Some key workouts can help you maximize your running speed.
Lets face it. Some people are lightning fast and others are average at best. If you start with slow to average speed, then the chances of you becoming a world class Olympic sprinter or running a 4.3 40-yard dash are slim to none. However, anyone can drastically improve their sprinting speed with training and technique.
Instructions
1. The fastest way to get better at sprinting in the shortest amount of time is by increasing your explosiveness. If you are very explosive, you are going to become faster because you can apply more force to the ground and push off harder, thus accelerating your body mass from point A to point B. You can gain more explosiveness simply by performing plyometrics. Plyometrics are exercises that consist of jumps, leaps, springs, and bounds. These cause the muscles to react in a very quick manner to the force produced from this type of exercise, thus recruiting more quick twitch muscle fibers. The more quick twitch muscle fibers you have, the more explosive you will be, thus resulting in increased sprinting speeds. The best plyometrics to perform are those that require you to jump straight up as high in the air as you can for a certain period of time, like 30 seconds. These types of exercises should be performed at maximum effort in order reap the most benefits.
2. Incorporate Olympic lifts into a training regimen. These types of lifts require that you move a certain amount of weight at high speeds and velocities, which will make you faster. The best Olympic lift to incorporate into a weight lifting regimen is the power clean. This exercise can be done with a barbell and weight or dumbbells. This lift requires you to forcefully extend your hips, ankles, and legs in order to complete the exercise. As a result of this, you will gain more explosive strength in your hips, legs, and ankles: three of the most important body parts used in sprinting. Strengthening these areas and making them more explosive will guarantee you increased sprinting speed and explosion not to mention more power throughout your body. Practice these exercises only after you are warmed up and have had substantial experience performing these types of training.
3. Simply working on your running technique can increase your speed, if you combine it with the training methods in Steps 1 and 2. Focus on driving your elbows back forcefully and bringing your arms straight up in front of you and behind you and not across your body. When you first start sprinting, you should have a forward body lean angle of about 45 degrees and gradually raise yourself up to an erect body position as you are nearing the completion of a sprint. In addition to this, you should focus on pushing off forcefully with the balls of your feet and punching your knees high to get good knee lift when you run rather than trying to kick your feet back towards your butt. This will help propel you farther and faster from point A to B due to the fact that most of your speed is produced from pushing off of the ball point on your feet pads and achieving good knee lift. Also you need to focus on relaxing when you sprint. Do not strain your face or muscles in an attempt to sprint faster. This will cause your muscles to tighten, thus reducing your sprinting speed. Your body runs much faster when it is relaxed and loose. A good idea to incorporate when you are sprinting is to smile. This will definitely help keep you relaxed.
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