Sprint Running Programs

While running sprints is required in a program to improve speed in sprint events, a training program for sprinting also involves strength and cardiovascular endurance, which will help the sprinter improve her performance over time. Sprint running programs should include a mix of activities that work parts of the body besides the legs, making the body part of your sprinting success.

  1. Building Core Strength

    • The core of the body, the area between the chest and the upper thighs, is the central source of balance. Strengthening the core by including exercises that build up those critical muscles and emphasize balance will help the sprinter improve her chances for success. A strong core leads to better body control and better posture, which in turn leads to a better body position while running. Combined with the core is the development of strength in the abdominal muscles. These areas will aid the overall health of a sprinter's most susceptible areas to injury—the hamstrings—and will also help her relax better during competition. Some of the exercises that work the core would include run lunges, in which she would start in a lunge position with a dumbbell in each hand, and then move the arms in a running motion while holding the lunge. Stability balls are also a great tool for working the core as they force a person to balance while performing activities like balance push-ups or lifting weights while laying with the back on the ball. Any exercise that adds a balancing component to a strength exercise will engage and work the core muscles.

    Strength

    • Improving the overall physical strength of the body will aid the sprinter in his running. This includes strengthening the legs, as well as the muscles of the upper body. Lifting weights, running hills, and sprinting in sand will combine to strengthen all parts of the body and will improve speed in sprints as well. Sprinters should not train at short distances only, but should enhance their workouts with endurance runs and sprints longer than race distance to improve stamina and performance.

    Mental Approach

    • All sprints are not made the same. The 100-meter is a race that is more about the quick start and the sustained burst, while the 200 cannot be run at full speed the entire way. An important part of the training program for a sprinter is to find the races that best fit her skills and then work on the mental side of sprinting. Knowing how hard to come out of the blocks and when to hit maximum speed are important to success, because they will spell the difference on race day.

    Holding Back

    • A key element of a sprinter's running program is to avoid running at full speed for every training run, even those run at race distance. Holding back some during workouts will let the runner get in more runs because the body will retain the energy needed to keep going. Full-speed runs for every training effort will make for short training sessions and will not prove as effective.