Shooting, or running at high speed for short intervals, can be exciting and fun. To become a good sprinter, however, bursts of energy are not enough to try to move your legs quickly: to truly excel in sprinting you will need to be disciplined and follow a regular training program. You will also need to make sure you run in order to use energy efficiently, and maintain general fitness. These three factors in combination can help you achieve speeds you didn't think possible.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Creating a Routine
Step 1. Warm up
You will need to warm up and loosen the muscles. To do this, try a combination of light running and dynamic stretches before moving on to running exercises.
- To start, run down the track a couple of times at a leisurely pace. Don't use too much energy at this stage, you'll just have to warm up your muscles.
- It was usually advised to stretch before running. It is now believed that stretching before exercise can actually lead to injuries.
- Try dynamic stretches instead. These are light movements of the arms and legs performed smoothly and continuously, without keeping the stretched muscles in a specific position.
- For example, you could stand near a wall and swing your leg back and forth, increasing your height after each rep. Then, turn around and extend the other leg.
Step 2. Recover
To keep muscles loose, prevent injuries, and reduce pain after training, spend a few minutes after each running workout on light exercise, such as light running, and the last five or ten minutes on stretching all of your muscles. You will need to stretch your legs, ankles, arms, shoulders and neck.
- Stretching helps eliminate waste such as lactic acid that builds up in the muscles and causes swelling and soreness, and aids in muscle regeneration.
- This phase is important for all types of training, but especially for running, which uses the whole body.
Step 3. Do exercises
Once you've warmed up and loosened your muscles, do exercises to increase your heart rate and prepare your body for real action. You can perform running exercises, in which you'll start at a brisk pace and accelerate to a sprint. There are many other great exercises for sprinters:
- High Knees: Walk by bringing your knees to your chest.
- Exercises for the arms: Make Ls with the arms, using the elbows as the angles of the L. Then swing the arms back and forth, using only the shoulders to move them. Alternate movements, bringing the elbow of one arm back and the other up to the chin. Once you are familiar with the movement, increase the speed. Perform the exercise at maximum speed for as long as possible.
- Long Strides: Do long strides with your legs, bringing your knees high. The idea is to cover as much distance as possible in the fewest number of steps. Do not put too much weight on the front leg (especially on the sole of the foot). If you do, you could lose your balance and trip.
- Pedal backwards: turn and run backwards. Use your heels and push outward, in a motion similar to a kick.
- Alternate light running and sprinting: run for 10 meters, then sprint for 50. This exercise is great for changing gears; the sudden change of pace improves your "explosive speed", an aspect that can be fundamental to your shots. In fact, the exercises that go from low to high intensity are the most effective for improving cardiovascular fitness and endurance, because they help the body pump oxygen more efficiently when you sprint and help keep you from getting tired.
Step 4. Design a training program that suits you
There is no perfect program for everyone, because each person has their own needs and commitments. Ideally though, you should spend at least three days on speed work and two days on weight lifting. Here is an example program:
- Monday (Speed): Run 80 meters ten times (take two 80-meter sprints five times, with 2-minute pauses at the end), six times for 70 meters, four times for 60 meters, three times for 20 meters and once for 100 meters.
- Tuesday (Weights): Go to the gym and work all your muscles. Try to keep all muscles in shape; they are all used for running and are even more important for shooting.
- Wednesday (Speed / Endurance): Run four times for 300 meters. It is important to give your all in these races. Resistance training strengthens the heart, and will make you much faster.
- Thursday (Semi-Speed): Run five times for 200 meters, three times for 100 and two times for 50.
- Friday (Weights): Go back to the gym and increase the load. Once you master a certain exercise, make sure you face new challenges; when your body learns to perform certain movements, it becomes more efficient, which means that you will try less to do the same activities and you will not progress any more. Avoid this by changing your training regimen regularly.
- Don't forget to warm up before your workouts and recover at the end.
- Rest on the weekend. You need time to rest, and for your muscles to regenerate.
