How To Run Faster

Sprinting fast is much more than just putting on a pair of sprinting spikes and heading out to the track while moving as fast as possible. Being able to run fast times requires a combination of relaxation, arm swing and leg action. All Olympic sprint champions have mastered the major objectives to a level of perfection. As a beginning sprinter you should seek perfection in every aspect of your sprinting mechanics so your body can move more efficiently.

The most important part of sprinting that you should focus on is practicing to remain relaxed while sprinting. Your sprinting movements should be fluid with no jerky action. You will often find the slowest sprinters on the track are the ones that often tense up during their races. Your eyes should be focused straight ahead at the finish line and not be focused on your competitors. Your jaw should slack a little to prevent your neck from tensing up while you are trying to accelerate your body quickly. And remember to breathe while sprinting, this will help keep your body relaxed and free from oxygen starvation.

While maintaining your total body relaxation while sprinting, just make sure that your arms are moving through their proper movements. Your hands should not come up higher than your chin level during the front swing and during the back swing you should cue your hands to place an object in your back pocket. Moving your arms to the proper position during the back swing allows your hips to rotate easily and it also allows your legs to open up your stride length.

An open stride length should be your important focus while moving your legs down the track. In order to keep your stride length open and fluid you should focus on your feet stepping over the opposite knee during the leg cycle

If you want to run record-breaking times you have to learn how to get your technique down to perfection. One thing that can really make dramatic changes in your performance is learning the proper arm swing mechanics.

A lot of people do not use their arms very much while they are sprinting. This is a very common mistake and it is the reason why a lot of people never reach their true potential. Sprinting is a total body effort of all your movements and limbs working together at the right time.

You arms help dictate your stride frequency, your stride length and how efficient your stride is. You can see now that your arms are very important when it comes to sprinting. Faster moving arms will result in faster moving legs. A powerful arm action will also result in a powerful leg action while sprinting. If your arms are moving in an incorrect angle just realize that your legs will do the same.

So let’s start off with the correct angles of your arm swing. When your hand moves forward it should come up to shoulder level height. Your hands should not be too high because it will lead to wasted energy and motion. And when your hand is traveling backwards it should be positioned near your hip pocket. This will allow you to make the most out of your stride by allowing your hips to rotate fully. During your arm swing you should focus on a backwards pumping action. If you perform your arm swing correctly you will find out that your arm will naturally snap to the front by itself.

Have you always been curious about improving your technique? Have you been running horrible times lately and also coming in dead last? Here are four easy drills to apply to help you improve your sprinting technique so that you can start winning races again.

Butt Kicks

This drill has been around for ages and all this helps you to do is to perfect your backside mechanics. The speed you should perform this drill should be almost as fast as a job. Try to focus on kicking your heel towards the bottom of your but while staying on the balls of your feet. The only contact your heel will make is to your rear.

High Knees

Performing high knees correctly will allow you to open your stride up and keep your legs working efficiently. While performing this drill you should focus on bringing your knee up to your hip level while stepping over the opposite ankle.

Sled Run

This drill keeps you from popping up too soon while you are coming out the blocks in a race. The only equipment you will need for this drill is a tire and a safe rope to wrap around your waist. Simply start this as if you are coming out of the blocks and take off. You should focus on staying low while gradually coming up.

Arm Swing

The goal of this is to reinforce the proper arm swing technique. The major focus of your arm swing should be in a backwards direction. Focus on swinging your hands backwards in a straight line towards your hip pocket. The backwards movement will cause the natural reflex action of your arms to pop up to shoulder level in the front.

The biggest fear that most sprinters face is peaking too early in the beginning of the season. They often start off the season by running some quick times and towards the end of the season the start running slower times. This is a major concern for any major sprinter because peaking too early will only leave you disappointed in the end of the season. So here are the guidelines that will help you peak at the right time of the season.

Sprinting Training Phase 1

The first phase of your sprint training program is known as the conditioning phase. During the conditioning phase you should be focused on conditioning your body and incorporating drills to help you develop proper sprinting technique. During this time you should also be focused on improving your stride length and stride frequency with the proper drills. Performing plyometrics during this phase also helps establish a good base and better elasticity in your muscles. The elasticity in your muscles will allow you to run some fast times.

Sprinting Training Phase 2

The next phase of your sprint training program is the early season phase. The training intensity levels during this phase should be very gradual. During this time your sprint training program should consist of speed training and speed endurance training. Your speed training should consist of runs from 20m to 50m to develop your pure maximum speed. Your speed endurance training should consist of runs from 150m to 350 m. Establishing a good speed training base will allow you to run fast times towards the end of the season.

Sprinting Training Phase 3

The final phase of sprint training program is known as the championship phase. During this time your sprint training should be toned down a bit. You should be focusing more on your sprinting technique and the proper mechanics so you can run some fast times. Try to focus on getting plenty of rest because your body is at its peak at this point and you do not want to start getting injuries.

As a sprinter you have to incorporate the proper sprint training drills if you want to continue to get faster each and every single year. There are sprinters that seem to peak early in their careers and they cannot seem to improve upon their performance. The reason why is because they are not utilizing the proper sprint training regimen. Here are the three important things you should focus on in your sprint training program if you want to achieve continued success.

Plyometrics

Plyometrics should be the core of your sprinting training program. Plyometrics brings out the elasticity in your muscles which allow you to run faster. Performing plyometrics also triggers the fast twitch muscle fibers in your body. Some people are born with plenty of fast twitch fibers in their body but you can always improve upon this through the use of plyometrics and bounding activities.

Weight training

When it comes to weight training you should not be focusing on building muscle in the gym. The focus should be mainly on improving your power. Your weight training should consist of Olympic lifts such as and the clean and jerk. Your motion throughout the lift should be quick and powerful.

Speed training

Speed training is probably the most important aspect of your spring training program. Your speed training should consist of 30m to 60m sprints. You should not go over this distance because we are trying to focus on pure speed. And you should also be resting at least 5 to 8 minutes between each run. You should not be tired at all at the end of your session either. Staying well rested between each run will allow you to train the majority of your fast twitch muscle fibers.

