Exercises to Run Faster

Regardless of sport or goal, running faster is a key part of exercise in many people's eyes. Focusing directly on the athletic arena, speed is an important factor in overall performance. One major mistake that people make when trying to increase speed is that they only use running exercises to increase it. However, speed-related exercises are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting faster. Speed will only take you so far without power and strength.

  1. Train Speed

    • If you're looking to run faster, training speed itself is absolutely necessary. Training speed generally means running short- and middle-distance sprints, usually in the range of 20 to 100 yards. It is important to train with a variety of distances to improve each portion of the run. Use sprints of 20 yards or less to improve acceleration and start times. Longer distance sprints of 100 yards or more will help you maintain your top speed.

    Train Power

    • Power is the ability to exert a maximum amount of force over a short period of time. Examples of power in the athletic realm include a spike in volleyball or a serve in tennis. In running, power is most evident at the start of a sprint. The ability to quickly blast out of the blocks or off the line is often overlooked, yet has a significant impact in the outcome of the race. This is where you will discover that running isn't the only exercise you need to do to increase speed. If you're the last one to hit top speed, it doesn't matter how well you can maintain it, because you're already behind your competitors.

      A common way to train for power is through plyometrics. This type of training includes a number of explosive exercises that teach you to channel your force into quick movements. When beginning plyometric training, start slowly. Begin with relatively low repetitions on exercises such as box jumps, pogo jumps, power skips and bounding. Each of these movements teaches you to exert a high amount of force quickly.

    Train Strength

    • To reach high levels of speed and power, you need a foundation of strength. Exerting force quickly won't benefit you much if you can only exert a small amount. This is where strength training comes in. Muscular strength has a great impact on your ability to run faster because stronger muscles allow you to exert a greater amount of force. Although it is important to achieve balanced strength throughout muscle groups, focus on lower body and core strength when looking to improve your running times. Implement exercises such as squats, glute-ham raises, deadlifts and lunges to build your lower body muscular strength. In addition, throw in plenty of abdominal work, dragon flags and wood chops, for example, to bring your core strength up.