80 meters 10 times, resting 2 minutes between runs), run six times 70 meters, run four times 60 meters, run three times 20 meters and once 100 meters.
- Tuesday (strength day): go to the gym and work out all the muscles. Try to put stress on all muscles - they will all be useful to you in running, especially in sprinting.
- Wednesday (work on speed and endurance): Run four times 300 meters. It is important to give your all to these exercises. They strengthen your heart, so you can run much faster.
- Thursday (work on speed not at full strength): run five times 200 meters, three times 100 meters, two times 50 meters.
- Friday (strength day): Go to the gym and increase the load. When you feel that you know how to use the exercise equipment, increase the load. When the body gets used to certain actions, it copes with them more effectively, that is, the person has to make less effort, and a plateau sets in - a stage when there is no visible progress. To prevent this, make your workouts as varied as possible.
- Don't forget to warm up before each workout and cool down after it.
- Relax on the weekend. Your muscles need time to rest and recover.
- When you take a big step, you lose your body composure. One leg protrudes forward and acts as a brake for the entire body. You then need to transfer your body weight to your foot, which results in a springy motion that slows down your speed.
- If you take normal sized steps, you will tire more slowly.
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Lean forward slightly. Just two degrees of lean can separate you from a stellar sprint performance.
- This doesn't mean you have to put all your weight forward and try not to fall. It will be enough to lean slightly to be able to move faster without losing your balance.
- It is also important not to lean back. When approaching the finish line or looking back at your opponents, you can lean back slightly or look up, which will change the position of your body. It will also slow you down. It's better to look back when you reach the finish line.
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Use your hands. The arms can push forward if you know how to move them correctly. They should work together with your legs, and this will allow you to run faster.
- Bend your knees at an angle of 90 degrees. Relaxed fists should reach the chin and return back at the expense of the elbows.
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Run to the limit of your capabilities. Never brake during a sprint. If you're traveling less than your maximum speed, you're wasting valuable time. If you feel like you need to slow down, brace yourself and fight the thought. If this doesn't work, reduce the initial speed. You should reach the finish line with greater speed.
- If you're competing, a slow start can be a psychological reason to speed up. Runners who start out fast and tire quickly sometimes think they have already won and don't expect to be passed by someone who was at the back first.
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Eat well. It is very important to follow the recommendations of nutritionists - it will be useful. However, athletes have special nutritional needs.
Drink plenty of fluids. You will lose fluid through sweat, so you will need to drink more to stay hydrated. If you train in the sun, the importance of water increases.
- You should drink half a liter of water for every 500 grams of weight you lose during training. Weigh yourself before and after your workout and you will know how much water you should drink. For example, a football player can become 2.5 kilograms lighter per workout just due to fluid loss.
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Work out at the gym regularly. Competent training using strength training equipment correct breathing can increase your speed, so you should go to the gym at least twice a week.
- Strength training that pushes you to your limits (but allows your muscles to hold up and not shake) will prepare your muscles for running, increasing their size and endurance.
- All gyms are different, and the exercise equipment is different everywhere. Look for machines that will help you work your legs.
- Don't overexert yourself as this can lead to injury. Increase the weight of the weights gradually.
- If you're not sure you're ready for strength training equipment in the gym, start practicing at home.
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Work on your leg muscles. Of course, it is the leg muscles that will help you develop greater speed. Find a machine that will allow you to work all muscle groups in your legs. Do a variety of exercises: squat jumps, lift weights using your leg muscles. There are many exercises with dumbbells that will strengthen your legs:
Work your abdominal muscles . Strengthening your abdominal muscles will take time, but strong core muscles will make training easier so you can succeed. In addition, a developed muscle corset will help you avoid injuries.
Work your shoulders. It is also important for a sprinter to have strong shoulders. They help you run by allowing you to gain speed faster and have better control of your body position. If your gym has a shoulder or bench press machine, use it.
- The bench press will strengthen your chest muscles, which is also important.
- Be careful when working your shoulder and neck muscles. An injury to these areas can cause a lot of pain and can stop your workouts as you need time to recover.
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How to improve the result
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Buy suitable clothes and shoes. If you just want to run a little faster, it's not worth spending huge amounts of money on running clothes and shoes, but it will be useful if you're competing (and aiming to break a world record).
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Start with a warm-up . Before running, you need to warm up. To do this, they usually use a combination of light running and dynamic exercises stretching, and then you can move on to sprint exercises.
