If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to train for superhero strength and ability, take a look at the life of an Olympic sprinter. These athletes are the total package: strength, power, speed, and explosiveness, all wrapped up into a lean, mean, running machine. What does it really take to compete on the national stage when all you see on TV are sub-10-second races? Honestly: It’s not fun. Most elite-level sprinters train about 20 hours a week for races that are just seconds long, with just slivers of seconds separating Olympic gold medalists from also-rans. But even if you’re not ready to race 2016 Olympic gold medalist Wayde van Niekerk—the first man to break 10 in the 100, 20 in the 200, and get anywhere close to 43.0 in the 400—you can still utilize sprinter-style training to shred fat, build muscle, and become the leanest you’ve ever been.
Part I: Training in the weight room Start building some sprinting strength by incorporating these much-needed movements.
- Power Cleans – 5 sets of 5 reps
- Barbell Squats – 3 sets of 6 reps
- Bench Press – 3 sets of 6 reps
- Plate and Bodyweight Complex Finisher – 3 supersets of the following: Chinups – 10 reps Jump Squats w/plate – 12 reps Hanging Knee raises – 20 reps Reverse Lunge w/knee drive – 8 reps on each leg Dips – 10 reps Sled Drag (40 ft.) Part II: Training on the track Always start with a dynamic warmup to prime the nervous system for fast movements. Dynamic warmup
- Skips – 50m
- Backward Skips – 50m
- High Knees – 50m
- Butt Kicks – 50m
- Backward runs – 50m
- Leg swings (front and back) – 10 reps Now you should be nice and fired up, ready to turn it loose on the track. The two track sessions below are devised to target different aspects in a sprinters’ training—both vital to their competition prep. Track training session I Conditioning Run 8 x 200m. After each sprint, walk back to the start. Rest 2 minutes. Target time for each 200: 30 seconds or under. Track training session II Race Modeling Run 250m 150m x 2 Rest 90 seconds in-between reps and 8 minutes between sets. The sprinter’s guide to competition nutrition
Now that you’ve had a taste of what a sprinter’s training is like, don’t forget that expending that much energy demands an equally intense recovery phase. Unlike distance runners, whose diets comprised carb-loading for longer periods of running, sprinters lean more toward high amounts of proteins and healthy fats for short bursts of explosive strength. Protein 1g per pound of bodyweight throughout the day – Chicken breasts – Fish (salmon, mahi-mahi, cod, haddock, flounder) – Lean beef (ground chuck, London broil, flank steak) Fruits and vegetables (The darker the better) – 30% – Raspberries – Kale – Yams – Bananas – Broccoli – Pineapple – Spinach – Blueberries – Leeks – Pomegranite – Seaweed Fats 10% – Natural peanut butter – Almond butter – Oils (flax seed, fish oil) – Avocados
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to train for superhero strength and ability, take a look at the life of an Olympic sprinter. These athletes are the total package: strength, power, speed, and explosiveness, all wrapped up into a lean, mean, running machine.
What does it really take to compete on the national stage when all you see on TV are sub-10-second races? Honestly: It’s not fun. Most elite-level sprinters train about 20 hours a week for races that are just seconds long, with just slivers of seconds separating Olympic gold medalists from also-rans.
But even if you’re not ready to race 2016 Olympic gold medalist Wayde van Niekerk—the first man to break 10 in the 100, 20 in the 200, and get anywhere close to 43.0 in the 400—you can still utilize sprinter-style training to shred fat, build muscle, and become the leanest you’ve ever been.
Part I: Training in the weight room
Start building some sprinting strength by incorporating these much-needed movements.
Power Cleans – 5 sets of 5 reps
Barbell Squats – 3 sets of 6 reps
Bench Press – 3 sets of 6 reps
Plate and Bodyweight Complex Finisher – 3 supersets of the following: Chinups – 10 reps Jump Squats w/plate – 12 reps Hanging Knee raises – 20 reps Reverse Lunge w/knee drive – 8 reps on each leg Dips – 10 reps Sled Drag (40 ft.)
Part II: Training on the track
Always start with a dynamic warmup to prime the nervous system for fast movements.
Dynamic warmup
Skips – 50m
Backward Skips – 50m
High Knees – 50m
Butt Kicks – 50m
Backward runs – 50m
Leg swings (front and back) – 10 reps
Now you should be nice and fired up, ready to turn it loose on the track. The two track sessions below are devised to target different aspects in a sprinters’ training—both vital to their competition prep.
Track training session I
Conditioning Run 8 x 200m. After each sprint, walk back to the start. Rest 2 minutes. Target time for each 200: 30 seconds or under.
Track training session II
Race Modeling Run 250m 150m x 2
Rest 90 seconds in-between reps and 8 minutes between sets.
The sprinter’s guide to competition nutrition
Now that you’ve had a taste of what a sprinter’s training is like, don’t forget that expending that much energy demands an equally intense recovery phase. Unlike distance runners, whose diets comprised carb-loading for longer periods of running, sprinters lean more toward high amounts of proteins and healthy fats for short bursts of explosive strength.
Protein
1g per pound of bodyweight throughout the day
– Chicken breasts – Fish (salmon, mahi-mahi, cod, haddock, flounder) – Lean beef (ground chuck, London broil, flank steak)
Fruits and vegetables
(The darker the better) – 30%
– Raspberries – Kale – Yams – Bananas – Broccoli – Pineapple – Spinach – Blueberries – Leeks – Pomegranite – Seaweed
Fats
10%
– Natural peanut butter – Almond butter – Oils (flax seed, fish oil) – Avocados
For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More News
The Best Mindfulness Apps for 2023, According to Experts
Work on That Core With The Vinsguir Ab Roller in Your Home
Fuel Up For Your Workouts With Core Power Protein Shakes
Best Testosterone Booster: Top 5 Supplements For Men of 2023
Best Green Powders of 2023 to Boost Your Health
Fortify Your Body With The Optimum Nutrition Multivitamin
All Stories
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
More Videos
The MJ5: Tony Hawk on His Favorite Gear, Why He Always Carries His Board, and More
Here's the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey
Young Guns and a Supercharged Catamaran: U.S. SailGP Team Takes on New York City