Most sprinters nowadays obviously want to know how to run faster times on the track. And in order to run even faster times on the track you should always be training for speed. Speed should be the primary focus in all your training programs. There are many theories when it comes to speed training. Most believe that you should focus on running 100 meter 200 meter dashes in practice and others believe you should focus on even shorter distances.

I personally believe that you should focus on 30 meter to 60 meter dashes in practice when training for speed. During these distances you would experience less fatigue in your legs. Remember this is a running speed training program not a speed endurance activity.

It is also important to make sure that you use blocks as well when training for speed. When you simulate race like environments things will come natural to you when the competition is hot.

An example of a good speed training program in to run about 10 thirty meter sprints on Mondays and Fridays. And then run about 5 sixty meter sprints on Wednesdays. Try to give yourself plenty of rest during these runs so that you do not sacrifice your sprinting mechanics. You should try to maintain proper sprinting mechanics during your speed training sessions.

You should never ever sacrifice quality for quantity when training for speed.

Another thing you can add to improve your raw speed is to add weights as well. In the weight room you should focus on high weight and low reps so that you can improve your raw power for these short distance. You should also try and maintain proper form throughout as well. The last thing you need is an injury in the weight room that will hold you back from running in competition.

And when moving a ton of weight in the weight room it is important to have a spotter as well. A spotter will help you move the weight off the racks and also keep the weights from falling on top of you. The scariest thing that you can face is to have over 200 pounds of weights fall on you.

So just remember to follow the important key points below in order to have a successful speed training program:

1. Never sacrifice quality for quantity whether you are on the track or in the weight room.

2. Keep the distances short while sprinting from about 30 meters to 60 meters.

3. Give yourself proper rest between each run. Try and give yourself at least 10 to 15 minutes of rest between each run.

4. Focus on heavy weight but low reps so that you can transfer the raw power that you gained on the track.

Hopefully these how to run faster tips are very helpful to you so that you can begin sprinting faster times on the track.

Are you curious as to why some people are just more successful at sprinting than others? Do you know what it takes to achieve the high level of performance that Olympic medalists have achieved? Well here are the two ingredients needed to achieve a high level of success in sprinting.

Persistence

Not everybody is born with natural raw talent to compete with the best in the world at the Olympic level. Most people get to that high level of performance by training religiously and sticking to their game plan. Some sprinters out there even take losing very badly. You should look at it as an opportunity to push yourself harder next time you are at practice. Sometimes you have to lose 1,000 times before you learn to become a champion. So just stick it out no matter what because in the end you’ll always come out on top.

Hard Work

A famous sprinter once said that if you want to be number one, you’ve got to train like your number two. You need that determination and drive to push yourself harder every time you are at track practice. People that are used to winning often don’t take their track practices seriously and with time other people start catching up to them and even start beating them at their specialty events. This is why you have to continually strive to push yourself to your limits every day on the track and also try to make sure no one works harder than you that day.

Many sprinters out there would like to improve their sprinting times but they seem to have a hard time sprinting faster because they are lacking something in their training program. You only do you need hard work to improve your sprinting times, you need to work smart as well. I have listed some tips and areas that you might want to focus on below if you want to begin sprinting faster.

1. Sprinting Technique

With everything being equal, the sprinter with the better technique will run faster and consistent times and he/she will also stay healthy throughout the season. As far as sprinting technique goes there are 4 basic parts that you should focus on.

When sprinting you should focus on being relaxed. This means keeping your jaw loose and your body relaxed. There should be no tension whatsoever in your upper body.

Your arm swing should also be coming from the should joint. You should try to imagine your arms swinging like a pendulum moving from chin height in the front and to the hip pocket in the back.

You should focus on your feet landing on the balls of your feet. Never run on your tip toes because there will be no power in your stride. It is important to land on the balls of your feet so that you can properly support your body weight.

Your leg action should be focused on accelerating your thing downwards onto the track. The knee should come up naturally to hip height and then be accelerated downwards onto the track quickly. If you did it right you should feel your knee bouncing naturally upwards to hip height.

2. Training

It is important to give your body adequate rest when training hard. Sprint training puts a lot of stress on your body and the only way you will be able to recover is to get ample rest. Try and give yourself at least 8 hours of sleep each and every single night. If you want to heal faster between workouts you should try to consume more protein in your diet.

3. Diet

It is very important to avoid eating junk foods during the peak races in competition. Focus on easting 5 to 6 small meals a day in small portions. If possible, try and eliminate sodas as well from your diet.

Hopefully these tips should be of some assistance to you so that you can begin sprinting faster in no time.

If you want to run fast times you need to learn to run just like the world-class sprinters. A lot of people are naturally fast when it comes to running but they eventually reach a point to where they never progress anymore. In order to push their limits of performance they need to figure out what they’re doing wrong. One of the most common errors among sprinters is lack of relaxation.

Relaxation is very important when it comes to running fast and consistent times throughout your career. The sprinter that often tenses up in races usually ends up having the shortest career span. The reason why is because when you tense your muscles you are most likely going to end up with injuries. So you need to learn to relax throughout the race.

One tip that can help you relax while sprinting is to blink your eyes and focus at the end of the finish line. This will keep you from tensing up too quickly during your race because it is too easy to lose focus when your competitors are right there alongside you.

You should also try to keep your jaw relaxed while sprinting. There should be no tension with your body movements and everything should be quick and powerful. I know it is very hard to comprehend the fact that you need to be relaxed and powerful at the same time. With proper training you will eventually find the right mix and soon you’ll be on your way to running some fast times on the track.

A lot of unsuccessful sprinters nowadays have been looking forward to improving their sprinting performance. As the years pass by, the competition level has also increased as well. One of the most popular sprinters out there is a fellow known by the name of Usain Bolt. His sprinting performance is light years ahead of his next competitors. And obviously many individuals would like to be at the same level as him.