Do some exercises. Once your muscles are warm and flexible, do a few exercises to prepare your heart and body for serious exercise. You can do running exercises (first you just need to run quickly, and then accelerate to sprint speed). There are other exercises that are suitable for sprinters:
Create a training plan that's right for you. There is no perfect plan that will suit everyone, as each person has different needs and a different schedule. However, ideally you should set aside at least three days a week for speed work and at least two more days for strength training. Below we provide an example of a training schedule:
Working on technology
Try running on your toes. Although there is no clear evidence to support the effectiveness of this method, many believe that tiptoe running helps you move faster. The less time your foot is on the ground, the better.
Take more frequent steps. It may seem like taking longer steps means running faster, but that's not true because you can't move forward while your feet are in the air. Short steps will allow you to develop greater speed (with proper technique).
You know it's true, either you move forward to success or you fall back, losing ground. There is no such thing as “standing still.” In addition, to maintain interest you need to push (not punish!) yourself. And if you want to lose weight, you need to maintain these intensity levels to continue losing weight.
Beginner Runners
If you're still relatively new to running, a little patience won't hurt. Before you can start running fast, you need to learn how to run long distances. It is important to give yourself time to strengthen your leg muscles and connective tissue, which will prepare your body to withstand more intense and advanced workouts. Your main goal as a runner is to run regularly and without injury. If you start too hard or too early, you risk falling back due to injury. And if you drop out of the game at the very beginning of your running practice, there is a high risk that you will not run anymore at all. So, it’s better to move forward slowly but surely, with each step you become better and stronger. If you try to achieve your goal quickly, it will most likely take you longer than if you approached the matter calmly and with patience.
Just because you're not yet ready to accelerate your progress with advanced training techniques doesn't mean you can't start racing. In fact, participating in races such as 5K is a great way to gain experience without any pressure. Not only will you learn about organized and competitive running, but you will also gain insight into your running pace and experience the joy and spirit of running.
There are several tips that can help runners of all levels run without straining their bodies, and vice versa.
How to Run Faster: Tips for Everyone
1. Focus on body position
Taking the time to learn proper running position is an investment you won't regret. Running with the correct posture not only reduces the risk of injury, but also pays off when we're talking about about speed. If you run more efficiently and economically, you have more energy to run faster. The easiest way to correct many errors in body position is to “run straight” and relax. This instantly relieves a number of common running problems. For more information about this, read how to run correctly.
2. Losing weight
Again, super simple. The less you weigh, the less weight you have to carry, the faster you can run. This applies to any weight - be it a bicycle wheel or a heavy tractor wheel. If you want to lose weight, then this additional incentive! Research shows that for every pound of weight lost, a runner speeds up an average of 2 seconds per mile. If you lose 10 pounds, you can run a mile 20 seconds faster. For the 5K, that's 1 minute faster, and for the marathon it's almost 9 minutes faster.
3. Rest and Recovery
Running every day will not make you faster. Rest is just as important as running. Therefore, rest days are necessary for the body to repair and restore muscles, strengthen tendons and ligaments. So by skipping days off, which are vital for recovery and injury prevention, you're less likely to see the speed improvements you're looking for. Conclusion? You should not run for more than 2-3 days without a break.
4. Get stronger
Running is primarily a cardiovascular exercise. However, if you want to run well, and run fast, then running requires strength. Not the same strength as a terminator, but like, for example, a karateka - discreet, distributed throughout the body, stabilizing, allowing him to balance on one leg, we are talking about this kind of strength. Ultimately, your strength is determined by your weakest link.
Your center is one area that is often neglected by runners; a weak center is associated with injuries and poor running efficiency. On the other hand, a strong and stable center means your pelvis is more likely to be aligned correctly, you have a firmer foot on the ground and are less prone to injury, and you run more economically. Simply put, your body is zen. This is not fighting the road. It is strong, aligned, centered. Final result? You run smoother, faster and bonus - you get abs!
Then, the legs. Research shows that regular power training can significantly improve how efficiently the body uses oxygen. Basically, strong legs, this means less energy consumption, improved speed, muscular endurance and, of course, strength, as well as a reduced risk of injury.
5. Breathing
You might have thought that it was easy since you would have been doing this for a while, but as you may have noticed, it is not as easy as you may have liked. Yes, you've known how to breathe since you were born, but you've also, in all likelihood, lost some skills since then.
