World class sprinters are lean, fit, muscular and strong. And a lot of the time, their diets are filled with junk food and empty calories. Now some may argue, and they would have a valid point, that world class sprinters look like they do despite how they train not because of it. But the truth is sprinting as an exercise form is incredibly effective and should be used in your own workout routine, provided of course you are fit enough to attempt it.
The Science Of Sprinting
There have been many studies showing that sprinting has positive effects on body fat levels and muscle mass. But you only have to look at athletes who perform short sharp sprints to see it in effect. 100m sprinters, NFL running backs, rugby league centres and wingers, soccer players – they all have minimal body fat and I guarantee that a lot of these athletes don’t pay much attention to their diet. So sprinting definitely has merit for weight loss.
Ok, I hear you calling me out for not providing any evidence so here goes…well to be honest this blog wasn’t built for 5000 word long essays, so I refer you to this article by someone who did take the time to provide the science. If you want to read it go ahead. If not just read on to see how you can implement sprinting into your routine to see improved power, speed and lean body mass.
The Variables
Sprint training would seem simple right? Just go all out, stop, rest and repeat. But in truth the workouts of top sprinters are very very complex with rest periods, intensity levels, volume, technique, and a host of other factors all taken into account and adjusted by a coach.
Lucky for you, you don’t need to know any of this. But you do need to know one thing – the balance of intensity and rest periods.
Intensity is the speed you sprint. Rest periods is time in between sprints. Where people go wrong with sprint training is they have too short rest periods and end up just jogging during their sprints. This isn’t sprint training. It’s interval/lactic threshold training.
For true sprint training you need to sprint all out and rest completely. A good ratio is 1 min rest for every 10 metres sprinted. So a 10 m sprint followed by a 1 minute rest. A 20 minute sprint equals a 2 minute rest and so on. This is important! You have to sprint all out though so don’t forget that!
Note: This kind of training is very intense and should only be attempted by those with a sound level of fitness. For those still working up to this level search for posts on interval training to get you started.
Sample Workout
Warm Up – 3-5 minute jog and dynamic stretching
Sprints -
5 x 10m (1 min rest periods)
2 x 20m (2 min rest periods)
4 x 30m (3 min rest periods)
Cool Down – 5-10 minute light aerobic activity and stretching
Conclusion
Make sure to warm up thoroughly and stretch plenty after the workout. Sprinting is an incredibly good fat burner. It raises the metabolic rate and releases hormones that promote fat loss. It also builds strength and improves fitness. So for those who want to take their workouts to the next level, give sprinting a go.