Even though he has natural talent, there are ways that one can achieve a respectable level of sprinting speed using proper strength training. And unfortunately most sprinting training programs nowadays have often neglected the use of a proper strength training program.

Most coaches often neglect the use of a strength training program because they feel that all it does is increase weight and slows down the athlete. But fortunately, many other coaches have been able to see through the common misconception and realize how beneficial it is to have a solid strength training program in order to improve sprinting performance.

Using weights to increase speed is much more different than using weights to increase muscle mass. The last thing a sprinter needs is to increase their muscle mass because this added weight will only slow them down. So If you want to increase your raw speed you need to focus on using weights in a proper manner.

In order to improve your raw strength you need to focus on using heavy weights and low reps. You should be moving weights that are about 80 to 90 percent of your one rep max. Lets say that you can bench press approximately 200 pounds for one rep.

The amount of weights that you should be using should be any where from 160 pounds to 180 pounds. The reason you are going to be using heavy weights is to improve your raw power so that you will be able to transfer it down the track.

When lifting heavy weights in order to improve your sprinting performance you should also focus on keeping your reps very low. Try to keep your reps around 3 to 6 reps. These low reps will allow you to focus on quality instead of quantity. Remember to focus on using proper form when lifting heavy weights. You definitely do not want to cause a season ending injury all because you wanted to move some heavy weights around. It will be very helpful to have a spotter with you so that you can safely move the weights around without having to worry about breaking a bone or pulling a muscle.

It has often been said that with all things being equal, the strongest sprinter will win. So with this in mind, it is very important to make use of weights so that you can have the edge you need in order to run faster on the track.

Running faster requires excellent sprinting mechanics. In order to run fast times you need to have your sprinting mechanics down to perfection. One of the most important aspects of sprinting is your body posture. Having the proper body posture can make or break your sprinting success. Some people have a natural body posture that allows them to run fast times with ease and others have damaged their technique because of improper training over the years.

Just realize that while sprinting you should not run with the same type of mechanics throughout the race. When you are coming out the blocks in the race, you should have a natural body lean that extends from your toes all the way to the top of your head. You should not be bending from the waist while you’re coming out the blocks.

This natural body lean should last about 15 to 20 m during your sprinting race. When you get to the 20m mark, you should slowly begin to rise up. This will allow you to make the most out of your acceleration and it will also keep you from getting too tired at the end of the race. Try to imagine a plane slowly rising up from the airway strip. You want to rise up from your acceleration phase very gradually.

As you begin to come up remember to keep your head right above your shoulders. This will keep you from leaning forward too much and it will also prevent you from having too much backside mechanics. Just remember to keep your eyes focused at the end of the track and to keep your head right above your shoulders.

Running faster requires a lot of little things to be perfected. When you’re in a race that could be lost by fractions of a second you need to have every aspect of your sprinting mechanics down to perfection.

A lot of people that are new to track generally take years just to perfect the basics of the sprinting mechanics. But when they get to the professional level they get the benefit of being introduced to new ideas and concepts that most average runners do not know anything about. So here is one secret of advanced sprint mechanics that you can utilize to help take your sprinting to new levels of maximum speed.

Hip Flexion

When you are sprinting, you need to realize that you are sprinting with two different types of mechanics. In the beginning of the race you are running with your acceleration mechanics and when you get to your top-end speed, you will begin to sprint with your maximum speed mechanics. Right before you reach your maximum speed is when hip flexion will start to occur. What you need to do at this point is to have your hips tilted forward slightly. If you did it correctly you will realize that your legs will start moving more efficiently and it will also reduce your backside mechanics.

One thing you should never do is to try to tilt your hips forward in the beginning of the race. This will cause you to pop up too quick and will also result in improper acceleration.

By definition a successful sprinter is one that is able to run consistently fast times without injures. The biggest set back that a sprinter can face is to have season ending injuries that can pretty much push them out of the sport permanently. The last thing you need as an up and coming sprinter is to work hard all your life only to have an injury that will put you out for good.

This is why it is important to incorporate methods in your sprinting training program that are designed to prevent injuries if you want to start running faster. The most common injuries among up and coming sprinters nowadays are hamstring injuries and hip injuries. These muscles are used very often especially during practice. These muscles are often pushed near their limits during practice.

And when it is time for 100% effort during a race competition, your muscles will unfortunately fail you and pretty much result in a devastating season ending injury.

In order to prevent injuries you need to incorporate stretching exercises in your sprint training program.

One exercise you can use to prevent an injuries to your hamstring is to perform upright stretching exercise. In order to stretch your hamstring properly you should stand straight up with both your feet close together. Make sure that the insides of your legs are touching each other as well. The next step is to place your right hand on top of your left hand.

You should then attempt to touch your toes or the floor if you can with the tips of your fingers. Try and hold this position for about 15 to 20 seconds. You should repeat this for about 3 times to ensure that your hamstrings are properly stretched.

If you want to stretch out your hips you should begin by sitting down in a comfortable position with your both your feet close together. It will be very helpful to have your back upright against the wall as well.

The next step you should take is to cross your left leg over your right leg and then place your left elbow on your left knee. Try and push your left knee with your elbow until you feel a stretch in your hip region.

It is very important to have your muscles loose and relaxed in order to prevent season ended injuries. Hopefully these tips can be of help to you so that you can stay healthy without injuries.

So are you interested in running fast? Would you like to know what separates the amateur sprinters from the professional ones? Well it all has to do with technique and training. As far as training goes that’s going to take time and natural progression. But as far as your technique goes you can see results immediately. One of the most important aspects of your Sprint mechanics is your foot action.

Your foot action serves two purposes that allows you to run faster. The first purpose is that it supports your entire body weight during the support phase of your sprint cycle. And second, it propels the body forward during the drive phase. While your foot is in its natural cycle you have to remember to make sure your foot steps over the opposite knee while sprinting.

