Jes Reynolds…Your Fitness Coach

If you want to become a better sprinter, you can do so by incorporating various strength training workouts into your training plan.  Particularly, workouts focusing on the posterior chain will help you improve sprint ability.  The posterior chain includes your spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings, and calf musculature.  These muscles are often referred to as the ‘running muscles’ because they do the majority of the work during running and sprinting.

Unfortunately, many conditioning regimens neglect posterior chain which can cause muscle imbalance and also reduced performance.  I also think most of us recreational athletes and fitness enthusiasts tend to unknowingly gravitate towards movements that negate the posterior chain.

Strength training workouts to improve sprint performance should be well rounded, including both anterior and posterior movements.  This will promote balanced muscular development, joint health, and optimal performance.

Primary Muscles Used in Running/Sprinting
I placed a brief 22 second below that illustrates muscles used during running.  Take a look.

While sprinting technique is slightly different than running, the video gives shows that muscles used in sprinting are mostly in the posterior chain.  In fact, a large part of the movement comes from the hamstrings role in hip extension. While it’s not only hamstring strength you want to develop or even solely posterior chain development, a well rounded sprint conditioning program should definitely include movements that develop the glutes, hamstrings, and emphasize both glute activation and hip extension.

Elements of Sprint Strength Training Workouts

• Olympic Lifts
• Squats (and their variations)
• Lunges (and their variations)
• Deadlifts (all types)
• Hamstring Isolation Exercises (Machine & Body Weight)
• Glute Ham Raise
• Kneeling Good Mornings
• Single Leg Glute Bridge

Strength Training Workout Guidelines
When training specifically for sprinting, strength workouts should stay in the lower rep range (approx 6 or less) with a focus on moving the weight quickly while staying under control.  Movements should mimic the explosive nature of the activity without becoming sloppy or potentially damaging.