The Running Exercises Used to Increase Speed for Sprinters

There's a saying that "sprinters are born, not made," and some runners may accept that their current running speed is all they're capable of. For most people, however, that's not the case. With proper technique and training, most people can improve their speed and avoid injury while doing it. The important thing to remember is to practice patience, and be dedicated to increasing speed.

  1. Muscles

    • Conditioned leg muscles increase running speed.

      The best way to increase speed is to focus on training certain muscle groups. Novice runners often believe that the only way to increase speed is by simply running more, but building strength is more effective over the long term. Exercises that strengthen the quadriceps (the long muscle that runs along the front of the thigh) and the hip flexors (the front of the hip) can improve speed dramatically. Most runners take one day off per week to allow muscle recovery, and do one day of strength training. Muscle recovery is crucial to building speed because if muscles aren't given time to recover injuries can occur.

    Form

    • Keep your shoulders back to aid breathing.

      In order to run faster, you first must run more efficiently. This means correcting your form in order to allow your body to move as quickly as possible with the least amount of effort. There are a few adjustments that anyone can make to increase body form:
      1. Shoulders back--keeping your shoulders back relaxes the muscles in your back and allows easier breathing.
      2. Run with the whole foot--try to strike the ground with the whole foot at once rather than leading with the toe or heel. This helps you maintain your posture, and reduces potential foot injuries.
      3. Relax--focus on keeping your body loose and not muscling into your sprint. Tight muscles mean earlier fatigue and loss of speed.

    Speed Drills

    • Practicing speed drills improves times.

      Naturally, the thing that will most increase your speed as a sprinter is actually practicing sprinting. The best way to practice and see a marked improvement is to practice speed drills. Before practicing speed, warm up by walking or jogging for about a half mile. Then mark out a distance that you think you can comfortably sprint--most people start with 1/4 mile. Run the distance as fast as you can and time yourself. When just starting out, it's wise to do only five speed drills per running session. Over time, you can increase the number of sprints, but avoid doing too much too quickly. Record your sprint times to monitor progress.