I hate doing this workout in public. It makes me feel like everyone is staring at me.
I am definitely the type of gym girly that wants to be the center of attention, but also wants to pass by unseen. Don’t ask me how that works of whether it makes sense cause it doesn’t 😂.
Anyway. Sprints. It’s sprints. That’s the workout I love and hate.
I love it because it’s literally guaranteed to make you fast AF and it’s a fat burning machine.
Like your body will literally melt away fat if you do sprints.
I think sprints work best on an outdoor track, but I usually use one of these and it’s very effective (see photo below – any similar type will do brand doesn’t matter this is just an internet pic).
I can literally say that every single time I have been insanely fast in football (especially at my ripe above 30 age) it has been because of sprints… and maybe some deadlifts but that’s for another article.
So today I am adding it back into the rotation because it’s it’s high time that I get my body back… and then better. I WILL be (built like) a superhero before the end of 2024.
I read a nice article that breaks down how you should do your sprint workouts and it tracks with my previous research so I’m gonna go ahead and give you an easy to read breakdown. You can find the original article here.
For Top Speed Training
If you want to get faster overall
4-10 Reps TOTAL
Total distance per rep: 30-60 meters
Spend 10-20 meters accelerating
Spend 10-20 meters at your top speed
Spend the last 10-20 meters decelerating
Rest time: Until you hit full recovery. You want to give full energy to every single rep.
Distance Conversions:
20 meters = 0.0124 miles = about 22 yards
Now here are my personal notes and what I have done/what works for me.
I used to spend about 10 seconds total per rep. 1 second for acceleration and 1 second for deceleration. I literally run as fast as I possibly can. I’m gonna try this version and see how the time converts to distance.
Post workout recovery (based on my personal experiences)
Don’t do this workout back to back. 2-3 times a week I think is fine if you are a seasoned athlete with a good recovery program.
If you are a beginner 1-2 times a week is cool.
Now the coolest thing about sprints is that you can literally start doing them and see almost instant results. You will notice that you are faster and running feels easier.
An important thing to note though is that if you do not continue, the workout effects can also be temporary. Sprints do not produce long lasting running stamina improvements. You’ll have to add in some old-fashioned running for that.
Just like any other workout, you can definitely overdo it with the sprints. For the best results, I typically give my body a 1-2 day rest in between sprint workouts. I also try to make sure that I stop my sprint workouts about 2 to 3 days before I actually want to use my legs for a sporting event.
Again, all of this is based on my personal experience, but keep in mind that doing the training during your season will produce results for you and make you faster… but recovery after those workouts is what will turn you into a true beast.
I feel like a lot of people are afraid of taking longer breaks from working out (like a week or two) but my personal experience is that occasionally taking time off will literally allow my body to fully heal and allow me to perform at peak performance much better than training during the season, where my body has very little time to heal.
Always keep in mind that everyone’s experience is different and your results will vary based on your hormones, your sex, your age, your level of experience and your recovery routine.
#happylifting