Part 2 of 3: Improve Your Technique
Step 1. Try running on your toes
While the scientific evidence for this technique isn't certain, many people believe running on tiptoe can help you move faster. The less time your foot stays in contact with the ground, the faster your speed will be.
- At first it will seem unnatural to you. Try running barefoot, then resume your shoe technique.
- Running by landing on your heels hurts your joints, muscles and ligaments. It creates an unnatural "V" between the lower leg and the foot that places unnecessary stress on the area.
Step 2. Increase the pace
You may think that taking longer strides results in greater speed, but that's not the case. After all, we cannot move forward with our feet in the air. With shorter strides you can accelerate more (if you do it correctly).
- When you stretch your stride too far, you lose the right technique. Your front foot would act as a brake for the entire body. You should take your weight over your foot and "bounce", losing technique and speed.
- Taking normal strides will also help keep you from getting tired right away.
Step 3. Lean forward slightly
Just two degrees can make the difference between a good shot and a great shot.
- This does not mean carrying all the weight forward so that you always have to struggle to avoid falling. A slight incline is enough to move faster without losing balance.
- It is important not to lean backwards. In some cases, when you approach the finish line or check the position of the opponents, you will lean back or look up, altering your technique. This can also slow you down. You can look around after you finish the shot!
Step 4. Use your arms
Your arms can give you more push if you move them right. They should move in sync with your legs to propel you forward.
Think of forming an L - you should bring your relaxed fists up to your chin and then push them back with your elbows
Step 5. Push
You should never slow down during a shot. If you are not running at full speed, you will be wasting precious time. If you find yourself slowing down, focus on speeding up again. If maintaining top speed the entire distance is a problem for you, start slower. Ideally, you should finish faster than you started.
If you're running a race, starting from behind can give you a psychological boost to recover. Those who start hard and get tired, in some cases think they have already won and do not expect to be overtaken by those who have saved their energy at the start
Step 6. Breathe effectively
You should always synchronize your breathing with your strides.
- There is no complete agreement on breathing, particularly whether it is more useful to breathe through the nose or mouth, or whether it makes any difference. The most important thing is to make sure you are getting enough oxygen into your body, so try both breaths and use the one that feels best to you.
- If you are not tired but feel tired, try to inhale more deeply. Your muscles probably just need more oxygen.
- In addition to working on running technique and skills, you should also work on your breathing. Focus on it when you warm up, so you are ready for proper and deep breathing during the sprint.
Step 7. Eat right
It is important to follow dietary guidelines that can benefit all people. Athletes, however, have additional dietary needs.
- Carbohydrates are essential, because they release a lot of energy and give you strength. Cereals, breads, pasta and potatoes are good examples.
- A large amount of protein is also needed to create muscle fibers. Consider lean proteins like turkey and cottage cheese.
- World champion Usain Bolt follows a diet consisting of potatoes, pasta and rice, chicken and pork, and avoids fast food.
- You will also need to consume more calories throughout a day than less active people. Find time to have a healthy breakfast every day, especially when you need to work out.
- If you need to prepare for a run, fill up on the right foods. However, avoid heavier foods in the hours before the race. You don't want to have stomach problems.
Step 8. Stay hydrated
Any physical activity you do will cause you to lose a lot of fluids through sweating, so to stay hydrated you will need to drink plenty of water. If you train in the sun, it is even more important.
A good rule of thumb is to replenish a liter of water for every pound lost during training. Therefore, by weighing yourself before and after training, you can get an idea of how much you will need to drink. A soccer player, for example, could lose two pounds due to sweating during training
Step 9. Go to the gym often
Weight lifting, or strength training, when done right and breathing right, goes a long way in increasing speed and you should integrate it into your program twice a week.
- Weightlifting that pushes you to the limit (but not to the point of shaking) prepares your muscles for the sprints, increasing their mass and making them more resistant to soreness.
- Each gym is different and offers different machines. Make sure you use ones that allow you to specifically work on the legs.
