Sprinters established an aerobic and running foundation, the track provides the ideal place to intensify your workouts. In this phase, traditional speed work replaces tempo training.
Start with an acceleration phase that gradually builds to top-end speed, followed by a flying sprint over an allocated distance.
Acceleration Training
Acceleration is an integral component of sprinting. Being able to move quickly off of the blocks and accelerate with force are both key skills required in short sprint distances like 100 meters. Acceleration training should be implemented year-round as sprinters train for acceleration off of their blocks for optimal results.
Acceleration workouts provide athletes with additional development benefits beyond running drills and plyometric exercises, especially when it comes to team sports that rely heavily on sprinting abilities for fast-paced play. Acceleration work outs should include shorter sprints from blocks as a means to enhance explosiveness from the beginning, specifically team sports athletes that require their sprinting abilities for play. This can especially beneficial when applied during team sports training camps where sprinting ability is crucial in games that move quickly along a competitive field.
Sprinters can vary their acceleration workouts by altering repetition counts and frequency as well as adding or removing blocks, and increasing workout length over time as strength builds and more efficient acceleration phases emerge.
Sprinters who require acceleration training should focus on using their arms to propel themselves forward. Ideally, sprinters should start their sprint by driving the arm closest to them with force from a 3-point stance stance. Furthermore, practicing different starting positions like the shuffle, push-up and javelin may help your athletes better understand how best to position themselves for efficient and effective sprints.
Acceleration training involves running with resistance. This can be accomplished in various ways, including sprinting with a sled pulled behind you or by another partner or using a parachute tethered to your waist – each sprint will begin by starting off with resistance before gradually decreasing it until reaching maximum velocity.
Many coaches incorporate acceleration and speed endurance training into their athletes’ preparation for competition. Sprinters should always begin track workouts with a comprehensive warm-up consisting of preliminary movements, stretches, and sprinting drills; this will ensure their bodies can withstand long intervals at higher speeds of high-intensity sprinting.
Distance Workouts
Training for long sprints such as 200 and 400 meter dashes requires athletes to prioritize distance workouts. Distance workouts allow an athlete to train closer to race pace, increasing their ability to maintain this pace for longer durations and master their form over extended distances. Long sprint workouts also prepare the body to handle the added stresses associated with longer races.
As opposed to short sprinting workouts, longer sprinting workouts may require more frequent rest periods as an athlete approaches maximal intensity for extended durations. It is wiser not to push an athlete beyond his/her capabilities as this could result in serious injury.
Long sprinting workouts can be done as separate workouts or added at the end of shorter, easier runs as strides. Athletes can also add different forms of speed work such as intervals or pyramids into their distance workouts to keep things interesting and challenging.
Sprinters can conduct distance workouts either on a track or over various surfaces such as grass or treadmills, challenging their bodies by constantly switching up workout conditions to test how well their bodies can adapt on-the-fly.
Speed endurance workouts for short and long sprinters alike are designed similarly. Repetition of the same distance with very long rest intervals are required of both groups, although for shorter sprinters this distance might only extend as far as 40 meters; longer sprinters must cover an impressive 800 meters each time during speed endurance training sessions.
At these workouts, sprinters accelerate from blocks at an optimum velocity before repeating this burst of speed for an allotted amount of time. This process may be repeated multiple times during training session with proper rest between sprints.
Training like this will enable sprinters to achieve and sustain top-end sprint speeds for longer, reducing deceleration at the end of a race and training their lactic glycolytic system – essential for endurance performance.
Interval Workouts
Sprinting exercises can quickly help you shed calories, making them an effective way to shed excess pounds quickly. Plus, these workouts also build leg strength and endurance – key elements in running faster! Sprint workouts consist of short bursts of sprinting followed by recovery periods; this allows your body to produce enough oxygen to rid itself of lactic acid build-up from high-intensity exercise that builds up during each burst, leaving you more refreshed for your next set of sprints!
Sprint interval training aims to increase your lactic acid threshold – which measures how quickly legs begin to fatigue – so that you can extend running sessions before becoming exhausted, and more easily reach maximum sprint speeds.
Warm up for three to five minutes by engaging in light cardiovascular exercise such as jogging in place or jumping rope. Start sprint intervals by performing three sprints at 80% of your maximum capacity that last 20-30 seconds each and resting between them for four to five minutes; rest periods can include either completely passive activities like walking.
Increase the intensity of your next sprint intervals by striving to reach your maximum sprint speed during each set. Aim to complete four sets of 50 to 60 yard sprints separated by 90 second rest periods; during these sprints keep arms pumping forward rather than across your body.
Include A-March and A-Skip drills into your sprint intervals for optimal sprint biomechanics, by activating glutes and creating an efficient foot strike. When doing these exercises, march either in place or forward while remaining on balls of feet with toes up (dorsiflex position) and knees up at hip height, swinging arms back from shoulders for full-body force application.
As your fitness levels improve, gradually add sprint intervals into your workouts and build up their intensity. Always end with cool-down and static stretches for best results. Sprint interval training can be intense so be sure to consult with a physician if any medical conditions may be compromised by vigorous physical activity.
Strength Training
Short sprint events like the 100 meter dash or 200 meter dash require athletes to accelerate aggressively from the blocks and maintain speed over the race distance. Training methods must emphasize acceleration, speed workouts and strength training to develop these attributes in a way that supports long term development of sprinters as well as proper nutrition and recovery measures.
Acceleration is an integral component of every sprint event, especially the initial 40 meters of any sprint race. An aggressive acceleration phase must take place to overcome inertia and reach maximum velocity; training activities that focus on this element of sprinting include forward body leans, short steps and horizontal movements with high levels of force as essential elements of sprinting success.
Once an athlete has developed an aerobic and speed base, they can add in sprint-specific drills and intervals on the track. These sessions should mimic competition as closely as possible; such drills provide an ideal way to develop frontside mechanics and increase turnover rate.
Longer sprint events, such as the 400 meter dash and 800 meter run, place more emphasis on sustained top end speed than on top-end acceleration. Training activities must focus on building endurance to sustain these speeds over longer race distances. To do this successfully, sprinters typically engage in repeated sprinting at near maximal intensity – typically less than three seconds each time – followed by more moderate pace training at lower intensities to build stamina over long races distances.
General conditioning for sprinters typically involves extensive tempo running and circuit training; however, coaches may opt to incorporate these elements in less intensive ways during sprint season to allow more time for event-specific training. Athletes can still benefit from low-intensity sessions by including them into weekly workouts as well as recovery days during season; doing this will support their performance without creating excessive fatigue and stress levels.