This will allow you to open up the stride length in a natural way and it will also allow for more power when your foot hits the ground. You’ll notice that a lot of athletes break down at the end of their races. The reason why is because their leg cycle is out of sync. Just remember to keep a steady rhythm while sprinting and you should continue to keep your ankle stepping over the opposite knee.

Another important tip when it comes to your foot plant is that you must land on the balls of your feet. You shouldn’t be too high on your foot and your heel should never touch the ground. Try to imagine running on hot coals while sprinting. This will keep you from spending too much time on the ground while running

As far as track and field goes, one of the most popular events is the 100 meter dash. In fact it is the premiere event in the Olympics. This is why the decision to begin sprinting 100m is very popular amongst youngsters. But unfortunately not many youngster know to how to run faster in the 100m properly. They are often taught to just go out and run as hard as they can.

This is a common misconception that should be avoided especially if you want to start winning your races. If you want to improve sprinting times for the 100m dash you should take advantage of the tips posted below.

The Blocks

This is the crucial and probably most important part of the race. In most cases, your reaction out of the blocks can either make of break your race in the 100m dash. In fact most races are lost by only hundredths of a second.

When in the blocks your body should be relaxed and calm. There should be no movement whatsoever. Your body should also be in a comfortable position with your front leg in the proper position to spring out of the blocks. You should focus on the sound of the gun and then fire your arms upwards and explode out of the blocks using your front leg.

In order to improve sprinting times out of the blocks you should make it a priority to practice block starts at least 2 to 3 times a week in practice. You can also practice drill exercises by laying flat on your body on the track and running to a cone 10 meters in front of you as soon as you hear a signal from the whistle.

Drive Phase

Because sprinting 100m all out can easy wear out your energy reserves quickly it is important to pace yourself. Even though you are running an all out sprint, it is important to not waste all your energy too quickly.

The drive phase should last you approximately 25 to 30 meters. You should be focused on being powerful but relaxed at the same time. Your eyes should be focused down on the track no more than 10 meters in front of you. The reason why is to keep your body low and gradually increase speed without spending too much energy.

As you near the 30 meter point you should begin to gradually lift your head as you focus your eyes down the finish line. At this point in the race your strides should be at its optimal length and your stride frequency should begin to increase without chopping your steps.

Maintenance Phase

After the drive phase you should begin to focus on maintaining your speed and rhythm. Try to keep a steady rhythm going by using your arms to power your stride. The goal here is to not force your speed. It should come gradually while you relax and focus on rhythm. Errors in this phase of the 100m dash will surely cause you your race.

Finish

If you performed the maintenance phase of the 100m dash properly, at this point of the race you should find yourself passing your competition without even trying. They forced their speed in hopes of trying to get faster while all you simply did was maintain what you had by relaxing.

You should focus on practicing these phases of the 100m dash in practice so that it becomes natural to the point when you don’t even have to think about it and you can finally perfect the method of how to run faster

Knowing the correct sprinting mechanics will give you the edge on your competition every time you step on the track. It will also allow you to run more efficiently and waste less energy. So here are some key important sprinting technique tips to help you run faster.

Proper Sprinting Technique — Body posture

When you come out the blocks your body should be naturally leaning forward. This means that you should not be bending from the waist. Imagine a straight line come running from your toes all the way to the top of your head.

Proper Sprinting Technique — Leg swing

Your leg action should be very efficient and you should focus on stepping up and stepping down. Doing this will allow your stride to open up and you will be able to cover a lot more ground with each step. You will also be able to run more efficiently and also waste less energy. As your knee comes up to the parallel level you should try to focus on bringing that foot back down towards the ground. Your knee should never move ahead of your knee during the leg cycle. This symptom is known as over striding and it will result in a lot of injuries and horrible race times.

Proper Sprinting Technique — Relaxation

While sprinting you should focus on being relaxed and keeping your jaw loose. Relaxing your face and neck should help you reduce tension and run smoothly. Doing drills will allow your body to have the proper feel for the right sprinting mechanics. With time you will be able to sprint with the correct sprinting mechanics without actually thinking about it.

There are so many aspects to discuss when it comes to putting together a good sprint training program. Sprint training involves weightlifting, speed training, speed endurance training and bounding drills. But for now I am going to talk to you about the weight lifting aspect of a good sprint training program.

When it comes to weight lifting the sprinter should not be focused on building muscle. It will make it very difficult to run fast times when if they are running with too much muscle on their body. The lighter and more powerful you are, the quicker you will be able to run your race. The main focus of the sprinter in the weight room should be on the Olympic lifts. Examples of Olympic lifts includes the snatch, clean and jerk and power cleans. Just by performing these 3 lifts on a regular basis will help them improve their power dramatically.

It is usually said that the most powerful sprinters are the fastest and most consistent ones. The average weight of an Olympic sprinter nowadays is about 180 pounds. In the past the average weight was about 160 or so. The reason why there is so much of a change is because coaches are beginning to realize the importance of the improving power in their sprinters.

You should only perform Olympic lifts on the same days you are doing your speed training. Some people believe it is better to perform the Olympic lifts before you speed training workout but I believe this will result in season ending injuries.

As of recently a lot of sprinters young and old are wondering how they should improve their arm swing mechanics. As a sprinter you should be aware that your arms are very important to making sure that you are able to run the fastest time possible. Your arms play a key role in your overall sprinting development. Without having proper arm swing mechanics, you will pretty much be doing yourself a disservice. However in this article you will learn the proper arm swing mechanics needed in order to sprint faster times.

The first thing that you should be aware of is that you should be swinging your arms from the shoulder joint. The best way to cue your arms to swing properly is to imagine that your arm is a pendulum and that it is swinging front to back. There should be no tension whatsoever during your arm swing. If you have a lot of tension in your arms you will only be holding your self back, which in turn will lead to you running slower times on the track.

Once you have made sure that you are swinging your arms properly from the shoulder joint, you should also make sure that your arms are not swinging past the mid line of your body. Your arms should never move side to side. Your goal in sprinting should be to remain as efficient as possible without wasting any energy whatsoever.