The truth is, many runners experience breathing problems, which not only affects performance but also motivation. So, in addition to training your heart and legs, you need to train your lungs as well. After all, the heart can only pump as much oxygen to your legs as you can inhale, regardless of its strength or efficiency.
As you can see, strong respiratory system can have a huge impact on your running. The better you breathe, the more oxygen reaches your legs, which means better endurance and faster speed. Research from Brunel University in England backs this up, showing that runners who breathed harder also had the weakest leg muscles.
So the question becomes: what is the best way to breathe? The answer is quite simple, breathe fully. Most of us breathe through chest breathing, inhaling small, short sips of air without making full use of our lungs. And we have been breathing this way for most of our lives, which means it has become a habit that is difficult to break. Abdominal breathing is the more correct way. This is how we should naturally breathe from birth.
Take an example from the pros in this matter: babies. Look at any baby and you will see how his tummy expands and contracts, how air moves in and out of his body. Here's how it's done. When you breathe with your stomach, you should inflate it like balloon, in contrast to chest breathing, in which the shoulders rise and fall.
To practice, place one hand on your stomach and one on your chest. Start with slow, deep breaths, breathing from your belly. Feel the difference. Belly breathing allows you to use more alveoli in your lungs, taking in more oxygen, which supplies your muscles with oxygen and relieves fatigue. Pilates can help a little in this matter, because... it will increase flexibility, strengthen your core, and improve your breathing—key things for any runner.
6. Small, quick steps
Run faster using quick, short and easy steps. Beginning runners tend to take shorter, longer strides, which means you'll spend more time in the air, lifting your body a little higher. Raising the body this way requires additional strength, and landing the legs on the ground is also more difficult. Smaller steps will help you land more easily in the middle of your feet and lift your feet off the ground more easily. Imagine walking into a field of raw eggs or hot coals. Light, quick, small steps can help increase your pace and also reduce your risk of injury.
How to Run Faster: Advanced Techniques
If you can run 8-10 kilometers continuously, and regularly run 30-40 kilometers per week, then perhaps you need additional speed. Some experts recommend waiting until you have a year of running under your belt before you start adding speed training.
Running further will simply increase your endurance, but this is not enough to help you run faster. The best way to run faster is to use a range of different running techniques that not only help you increase your running pace, but also improve your endurance.
7. Running uphill
What it is? Running does not require a full range of motion or effort, especially when running on a plane. To get involved in work more muscles and increase your range of motion, include uphill running in your workout. The name speaks for itself. Hill running means running on an incline. Simply increase the incline on the treadmill, or if you're running outside, find a hill or higher area.
How does this improve running, what does it give? It would probably be easier to list what it does not provide. Running uphill forces your muscles to contract harder than running flat, strengthens your leg muscles, and improves your cardiovascular fitness, making you a more powerful and powerful runner. Other benefits include: faster stride, longer stride length and more economical running. What's even more amazing is how quickly it all starts working; In just 6 short weeks you can expect significant improvements in speed and power. You will find running on a plane much easier.
8. Speed training
What it is? Another fast-paced workout, speed training involves running at a difficult but manageable level. At a level outside your comfort zone, you find it difficult to breathe, and then you gasp for air. Speed training is “comfortably challenging,” where you run fast, but not too fast. If you can speak easily, or cannot speak at all, then you are not in the speed zone. When you reach the required speed zone, you are able to speak, but not in full sentences.
How does it improve your running? Speed running, probably - The best way increasing speed. Speed running increases your lactic acid threshold (the body will take longer to create lactic acid - lactic acid causes fatigue), which allows you to run faster.
9. Interval training
What it is? Interval training consists of alternating intense but short periods (usually a few seconds to 2 minutes) of running at speed, followed by slightly longer recovery periods during which you walk or jog.
How does it improve your running? Interval training is a great way to improve of cardio-vascular system and strengthening endurance.
10. Fartlek
What it is? Fartlek, Swedish for "speed play," is a fun workout that's similar to interval training in that it also alternates between intense intervals and recovery intervals. However, unlike interval training Fartlek has no structure or pre-set plan. A fartlek can consist of a goal of running to a tree, phone booth, or lamp post at a distance you are ready for and at a pace you are ready for, followed by a run to relax. This is especially fun to do in groups where one person takes on the role of leader and sets the rhythm/intervals, after which the next person in the group becomes the leader. It's unpredictable and fun, with no planning or timing.
How does it improve your running? This can help make you run faster and improve your endurance.