- Don't exceed your training limits, or you will risk serious injury. Gradually build up to higher weights.
- If you don't want to start exercising at the gym right away, you can work out at home.
Step 10. Work on the leg muscles
The leg muscles are naturally the most important for running fast. Use a squat machine to strengthen your quads. Do various exercises of this type, such as jump squats and lifts. You can also try many barbell exercises to strengthen your legs:
- Do deadlifts. Find a long bar that can take a lot of weight. Load it up, lower yourself into a squat position and grab it. Now stand up. Now, lean forward using your back and try to touch your feet with the bar while holding it with your hands. You should feel your calves working, the most important muscles for running.
- Try the “power clean,” a maneuver that involves squatting down to pick up a long bar, then standing up quickly as you lift the bar with your arms.
- Do squats with a barbell. Place a long barbell on your shoulders, holding it with both hands. Then, with your legs apart, do squats, keeping your chin parallel to the ground.
Step 11. Work your abs
Working on your abs takes a long time, but having a strong core will make it easier and worth it. It can also help you prevent injuries.
- A good ab exercise is to hold a weighted barbell (12 or 22 pounds) or dumbbells and do normal situps.
- Also work on your lower abs. For a good low abs workout, find a pole, or something similar (for example, a bench leg support, bed rail, etc.), hold it tight, lie down, and perform leg raises.. Keep your legs together and raise and lower them very slowly. You should feel your lower abs burning, and you will know that the exercise works.
Step 12. Work on the shoulders
Shoulders are also important for a quick shot. They give the body the boost it needs to run fast, increasing acceleration and control. If you have a shoulder press or bench at your gym, be sure to use them.
- The benches are also very useful for the bibs.
- Be careful when training your shoulders and neck. Injuries in this area are extremely painful and prevent you from exercising for a long time.
Step 13. Run uphill
Running uphill is not only good for your lungs and leg muscles, it naturally helps you improve your technique. You will find that you automatically lean on the soles of your feet and lean forward slightly.
Think of uphill sprints as a mix of sprinting and weight lifting. This is an exercise that allows you to burn a lot of calories and strengthen your calf muscles
Part 3 of 3: Optimizing Your Performance
Step 1. Get the right equipment
While you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on clothes and shoes if you just want to run faster, high-quality equipment will come in handy if you want to compete in competitions.
- Get specific shoes for shooting. You will need lightweight shoes that have track studs. The lighter they are, the better, and all the time you spend on your toes will be less painful if you have track cleats.
- Wear the right clothes. Feeling comfortable is essential. The clothing you use to train will have to fit you well and keep your body at the right temperature. Unless you really find them very useful, though, you won't need to buy compression leg warmers - research suggests they don't improve performance much.
- Get some starting blocks. If you really want to be a good sprinter, get yourself some regular starting blocks. They help give you the boost from the starting line. You should find them in the nearest sporting goods store.
Step 2. Run with other people
Running with other people will almost certainly improve your performance, whether you are part of an athletics team or running with friends. Friendly competition will help you find motivation.
Running with friends, whether it's on a set of treadmills or a track, can give you a boost to be the best that's hard to find in yourself. Seeing other people out of the corner of your eye (or trying to outdo you) will make you go faster
Step 3. Time yourself
Sprints are ultimately measured by the speed and time it takes to get from A to B. To see if you're really improving, you'll need to time yourself.
You will probably want to set new personal bests. But try to do it only 2-3 times a day at the most; when you run for some time, your performance will start to deteriorate. You would feel frustrated and tired and be unable to reproduce your best times
Warnings
- Don't eat too much before running or you may get cramps during a sprint.
- Lifting weights that make you shiver or experience back pain can cause harm and not good.
- Never run when you feel pain. Limping or favoring of muscles will cause more injury to other muscles.
- If you've just taken off a brace or cast, wait a few more weeks before running.
- Be careful when shooting. Working hard is great, but you can risk injury.
