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I need advice for getting better at sprints

AlexanderLarade

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Hey there again. About a month ago I posted a topic asking for advice to get better at pull-ups even though the rest of my PT scores were good, (Went from 2 to 8 in about a month)  :o
I'm making a new topic as I don't think every piece of advice is suitable for every single person, and I think I'm in a weird physical limbo.

But now I've hit my second block on my physical fitness,
I'm an infantry reservist trying to be the very best I can before my Battle school and since starting BMQ I have lost 39 pounds

(Not trying to brag just stats to prove a point) Currently I run a 10:15 second 2.4km run, 23 minute 5km run
67 push-ups in a set
49 sit-ups in one minute
and 8 pull-ups

But the problem that I have now is that I weigh 215 pounds, and whenever during PT we are asked to do a sprint race, I always end up in dead last because my sprints are just so freaking slow (I keep up with the group no problem when regular running however)

Can anybody give me any advice on how to improve my speed?

Once again if I come off annoying in anyway just tell me :)
 
Practice is how you get better. You saw that in the pullups, when you put in the effort results will come.

Try incorporating sprints into your normal jogging workout.

Example:

Warm up - X Distance

Sprint - 20 metres

Jog - 40 metres

Sprint - 20 metres

*Repeat X number of times*

Cool Down

It is all about getting the heart rate up and developing the twitch muscles to really get you moving. Here are a few links for you.

Sprint Technique Drills

Speed Drills
 
Like flavus said interval is the way to go to improve speed.  Try to add hills to your routine that will help also.
 
Find a good hill, 20 to 50 meters (whatever distance you prefer, I do 80 meters myself). Do your sprints there( 8 to 10 sets). Walk down the hill backwards once you reach the top(works the calves and avoids shin splints). If you want to build speed quickly you need more resistance. There is no way around it.
 
If you've hot a 400m track you can use an easy method is to sprint the straights and jog the curves. As was already mentioned here hill reps are good too.
 
If you're trying to increase speed over say 100m, rather than speed over x km, then that's what you need to train. Doing sprints mixed into a longer run/interval training will be great for training fitness, however will not be as effective in training the fast twitch muscles fibres required in a short, all-out sprint (note: not as effective, not saying there will be no effect). Either way... after warming up with a jog, throw in some running high knees (think speed/quick feet), running butt-kickers (again, think speed), ladder drills (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_bbBglPGHA -- you can do these without a ladder) and some acceleration sprints over ~ 50m. As mentioned several times earlier, hills are also great for speed and neuromuscular adaption.
 
Do intervals.  Find a soccer field, stand on one side, sprint to the other, 15 pushups, sprint back, 15 pushups.  Do this 4 times, jog an easy lap, and repeat.  As many times as you can till exhaustion.  It worked dramatically for me for soccer and rugby when I was young.
 
Hills, hills, hills. If you're looking for top 100m-type sprinting, it's the best bet. Running as fast as you can up the hills best simulates the muscles you use in the early stages of the sprint: quads, calves, and (probably most importantly) the psoas major muscles. These are the muscles that attach from your thigh to your spine on the front side, and pull your upper leg forward (opposite to the action of your glutes).  The proof is in the pudding: the Jamaican Olympic sprinters train hills religiously.

Plyometrics (such as box jumps) are also fantastic for developing the fast twitch fibers you need for sprinting, as are mountain climbers and burpees. But really make sure you get those hills in first.

Now, if you're talking sprints OTHER than a short distance from a start, do the intervals or Fartleks as stated above. With hills!
 
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