Speed training is tiring, so you should alternate a speed day with one or two days of easy running (or rest). This will allow you to gain speed while reducing the risk of injury. Start with one speed workout per week. As you progress, you can add a second intense workout. Never do more than two speed sessions per week.
A still from the film North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock.
You won't get anywhere with a light jog. If you want to get in great shape, you have to run fast and even faster. And he will tell you how to achieve this Main coach Nike Run Club and British Athletics endurance coach David Harmer. If you want to learn even more about running, read all the materials on our running website.
1. Think carefully
If you give it your all, break it short distances in your mind into three parts and concentrate on each in turn. In the first part you are still fresh, but in the last part you are almost there. Use your willpower to cope with muscle pain in the second part, which is fundamentally important for victory.
2. Strengthen your balance
The fastest way to great running shape isn't through difficult posture changes, but in the gym. Learn to do 10 squats on each leg with one weight, and you can run faster without any problems.
3. Run on an empty stomach
The faster you run, the less food you should have hanging around in your stomach. Don't eat anything at least an hour before training, this will make it easier for you to run and have enough energy until the finish line.
4. Pull iron
Some runners worry that heavy weights can lead to a decrease in speed, but if you do the exercises at an explosive pace, you can increase your running speed. Combine barbell squats and jumping jacks, and the results in your jogging will follow. Your muscles will ache, but your speed will increase.
5. Change your shoes
You need light shoes, e.g. running shoes. If they are of high quality, they absorb less energy and are easier to maintain speed with.
6. The main thing is warmth
Forget about sweat-wicking materials and compression suits. Running shorts and high socks are enough to keep your muscles warm. This reduces the risk of injury and looks good. But this does not mean that if it is -2 degrees outside, then you need to run in socks and shorts. We are talking about the warm season, which is coming very soon. In the meantime, run in the gym!
7. Build stamina
If you want to run a faster 5K, you need to work on your endurance. Start with short sessions of 10 repetitions of 100m with a 90-second rest, and then gradually increase the distance until you can run 300m at the same pace.
8. Reboot
If a steep hill takes your breath away, it will be difficult to get back into rhythm. Try taking three medium breaths and then a long exhale. This will empty your lungs and allow you to regain your breathing rhythm.
Before starting the main cross-training, you need to let the body prepare, that is, carry out. Its essence is that you will need to run several kilometers at a lower speed than during the main workout.
It is also effective to use variable and tempo cross. Variable cross involves using different speeds. That is, sharp acceleration in running alternates with deceleration and so on. During tempo cross-country, you need to move as fast as in competition. As a rule, the second half of the distance is run with even greater acceleration than the first.
At first, 3 classes per week will be enough. After you feel that you have enough time to do it, you can move on to lesson 5.
Choosing Quality Shoes for Speed Running
In sports, shoes must be selected very carefully, since your choice may determine your safety and success in achieving your goals. The sole of sports shoes should be soft have relief elements that will prevent slipping on the surface.
At the same time, often designers of well-known manufacturers of sports shoes, thinking about how to speed up running, are not guided by these rules, inventing various sophisticated models, making a bias in favor of marketing rather than safety.
Video. Acceleration. Working to develop speed
Is running speed a genetic phenomenon or a skill acquired over years of hard training? We are talking about techniques and exercises that develop speed performance.
I have come to the conclusion that speed is hereditary. Some people are born to run as fast as a cheetah. Genetics? Most likely, and although some genetic inclination, talent or potential is hidden in each of us, many need years of hard training to develop speed in order to become the owner of the elusive lightness and explosive power of the legs.
There are coaches who feel that they will not be able to improve the speed performance of this or that athlete, no matter how hard they try. To some extent this is true. If you run 35 meters in 5.4 seconds, chances are you'll never get down to 4.5.
However, it is quite possible to lose four tenths, and in some cases even an impressive five tenths of a second. And this will be a giant breakthrough. But to do this, speed exercises must become an integral part of your daily training.
Developing speed is an ongoing process that requires tremendous effort, dedication and iron discipline.
If you want to get faster, you must do speed exercises day after day, week after week, month after month.
You will get faster, but you have to put in your best effort. Most of us don't have great talent, but hard work beats talent. Athletes who are able to grow wings of speed through hard work and dedication outperform their competitors. And to win, you need speed.
How to increase your running speed?
There are two simple ways to improve your speed. The first is to improve running biomechanics. Most people run around like they're drunk, with their arms dangling in all directions and their legs shaking the ground like a 300 kg hippopotamus running. If you improve your running technique, you will increase your speed.