The next thing that I am going to discuss with you is the range of motion of your arms while they are swing from your shoulder joint. Your arms should come up as high as your chin in the front level swing and then during the back swing it should go all the way to your hip pocket. So just remember to swing your arm from your shoulder joint and to make sure you have full range of motion by moving your hands from your chin height in the front and then to your hip pocket in the back.

The cue that you should use to make sure that your arms are swinging properly in the backside of your arm swing you should imagine that you are trying to place an egg in your back pocket. By using this cue each and every single time that you are on the track either training or during a live performance, you will be able to run much faster times on the track.

It is important that yo always use the proper swing mechanics at every single chance that you get. The reason why is because you eventually should have your arms swing in the proper motion naturally without having to think about it.

I hope that these tips are of assistance to you so that you can run the fast times that you should be running.

Are you tired of running slow times? Would you like to win your sprint races? One way to to start winning races is to run with proper sprinting technique. Sprinting properly will also keep you from getting injured because you are running with the proper sprinting mechanics. Here are 3 important points to focus on if you want to improve your sprinting technique.

Sprinting Faster Tip #1 — Body Posture

Your body should be nearly upright and your body lean should not be coming from the waist. Leaning from the waist will only lead to slower times and more injuries. Just try to keep your eyes focused on the finish line and keep your head above your shoulders. By focusing on these important points your body posture should be in the proper position.

Sprinting Faster Tip #2 — Arm Drive

Your arm movement should be moving in a straight line throughout the race. There shouldn’t be any side to side movement because all that does is waste time and energy. Try and focus on your hands swinging backwards towards your hip pocket. This should lead to a more efficient sprinting technique because your arms helps dictate how efficient your leg action will be.

Sprinting Faster Tip #3 — Leg Action

Your leg action should be in a up and down piston like motion. Also try and focus on bringing your knee to the parallel position so your ankle can step over the opposite knee. This will allow you to develop an open stride length and a more efficient stride cycle. Although the feeling might feel slow in the beginning just realize that you are actually covering up more ground with each step. This will also keep you from getting tired towards the end of your race.

Many people are often confused as to why they are unable to run fast times on the track and speed training. Most sprinters will often jet out of the blocks quickly and then be unfortunately passed up at the end of their races. The reason why is because they lack the speed endurance necessary in order to run fast times. Having proper endurance for sprinting will allow you to carry your speed for longer periods of times which will in turn give you that serious closing speed like you see on TV.

And in order to improve your lasting power while sprinting you need to focus on speed endurance training. With speed endurance training you should be focused on running longer periods of time. This means that you should be focusing on running anywhere from 150 meters to 350 meters in practice. Running at these longer distances will make running the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash a walk in the park for you.

While performing speed endurance training you should make sure that you have adequate rest. You should try to keep you rest periods around 10 minutes to 15 minutes between each run. You do not want to sacrifice quality for quantity when training.

You should be running your 150 meter – 350 meter dashes at around 80% intensity. This is not a jog in the park nor a full sprint race. As a sprinter you should try and focus on maintaining proper sprinting mechanics throughout practice. This will help you greatly while you are in competition because you will naturally be able to hold onto your sprinting technique without having to think about it.

Some sprinters might also incorporate weights with their sprint training regimen. You can also use weights to improve your speed endurance capacities as well. While doing weight training you should focus on high reps to improve your speed endurance. Just remember that you should not be focused on gaining muscle mass at the gym. You should be primarily focused on improving your endurance capacities so that you can improve your sprint times.

A good example of a sprinting endurance training program is to run about six to eight 150 meter sprints on tuesday and then five 350 meter runs on Thursdays. You should make sure that you have adequate rest between each run. Try to focus on resting about ten to fifteen minutes between each run so that you will be able to maintain proper sprinting mechanics throughout your runs.

And then at the end of your runs you should head over to the weight room. In the weight room you should be focusing on medium weight and high reps. Try to give yourself proper rest as well.

Over the past decade there has been a lot of common misconception when it comes to the proper leg action while sprinting. In the past it was said that reaching out with your lower leg while sprinting was beneficial to your stride length.

That proved to be quite the opposite after so many sprinters battled through so many injuries because of running with improper leg mechanics. Reaching out with your lower leg is a very incorrect action to perform while sprinting. This will lead to the over striding, hamstring injuries and shin splints. So you need to make sure that your lower leg doesn’t move ahead of your knee while sprinting.

The main focus of the leg action should be stepping up and stepping down. The correct action should feel like you’re marching but at a quicker speed. Your knee should come up to the waist level and at the same time your ankle should travel above or alongside the opposite knee. This will help keep your stride moving very efficiently. The last thing you need to do is to start running with short steps while your sprinting. Sure it might feel faster but your competitors will catch up to you at the end of the race.

Running like this will open up your stride and you’ll be able to blow past your competitors at the end of the race. You might find yourself being able to run the longer sprints such as a 200 m now because you are now taking fewer steps during the race.

As a sprinter the core of your sprint training program should be speed training sessions. No matter how powerful you are or how long you can last in the race, you can never be number one without pure speed. Since speed is what attracted you to this sport why not perfect it every chance you get.

In order to improve your speed you are going to need to strive for perfection. Your sprinting mechanics needs to be fine-tuned in order to make the most out of your speed training sessions. Whatever you do in practice will follow you out on the track. So if you are practicing improper sprinting techniques, just know that you need to stop now.

The proper arm movements of a good sprinting technique involves focusing on the backwards action of the arms. You should focus on pumping your arms backwards and try to place your hands at a point near your hip pockets. Your leg action should just be up and down. If you did it correctly you will realize that like its marching. And while you are practicing your sprinting technique you need to remember to stay relaxed. Relaxation is the key to achieving a good maximum speed.

Now that you have your sprinting technique out the way you can now focus on speed training. When you are performing speed training sessions you need to understand that you should not be tired at the end of it. You should strive to get plenty of rest between each rep. Try to get at least 5 to 8 minutes of rest between each run. The distances you will be training at should be anywhere from 20 m to 60 m.

