Whether you just run for the numerous mental and physical benefits or are a competitive runner, knowing how to improve your running speed and cardiovascular endurance can be beneficial.
These improvements will make you a better runner, and increasing your speed and endurance can significantly enhance your overall physical fitness. If you are ready to take your running training to the next level, you must familiarize yourself with sprinting track workouts.
These simple yet intense workouts can help you significantly improve your running speed, endurance, and physical strength. To help you get started, we will explain why they are so effective and what you will need to get started. From there, we will review some of the most popular sprinting track workouts.
Why Are Sprinting Track Workouts Beneficial?
While jogging and other basic forms of running are certainly great forms of exercise, workouts that revolve around sprinting tend to be even more effective at improving your physical strength, running speed, and cardiovascular endurance.
This is because these workouts require much more intense bursts of physical output. When you are sprinting, your body is forced to tap into the anaerobic energy system, as well as the aerobic system. This means your body is fueled by energy stored within your muscles. The explosive power needed to accelerate at a sprinting speed requires the body to dig deep and activate muscles rarely used during more casual runs.
Can Sprinting Build Strength and Speed?
Your body needs to activate fast-twitch muscle fibers to produce the fast and powerful movements involved in sprinting. These muscles are forced to develop rapidly when demands are placed on them. Just like continuous and challenging resistance training will stimulate your muscles until they begin to grow and develop, sprint training can also force your muscles to become stronger and larger.
Have you ever seen the leg and abdominal muscles of an Olympic sprinter? Their physiques are not a coincidence. When performed correctly and regularly, this exercise triggers rapid fat-burning and serious muscle development.
As your fast-twitch muscles become stronger, you will become a faster runner. These improvements to your running speed will be noticeable even when you are not sprinting at full capacity.
Can Sprinting Improve Your Endurance?
While you may assume that the only way to improve your endurance is with long-distance running, the truth is sprinting is also an incredibly effective way to improve your cardiovascular endurance.
When you perform high-intensity exercises, like sprinting drills, your body must operate close to its maximum physical capacity. The demands of this highly intense exercise challenge the body’s cardiovascular system and force the body to utilize oxygen and stored energy efficiently and effectively.
During a sprint session, your heart is forced to pump blood throughout your body at an increased rate, as your muscles desperately need oxygen-rich blood. This increased demand stimulates the development of new blood vessels and capillaries within your muscles. This makes them more efficient, which can improve your endurance. High-intensity workouts, like sprints, can also help to improve lung capacity, which, again, can improve your endurance.
Sprinting can improve your body’s ability to access oxygen and store energy quickly and efficiently. It can also help remove exercise-related waste, like carbon dioxide and lactic acid. This can help you run for longer periods without feeling sore and fatigued. It can also help you recover faster if you’re a long-distance runner.
Popular Sprinting Track Workouts
Sprinting track workouts can vary, but they all have the same primary focus: improving your speed, strength, and endurance. They are also outstanding for burning calories and losing excess body fat.
To help you get started, here are some of the most popular types of sprinting track workouts.
1. 100 Meter Sprints
Often considered the most basic and popular type of sprinting track workout, 100 meter sprints involve running at full speed over a 100-meter (328 feet) distance. This is an excellent form of exercise, one of the most popular track and field races, and one of the most-watched Olympic events.
You can perform this sprinting workout until exhaustion, but you must rest for at least two to three minutes between sprints. This is essential for recovery and injury prevention. If you want to increase the intensity, you can perform 200 and 300-meter variations. The farther you sprint, the more challenging the workout will be.
Ideally, this workout will be performed on a track, as a flat and even surface will help you avoid unnecessary injuries. Most tracks will also already have the 100-meter distance marked off, which makes the entire workout much easier.
2. Pyramid Sprints
Pyramid sprints offer more variety and a greater level of muscle confusion than set-distance sprint workouts. Essentially, you sprint increasing distances with recovery breaks between each sprint.
Once you have reached your maximum sprinting distance, you begin decreasing the length of your sprints in reverse order. For example, you would start by sprinting 50 meters, followed by a two to three-minute recovery break. Then you would sprint 100 meters. After another rest period, you would then sprint 150 meters. From there, you would complete your rest, then, once again, sprint 100 meters. This would then be followed by a 50-meter sprint.
The varied distances will challenge your mind and body, which can improve your sprinting abilities faster than a basic sprint. The variety and altering distances can also keep things more interesting.
3. Interval Sprints
Intervals are similar to standard sprinting drills but involve active recovery rather than static rest periods between sprints.
Basically, you sprint short distances at your maximum pace, then jog at a casual pace. This pattern repeats several times or until you have reached physical exhaustion. As one of the most common forms of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), interval workouts are incredibly challenging but efficient to improve cardiovascular endurance and physical strength.
A good running watch can be an incredibly useful piece of equipment for both pyramid sprints and interval sprints. To find the right running watch for your needs and budget, we recommend reading The 10 Best GPS Running Watches.
You can also develop your own variation of a sprinting workout by adapting the workouts outlined above. If you are willing to venture off the track, hill sprinting is also incredibly beneficial, especially for developing your power and muscular strength.
Preparation for Sprinting Track Workouts
Before you start any type of sprint, you must warm up and stretch. Due to the intense nature of sprinting, it is very easy to pull and strain muscles if you jump right into a sprint without proper preparation.
Start by lightly jogging for a few minutes. Dynamic stretching, like knee-highs and leg swings, can also help loosen the muscles and increase blood flow to your leg muscles. Staying hydrated is also hugely important for sprinting exercises, as dehydrated muscles cramp and tear much easier than when they are properly hydrated.
While warming up is critical, it is also very important to cool down properly after completing any sprinting workout. This can include a few minutes of light jogging or brisk walking.
Static stretches targeting the leg and abdominal muscles are also crucial for reducing soreness and preventing injuries. Ensure you focus on stretching the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles before and after sprinting track workouts.
You also need to ensure that you wear the correct type of running shoes for your needs if you are planning on sprinting. To find the right pair, read our Running Shoe Reviews & Buyer’s Guides. They are packed with useful tips and running shoe recommendations.
Final Words
While sprinting is beneficial, it is essential to remember that it also places significant strain on your body, especially if you are new to it. Make sure you start at an easy pace and gradually increase the intensity of your sprinting track workouts.
As your body adjusts and you become a stronger and more capable sprinter, you can complete more intense sprinting workouts. Too much intensity right from the beginning can put you at a significant risk of picking up a serious injury.
With all this being said, incorporating sprinting exercises into your running training can be one of the most effective ways to improve cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and running speed. It is a type of training that any runner can benefit from!
