This is going to be a two-part series where I will discuss sprint training, the benefits of sprinting, and how you can start with three easy sprinting workouts.
Ok…I’ll admit it.
People always look at me like I’m a nut job when I tell them I actually have fun when I sprint.
One day every week I will head out to the nearest track and put myself through a few different sprinting workouts. I keep things simple and don’t get too crazy with it.
A lot of people tend to confuse the world simple for easy.
Let me start by saying the sprinting workouts are far from easy.
If you are looking to get ripped, lean, cut (or whatever adjective you can think of that represents a solid muscular physique), sprint training will get you there, and get you there very quickly.
Sprinting is a very functional exercise – something that may come in handy in your everyday life. Think about that bus you’ve been trying to catch.
Sprinting may be one of the most efficient and intense exercises you can add to your training repertoire. You don’t have to use any equipment and it doesn’t require a lot of time. My style of sprint training doesn’t take a lot of time at all. I usually keep my training under 30 minutes.
One of my favorite benefits of this style of workout is that it’ll target nearly all my important muscle groups such as calves, hamstrings, glutes, hip abductors, chest muscles, biceps, triceps, lats, and abdominal obliques. Each muscle contraction experienced during a sprint workout consists of explosive accelerations and decelerations that will leave your body sore from head to toe.
Along with the full-body workout in a short amount of time, another benefit I enjoy is the weight loss benefits. Sprinting has been shown to have a beneficial impact on increasing your metabolism that’ll last for DAYS! While jogging can elevate your metabolism during the run and for a short period of time afterward, adding a couple of sprinting workouts to your routine each week can help you maximize the weight loss benefits.
To get a better understanding of how this works, read my article on epoc training.
Here are some things to consider about sprint training:
Before you get started
Sprinting is an extremely intense form of exercise. Start off going easy and then gradually improve each week.
The warm-up
Before you even think of sprinting it’s going to be super important that you loosen up your muscles, joints, and tendons. Sprinting will put them through intense stress. This is the warm-up I perform before I even begin training. You can modify this to fit your specific needs.
- Start by jogging 2 laps around the track.
- High knees – run with high knees for 1-2 minutes.
- Butt kicks – run and kick your butt with your heals for 1-2 minutes.
- Lunges – perform lunges with or without weights for 1-2 minutes.
Make sure you have water!
The last thing you want to experience while doing this workout is cramping. Make sure you have water on hand and drink it before, during, and after any workout.
This is the end of Part 1 of this article series – all about sprint training. In Part 2 I will be going over my 3 Simple Sprinting Workouts.
Check it out at Sprint Training – My 3 Simple Sprinting Workouts (Part 2).