As a sprinter your worst nightmare is getting injuries on the track. But how can you prevent this from happening? The first thing you could do is to focus on running with the proper leg mechanics. A majority of sprinters injuries comes from the legs in the form of hamstring pulls and going muscle injuries.

If you don’t want to be part of those statistics then listen up to these important tips on how to run with proper leg mechanics.

The first and most important thing that causes a lot of sprinters injuries is over striding. Back in the 70s a lot of coaches preached to the athletes that they should extend the lower leg out in order to increase their stride length. What they didn’t know was that this was improper leg mechanics. By extending out your lower leg not only are you going to cause injuries but you are also going to drastically slow down your times.

Extending your lower leg out also causes more braking forces at ground contact which you do not want as a sprinter. The less braking forces you have as a sprinter, the quicker and more efficiently you will run. So as a sprinter the one thing you should do is to focus on stepping over your opposite knee and stepping down. The leg action should be more of an up-and-down marching motion.
Another common problem that causes injuries in sprinters is excessive backside mechanics. When your leg extends too far behind your body, you end up opening your hamstring to more injuries. What you need to do is to tilt your hips forward in order to prevent your legs from reaching too far behind you.

Do you suffer from horrible sprinting form? Are you interested in running faster and more efficient than ever before? Here are three helpful tips to help improve your sprinting technique so you can start winning races in no time.

Sprinting Technique Tip #1

The most important thing you should focus on is relaxation. Relaxation is the key to running fast at your top maximum speed. You should stop running tense because your muscles will be contracting against each other. Just remember to relax and focus on being fluid with your body while sprinting.

Sprinting Technique Tip #2

The next important tip to help you improve your sprinting mechanics is to improve your foot plant. You have probably heard from many people that preach about running on your toes. You should not take this literally because while sprinting your foot strike should be on the balls of your feet. You shouldn’t be too high on your foot either so just think of it as the magical sweet spot. Your magical sweet spot for running faster times is the pad that is right behind your toes.

Sprinting Technique Tip #3

The next important element to help improve your sprinting mechanics is to keep your eyes focused at the end of your lane. When you first come out the blocks try to keep your eyes focused on the ground approximately 10 feet in front of you. This will definitely help prevent any up-and-down or side to side wasted movement in your lane while sprinting.

Would you be interested in running faster and consistent times throughout the year? Have you been wondering why you have not been running as fast as you should? Well here are 2 sprinting tips that will help improve your sprinting technique so you can run to the best of your capabilities.

Sprinting Technique Tip #1 — Proper Arm Swing

If you are currently running with improper arm action you will more than likely end up with a lot of problems as far as your performance goes. Sprinting with improper arm action can also lead to injuries and inconsistent times. Your main focus should be on the backwards action of the arms during the arm swing. Just remember to focus on swinging your hands towards your hip pockets.

Your arms should then naturally spring upwards to the proper height. The feeling of the proper arm action should be like a rubber band snapping. So just remember to just swing those hands backwards as quickly as possible. Also try not to swing your arms from side to side because this will cause you a lot of injuries.

Sprinting Technique Tip #2 — Relaxation

While you are attempting to run as fast as possible you should try to focus on being relaxed. Try not to tense up too much especially in your face and neck region. One tip that can help you keep relaxed in races is by blinking your eyes while focusing on the finish line. At the same time remember to keep your jaw slack and loose so that your entire body from the neck down would move effortlessly without tension.

If you want the edge in the competition you should remember to stick with the basics and stay consistent with your workouts. So here are 3 sprint drills that you should perform throughout the year so you can get the edge on your competition.

Bounding Drills

Bounding Drills will help keep your muscles flexible and increase your power. This will also trigger more fast twitch muscle fibers which is needed to run fast times. In order to perform this drill you will need to stand with your feet shoulder width apart and then dip low to the ground so you can leap forward as far as you can.

Wall Drive

This will help reinforce the proper starting leg action. You should start this drill by getting low and placing your hand on the wall. You should then proceed to drive your legs up and down in a piston like action. Try to perform this drill in 10 second bursts. This drill will help program your legs to drive in a piston like action which is needed in the first 20 meters of a race. Also remember to stay low while performing this because you will need to mimic the exact body position you will need to be on the track.

Cone Runs

Performing cone runs will help you establish your stride length. Try to space each cone about 5 to 6 feet apart. Your goal in this is to step over the cones while maintaining the proper sprinting mechanics. This is not a bounding drill so just sprint over those cones.

As a sprinter you obviously want to run the fastest times possible. And normally most sprinters will often peak around 28 years of age or so. And if you are under 28 years of age, you should be training to improve your sprinting technique so that you can prevent injuries and run the fastest times possible that your body can run by your peak age.

However there are several elements needed to perfect before you can finally achieve the good sprinting technique necessary in order to run fast times.

1. Arm Action

Your arms are very important in running fast. Unfortunately many sprinters will often ignore their arm action which will often result in running slower times on the track. One of the most important aspects of your arms is that you must make sure that they are relaxed. There should be no tension whatsoever with your arm action.

You should also make sure that your arms are moving from chin height at the front level and then all the way to your hip pocket region in the back level. This will ensure proper range of motion in your arms. Also by having proper range of motion on your arms your legs all also move correctly.

The movement of your arm action should also be coming from the shoulder joint. The motion should be similar to that of a pendulum on a clock. It should be moving forwards and back. Just make sure to keep the above tips in mind so that you have proper range of motion in your arms.

2. Relaxation

It is very important to keep your body relaxed if you want to run faster times on the track. However if your body is tense while sprinting, you will be pretty much running dreadfully slower times on the track. There are cues that you can use to make sure that you are running relaxed on the track. The first cue that you should use in order to keep relaxed is to focus on your lane.

Sprinters that often worry about others in the race will often tense up quickly as soon as they feel someone moving in on them. You should be running your own race and not focusing on others on the track.

