If you begin a simple sprinting routine, you can quickly improve your running speed and endurance. This will help you become a better runner in every sense.
The more you sprint, the better your muscles will be able to endure explosive exercise. Here's a basic, "step-one" kind of fitness tip, a sprint routine that can serve as anyone's foray into the world of sprint workouts.
More efficient than jogging or walking, sprinting takes less time out of your schedule but requires that you work at full-effort for the duration of the workout. It is the best variation of running-based exercise that there is, better than distance running and better than walking, and is certainly better than any form of machine-based cardio.
But to get the most out of any routine, you truly must be able to run with 100% effort for the duration of the selected distance. For those of you who are used to your distance runs and walks, making the switch to sprinting can be a daunting task from both mental and physical standpoints.
Running at this speed at 100% requires a physical and mental effort that is very different from the kind of effort required to jog. For most folks, it has been so long since they last tried this - if they ever did - that their body and minds have forgotten how to do it.
Here is one of the most basic of sprint-based workouts, and a few tips to help you make this transition to a more athletic, and ultimately more enjoyable and productive, kind of workout. You may find a new form of exercise that you love!
One basic rule of thumb that anyone can follow in order to design their own workout is that for every second that you spend running at 100%, you rest for 6-10 seconds. For starters, keep the duration at a maximum of 6 seconds and use the maximum rest period as well.
You are all smart enough to figure this out for yourselves, but following this guideline you would sprint for 6 seconds and rest for 60 seconds. Technically, this is called the "work-to-rest" ratio.
After warming up with some light jogging for a couple of minutes, calisthenics, and dynamic flexibility work, perform 2-3 running bursts at about 75% effort to get your body used to the new "sprint stride" that you will be using.
If you've been jogging, or just haven't run full speed in a while, concentrate on and even over-exaggerate, getting your knees high, leaning your body slightly forward and pumping your arms in conjunction with your sprint strides. Stay on the balls of feet, and try to bounce a little as you stride.
Do not be "heavy-footed" and stomp your feet, or come down heels first when doing this form of exercise. For your first workout, shoot for a minimum of six bursts with a maximum of 8, and be strict with the rest periods.
Just because you may not feel winded after the first two rounds, do not shorten the rest period. Just be patient.
Because of the complex way the body fuels itself during this kind of activity, you want to condition your body to work efficiently along the lines of this work-to-rest ratio. Do not focus on a distance, but on the time you spend working hard.
Sticking to the guidelines mentioned above, a workout consisting of 8 sprints of 6-seconds in duration each, with a 60-second rest in between takes 8-minutes to finish. The wear and tear on the body will be much less than it would be if you jogged for 8-minutes - let alone 30-minutes - as the total time spent running is 48-seconds.
The intensity level that the body must contend during one of these workouts is more beneficial to improving your overall level of fitness than is the low-intensity exercise provided by jogging or walking. The high-intensity nature of this kind of running makes this type of exercise the most efficient and effective form of cardiovascular training.
With the added benefit of drastically reducing the amount of stress placed on the body, everyone should incorporate this particular training into their routine. You may find that your body was born to run as fast as possible!
It is a thrilling feeling. Now get out there and go as fast as you can-don't forget to rest!
Author Resource:-
Tommy Greene is an accomplished expert in health and fitness. He recommends the best treadmill you can find in the market.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 