Resistance Band Running Drills

Resistance bands are strong rubber bands, with or without handles, that use resistance to condition and tone muscles. Bands come in different weight equivalents, ranging from 2 lbs. to more than 100. People use resistance bands to exercise and strengthen their legs, arms, abdominals and gluteal muscles. To increase your running speed, consider mixing resistance band drills into your sprint sets.

  1. Shoulder Harness

    • One of the essential tools you need to transform a resistance band into a running workout is a shoulder harness. Shop online or at a fitness supply store for a shoulder harness designed specifically to wrap around your shoulders and torso. A resistance band connects to the back of the shoulder harness and can be held by an assistant or tied around a pole or other stationary object to create instant resistance you must run against.

    Stationary Drill

    • Try this running drill. Wrap the end of the resistance band that is not connected to you around a pole, post or tree. Start with a lower-weight band and move up to greater weights to increase the resistance and difficulty of the drill. Sprint away from the pole or tree and toward a cone you have set up -- as far as the band will allow you to stretch. Sprint out, touch the cone and jog backward to the stationary object. Each time you touch the cone count it as a repetition. Try to complete a certain number of repetitions -- for example, 12 or 15 -- or drill for a set amount of time, such as 1 or 2 minutes.

    Assistant Hold

    • Ask an assistant or training partner to hold the loose end of a resistance band. Sprint as fast as you can a fourth of the way around a track. The assistant should walk behind you, or stay motionless, so you have to pull him along behind you just to move. Or ask the assistant to walk slowly behind you as you jog around the entire track. In time, you will build muscle and be able to run faster because you will feel lighter running without the band and weight holding you back.

    Isometric Drills

    • Another way to add resistance bands to your running drills is to use them for isometrics. Isometrics target specific joints or muscle groups, strengthening them through resistance. Wrap one end of a resistance band around a stationary object. Wrap the other end around your leg, just above the ankle. Bend your leg and raise it toward your hip to strengthen and condition your hip flexor. Over time, this drill will help you run faster.