Another cue that you can use to keep your entire body relaxed is to keep your jaws loose and slack. Keeping your jaws slack will allow your entire lower body to be relaxed as well.

3. Training

If you want to run fast times you should always be consistent with your training program. If you have consistency, your times will improve consistently as well. Serous sprinters never miss a day on the track. Rain or shine, a sprinter should always be dedicated to improving their times by following a strict training schedule. A dedicated training schedule is what separates the Olympic champions from the last place finishers on the track.

As a sprinter I am pretty sure that you want to run fast times at any given moment. The last thing you want to do is to train all week long and end up coming in dead least on the track. And unfortunately on of the biggest mistakes that struggling sprinters make is that they do not relax enough on the track. But by reading this article you will learn why relaxation is important to any sprinter.

During your younger track years you probably were not taught the good sprinting technique that you needed in order to run fast times. Most natural sprinters will often just line up at the track and run as fast as possible. This is an error that should be corrected immediately. There is no need for you to waste so much energy while sprinting. The goal of sprinting should be to be as efficient as possible. And in order to be very efficient on the track you will need to be relaxed.

Being relaxed allows your body to move easily down the track without any tension whatsoever in your body. If you are not relaxed on the track you will pretty much be fighting against yourself to run quickly on the track. Most often, the reason that many sprinters are not running properly is because they never practiced to be relaxed enough.

So while you are practicing good sprinting technique in training, you should always seek to be as relaxed as possible. Try to relax your jaw so that there won’t be any tension in your neck area. The reason why is because if there is any tension in your neck area, it will be transferred down your body which will in turn lead to slow times.

Another cue that you can use to relax more is to blink your eye while sprinting. Blinking your eye helps you relax your body just as much as relaxing your jaw.

The eventual goal is to have relaxation happen naturally. The more you practice relaxing, the more natural the feeling will become so that you won’t have to think about it as much.

Eventually all you really need to do is to line up on the track and run, and eventually everything will fall into place. I hope these relaxation tips will be very helpful to you so that you can finally begin sprinting the fast times that you deserve. So just remember to implement the following tips on relaxing while sprinting below:

1. Relax your jaw and keep it slack so that there won’t be any tension transferred to your lower body in the sprints.

2. Try to blink your eye while sprinting so that there will be less tension in your body.

If you want to run faster times on the track it is very important to have good sprinting technique. Unfortunately many sprinters were not told the exact sprinting techniques that they needed to know in order to run ridiculously quick times. There are many aspects to having good sprinting technique. One of which is having proper foot plant.

There are many scientific journals available online that discusses the proper sprinting mechanics for foot plant. Many of them make learning the proper technique for foot plant difficult to learn. However, I will break it down to simple easy to learn steps so that you can begin implementing them right away.

1. Your heel should never land first while you are sprinting. The heel first landing is mainly for distance runners and cross country running. In a sprint your goal should be to spend as little time as possible on the ground. And having your heels land first will unfortunately result in you running slower than expected times while sprinting. So while you are sprinting down the track your goal should be to land on the balls of your feet. The balls of your feet is that pad that is right behind your toes.

A lot of times you might have heard that you should be running on your toes. This is a misconception that should be avoided at all costs. In fact running on your tip toes will cause a breaking effect while sprinting. You want to be moving down the track without any breaking effect whatsoever. So next time someone tells you that you should run on your toes you should ignore them!

You should always try and keep on the balls of your feet.

2. Your foot action should be upwards and downwards. You should apply force directly on the ground using the balls of your feet. Applying force on the ground pushes your body upwards and forwards. You shouldn’t just be gliding across the track. Applying the proper force needed on the track will allow your body to run the faster times that you are expecting.

So remember that your heels shouldn’t land first while sprinting down the track. Always make sure that your balls of your feet are landing first so that you are not creating any breaking effect while sprinting.

Also make sure that you are applying force onto the track using the balls of your feet so that your body will be projected upwards and forwards. Hopefully these tips will be of assistance to you so that you can run faster times on the track.

Are you sick and tired of getting dead last in your races? Would you like to know the secret methods of running faster? Well just to let you know running faster you is not just about working hard it’s all about working smart.

A lot of people have the correct sprinting techniques to run fast and but they might by lacking in the strength department. When it comes to running faster you need to have plenty of strength. One of the ways you can increase your performance is to start performing Olympic lifts.

Olympic weight training involves lifts such as the power clean and snatch exercises. When you perform this type of lifts you have to remember that everything you do needs to be quick and powerful. Everything you do in the weight room is going to reflect on your performance on the track.

When lifting you can also focus on the basic weight training exercises such as the bench press and squats. Always remember that your movements have to be quick and try not to perform slow reps. You should try to do around 8 to 10 reps for each set.

And do not go into the weight for more than three times a week. Remember that you are here to run fast times and not to get all bulky. You also need to remember to stay hydrated during your workouts and remember to warm up properly so you do not risk pulling muscles while you are lifting some heavy weights.

How often have you seen the first place finishers standing on the podium knowing that you could have been there? If you constantly think about that situation all the time what you need to do is stop thinking about it and start taking action immediately.

Even though you might work just as hard as that first-place finisher, there’s always some work to be done when it comes your spring training program. And what usually happens is that most of the time it’s the little details that separates the first-place finisher from the unknown sprinters. By optimizing your spring training program you will soon be on the road to success and eventually you will find yourself on the top of the podium.

Before you start daydreaming about how you’re going to dominate the competition, apply these important tips so you can guarantee your success

When it comes to your spring training program you have to always make sure to listen to your body. It is okay to push yourself on the track on a regular basis but sometimes if you feel that your muscles are not working right just make sure to back off. The last thing you want to do is to be over trained or maybe even having a career ending injury.

It makes no sense to work that hard if you’re not able to step on the track to reap the results. Another important thing that you have to remember as far as your spring training program goes is to get plenty of rest. Your body rebuilds itself only when it’s resting so you have to ensure that you get the proper amount of sleep every night.

