Why Running Sprints Will Not Work
It would be easy to assume that simply running sprint over time would make you faster. The logic is that the more sprints we run the more accustomed our body becomes to sprints and the faster we will eventually run. But how many of us have actually seen benefit from this type of training? How many of us have paid hundreds of dollars to see unsatisfactory results? The problem is that although we are working very hard, in the end we are training our body to be slow.
Only two outcomes can come from our training, we can either run fast or we can run slower. We can never stay the same. What does it take to get faster then? The answer is always working maximally.
Many strength coaches say form running and sprint will make an athlete faster, but that is not the case. If an athlete were to go to a speed school session they would first begin with a warm up. After that they would move on to a technique portion of the training session and end with running a large amount of sprints. After a few sprints, the athlete is very tired. But the speed school coach tells the athlete to keep running. This is where the issue is. The athlete is tired and can no longer run maximally. The athlete may think he is running maximally, but the truth is he is not. So if the athlete continues to run sprint below his maximum, which of the two outcomes is going to happen?
In this example, the athlete is running below his maximum, thus teaching his body to run slower. This is a case of quality over quantity. When maximum speed cannot be reached the session needs to be ended. When perfect form is not followed the session needs to be ended. This way instead of the body working with a mixture of maximal speed and below maximal speed, it will only be working with the quality maximal speed. At the same time, the body will be working only with the perfect form. This way, the body will only be used to maximum speed and quality form.
The intent of speed sessions are good, but the way they are carried out is not. Too many athletes become tired and fatigued yet continue to run until they no longer can. This process as we have described will be too much quantity and not enough quality. But if the body only knew maximum speed and quality [http://www.how-to-run-fast.com] form, do you think you would then benefit from running sessions?
Only two outcomes can come from our training, we can either run fast or we can run slower. We can never stay the same. What does it take to get faster then? The answer is always working maximally.
Many strength coaches say form running and sprint will make an athlete faster, but that is not the case. If an athlete were to go to a speed school session they would first begin with a warm up. After that they would move on to a technique portion of the training session and end with running a large amount of sprints. After a few sprints, the athlete is very tired. But the speed school coach tells the athlete to keep running. This is where the issue is. The athlete is tired and can no longer run maximally. The athlete may think he is running maximally, but the truth is he is not. So if the athlete continues to run sprint below his maximum, which of the two outcomes is going to happen?
In this example, the athlete is running below his maximum, thus teaching his body to run slower. This is a case of quality over quantity. When maximum speed cannot be reached the session needs to be ended. When perfect form is not followed the session needs to be ended. This way instead of the body working with a mixture of maximal speed and below maximal speed, it will only be working with the quality maximal speed. At the same time, the body will be working only with the perfect form. This way, the body will only be used to maximum speed and quality form.
The intent of speed sessions are good, but the way they are carried out is not. Too many athletes become tired and fatigued yet continue to run until they no longer can. This process as we have described will be too much quantity and not enough quality. But if the body only knew maximum speed and quality [http://www.how-to-run-fast.com] form, do you think you would then benefit from running sessions?
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