How to Train for the 400-Meter Dash

Video Transcript

"Hi I'm Les Whitley and I would like to talk to you right now about training to run the 400 meters. The 400 meters again is one of the toughest races that is out there today in the fact that it is a sprint for a very prolonged period of time. You have to maintain not only a great start position and accelerate through so that you are running at max speeds but you have got to run that out the rest of the race to maintain those top speeds through that prolonged period of time requires great running efficiency. A lot of runners will have great starts but they find themselves tightening up and then gasing out before the end of the race. Again maintaining the running efficiency by maximizing the long muscles of the body staying relaxed. One of the things to do when training is to loosen up the hips. The looser the hips are will not only propel you through space faster because you have a greater range of motion but you are also able to run a more clean race by staying relaxed. One of the exercises we use is a simple basic step over, hurdle in keeping the body up nice and tall, beginning on the balls of the feet, knees come up, toes up, stepping over so you have great range of motion through the hips. Again repeating, working the arms in too so that you are used to staying in that upright position and getting faster as you go along. The more efficient you are in having good flexible hips and maintaining that position the greater the chances are that you will start that race and finish the race while not running out of energy but also maintaining your speed. Another exercise would be a simple leg straightening coming over, toe pointed to the sky, stretching out the muscles of the hamstring, staying light on the feet, toes up, body in a good position, staying up nice and tall. Again avoid crunching over at the top, keeping the chest nice and high for maximal running efficiency."