Have you been doing everything correctly in your spring training program but still aren’t seeing any results? Have you even checked up on your current diet to see if you’re eating correctly for optimal performance? If you haven’t then you will be surprised that the major reason why some people can’t seem to progress with faster times is because of their diet.

No matter how hard you train on the track you are not going to progress as you should without a proper diet. As a sprinter you have to realize that you can’t just eat just anything. There are certain things that you have to avoid if you want to consistently run fast times.

The one thing you need to make sure you avoid is excessive fatty foods. If you carry too much fat on your body just realize that you are now going to going to have to work twice as hard in order to move that weight down the track. This is a waste of energy and also a lack of efficiency because of the extra bulge on your stomach.

Another thing that you need to avoid from your diet is alcohol. Too much alcohol in your body can impede your performance. Even if you only drank it two or three days before your track meet it’s still going to affect you. In order to run at peak performance your body was be cleared of all these toxins. Sometimes you just have to make sacrifices if you want to see success.

If you are sick and tired of getting passed up every time at the end of your sprint races you have to realize that you now need to start working on your speed endurance. Working on your speed endurance is very important to your overall speed. You can have all the quickness in the world but it wouldn’t matter if you get passed up each and every single time. In fact it can be very embarrassing if you are constantly blasting out the blocks in the lead and then slowly get passed up at the end of the race.

In order to prevent this from happening you have to incorporate the proper training program. When you begin to perform your speed endurance training sessions you have to make sure that you are probably warmed up. A typical warm-up consists of running two laps around the track with some dynamic stretches towards the end.

By utilizing the proper warm-up routine you are making sure that you will not pull any muscles during practice. Now that your warm-up is out the way you can now begin to focus on your training session. When you first begin your speed endurance training session you can start off with simple workout such as running four 150 m sprints. In between the sprints you have to make sure that you are rested for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

You don’t want to start running with ugly form just because you’re tired. Try to focus on the quality of your workouts more than the quantity each and every single time you step on the track.

Are you really frustrated about coming in dead last every time at your track meets? Or are you just really sick and tired of losing races with your friends when it comes down to bragging rights? Well the reason you’re losing all your races isn’t because of you, the reason that you’re actually losing is because of your sprint training program. You don’t have to worry about coming in dead last are in second place anymore with these easy to apply tips that will help you improve your sprint training.

During the beginning of your sprint training program be sure to keep in mind that your goal is to progress. You can’t just up and jump into a sprint training program head-on with tough workouts that your body can not handle. Doing that would just result in disaster and lots of injuries down the road.

You want to start off easy with your sprint training program with some technique drills and bounding drills. By working on certain aspects of your sprinting technique such as your arm swing, your leg action and your foot strike you will be able to the run that much faster every time you step on the track.

When you perform bounding drills always remember to stay up on the balls of your feet. Remember that you need to mimic the proper sprinting action during your drills. You should utilize the proper sprinting action during your drills so you won’t have to think about it when you step on the track to dominate the competition.

Have you ever gotten dead last on a race before? Are you sick and tired of blending in with the crowd at the major track meets? If you’re sick and tired of dealing with the same routine every track meet then you have to realize that you need to change your sprinting technique starting from the arm swing. If you start working on your sprinting technique right now. In the future you will reap the benefits of an efficient running style. And at the same time you will prevent the embarrassment of coming in second or third place or even worse, the possibility of coming in dead last.

So here are some tips that will help you improve your sprinting technique so you can prevent the embarrassment of coming in last place.

The arm is an important pendulum as far as your sprinting technique goes. The arms control the speed and the power of the legs. A lot of people do not realize how important the arms are when it comes to sprinting efficiently. Some people tend to run with minimal arm movement. If you are running like that then you need to stop now. What you need to do is to take full advantage of your arms by utilizing them to their full potential.

In order to do this you have to swing your arms from the shoulder joint. A lot of people have the misconception that you should focus on moving your hands as fast as possible. Just focusing on moving your hands as fast as possible will cause a lot of problems with your sprinting technique.

A lot of people feel that in order to run fast just have to go all out and move you arms legs as fast as you can. This is the most incorrect way to run fast. In order to run fast times and destroy the competition you need to have the correct training and proper sprinting mechanics.

When it comes to sprinting mechanics you should focus on relaxation, your arm swing and your leg action. In order to run fast times you have to realize that you need to be relaxed. This means you should not be moving in jerky motions. Your movements should be very smooth and streamlined.

And as far as your arm swing goes make sure your hands come up to your cheek and then past your pockets on the bottom swing. It should be very fluid and smooth. Your legs should also move quickly and smoothly. When it comes to your leg mechanics everything should be up and down.

As you leg comes up you should have your ankle step over the opposite knee. When your knee reaches its highest position make sure you get that feet back down on the ground quickly. That feeling that should feel in your leg action should be almost like a marching motion.

A lot of people feel that in order to increase your stride length you should extend your lower leg. This will only result in injuries, so all you need to do is to focus on the up-and-down motion of your legs and everything else will fall into place.

Being a great sprinter means that you need to have the total package. You need to have a good top-end speed and great speed endurance. You also need to have a good amount of strength which will keep you from getting injured during the season. Right now I’m going to talk to you about developing stamina.

Developing speed endurance is not an easy task to take on. The workouts can often be grueling. Usually you will find sprinters throwing up all over the track after a tough workout. But then they realize that when it comes down to race day its will always be worth the pain. Having this type of stamina also allows you to chase down competitors in the longer distances such as the 200 and 400 m dash. Having a good level of stamina will also make running the 100m dash feel like a walk in the park.

So how do you develop a good level of speed endurance? Developing this type of stamina usually involves running anywhere from 150 m to 350 m. The rest between each run is about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how intense the workout is. If you are performing a workout that involves running 350 m runs you will need to make sure you get at least 10 minutes rest between each run. Always remember the goal here is quality over quantity.

Doing too much speed endurance can often hinder your raw speed. So try to perform this type of training no more than twice a week. And also make sure that you vary the intensity because you can easily over train.