How to Become a Faster Sprinter

Speed can be the deciding factor to losing or winning in a competition, and many high school and college athletes want to become faster in their competition of choice. You have a better chance of beating a defender, stealing a base or crossing the finish line with just a little more speed. Because becoming faster stems from your leg muscles and core, focus on strengthening these areas to improve your speed.

Things You'll Need

• Athletic shoes
• Training parachute
• 10 cones
• Jump rope

Instructions

1. Stretch. Stretching not only prevents you from injury, but also maximizes your muscle growth and helps with your muscle twitch. A muscle twitch is the nerve that triggers you to be quicker and faster. While balancing on one leg, grab your other ankle and bend it back. Hold this for 30 to 60 seconds, and then switch legs. This stretches the quadriceps.

   For your next stretch, lunge with one leg ahead of the other and lean with the front leg pushing forward for calf and quad stretch. Then sit on the floor and bring your legs toward you with both the bottoms of your feet pressing into each other. With this position, press down with your elbow on your inner thighs. Maximize every stretching routine and add more as your workouts advance.

2. Jump rope. Make sure you jump on your toes and focus on quick burst. Three sets of 60-second bursts are sufficient to help imrove the muscle twitch in your calves.

3. Parachute burst sprints. Connect the parachute to your body. Run a 50-yard sprint. When you get from Point A to Point B, speed walk back to Point A. Then, run the 50-yard sprint again. Do five to 15 sets.

4. Suicide sprints. Using the cones, make five 10-yard marks. Run from the first cone to the second, then run back to the first. Next, run from the first cone to the third cone, then back to the first. Follow this until you touch the fifth cone, and then do the sprint in reverse. Sprint throughout. Do three sets of these.

5. The core. The abdomen and back must be strong in order to have speed. Planks are a total-core exercise. Lay on the ground. The elbows should be shoulder-width apart, and the forearms should be flat on the ground, holding the body above the ground. The rear end should be tucked in and your abs tight. Hold this position for 1 to 2 minutes. Do 3 sets.

Tips & Warnings

• The correct balance and weight in shoes can also help develop your speed.