The second way to increase speed is to make your legs stronger. Yes everything is correct. Build up your leg muscles by lifting iron. The more force you push off the ground, the faster your legs will run. Believe me, it works. If you squat and pump your hamstrings, you will develop leg strength, which translates into speed.
How do I know this? From personal experience, Certainly. At a powerlifting competition I received serious injury legs (tore all four quadriceps bundles and damaged kneecap). After about six months I was able to return to . The strength increased very slowly.
During this period, I coached a young guy who was preparing for his first season of college football. We had a race to see who was faster. We measured a distance of 35 meters and gave the start. I ran in 5.1 seconds with a body weight of 122 kg. Good result, although I didn't run at all, just did stretching and heavy squats!
If I had worked on my running technique, stride length and cadence, I could probably cut four tenths off my time and run 35 meters in 4.8. And, by the way, I was ahead of that guy by two tenths of a second!
Mass times acceleration equals force, right? How many times have you seen a game where one team completely dominates for three quarters, and then the team that everyone has already buried suddenly turns the game around and rolls the opponent into the turf?
This happens often, doesn't it? It doesn't matter how strong and big the athletes are on your team; You'll definitely fail if you don't know how to use your speed.
You won't be able to reach your full speed potential by just running sprints or working on leg strength in the gym. To develop maximum speed, you must do both, and even in combination with exercises to develop running technique.
Exercises and techniques for developing speed
Running technique
Running speed is the result of stride length multiplied by stride frequency. By increasing the length of your steps and their frequency, you will increase your speed. Step frequency is the number of steps you take per second. Step length is the distance you cover with one step. A good technique for developing these skills is to run up and down a slope for 20-40 meters. Instead, running up the steps at the stadium will do.
Swing your arms
Proper hand movements improve sprinting technique much more effectively than any other technique. Swinging your arms is a mirror image of the movements of the lower body. If your arms don't move properly, you'll also have problems moving your legs. Keep your elbows at a 90-degree angle because if the angle is higher, your stride frequency will decrease and this will affect your running speed.
Hand swings should be performed in the direction of the mouth. It's like eating an ice cream cone. This will help maintain the correct angle at your elbows. In the backswing, guide your arms so that they rise above your shoulders. This will make your legs work harder too. Bend slightly at the waist, keep your back straight and your torso relaxed.
Hill or steps
These techniques develop explosive starting speed and increase stride length. Concentrate on pushing off with your back leg, fully extending it at the ankle, knee and hip joint. Keep your arms at a 90-degree angle and make precise swinging movements as described in the arm exercise above.
Run about 30-40 steps up, then go down to the bottom of the rise and repeat the run. The exercise can be done on a hill instead of the stadium stairs. Find a small climb 50-100 meters long with a gradient of 15 to 20 degrees.
In general, hill sprints are better than their stadium counterparts because you jog downhill, which helps increase your stride length. Never sprint downhill, go down slowly, and don't overextend your leg movements. Turn around and run up the slope when you reach the bottom.
Running speed is an integral element of any sports competition. Before any training to develop speed performance, perform warm-up exercises. Warm-up may consist of jogging or a couple of laps around the stadium. Also include a 10 meter high hip sprint, a 10 meter back sprint and a couple of 100 meter sprints.
After completing your warm-up, stretch your quadriceps and muscles back surface thighs, legs and torso. All of these exercises can also be done during or after your workout.
How often to train?
Perform the exercises listed above three times a week for two months, and then increase the number of sprint workouts to five per week. If you can train with a partner, try this simple, quick and inexpensive method to increase your leg speed. Have you ever seen in a magazine or TV commercial how an athlete runs with a parachute on his back?
If you can afford a parachute, I recommend purchasing one, as it is a great tool for developing speed. But if you, like me, can't afford to shell out for a parachute, go to a bike shop and pick up a couple of old bike tires.
Put the tire on your belt, have a partner grab the tube from behind, and then lean slightly and pull forward, swinging your arms and walking with your knees high at a set distance. Once you feel comfortable with this movement, begin doing full sprints with a weight attached to you.
Rugby, football - games in which everything is constantly in motion, and fast players by default have a solid advantage. A player with good speed is always first on the ball, and therefore he is the one who controls the game. Speed development should be taken seriously by all players, not just forwards. Use these tricks to run faster. It is not so difficult.
