Tip How to Sprint Without Getting Injured Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip How to Sprint Without Getting Injured Sprinting is like jogging for people who want to look good naked Here' s how to get started without getting hurt by Lee Boyce October 6, 2016April 5, 2021 Tags Metcon, Tips, Training Sprint With Caution The bigger and heavier you are, the more force you can potentially apply against a resistance. Vigorous exercises like sprinting ask for extremely aggressive contractions both concentrically and eccentrically, especially if you aren't in a regular habit of getting out to the track. Sprinting could open you up to straining, pulling, or even tearing muscles, regardless of technique. Here's how to prevent that. How to Sprint Safely Always leave something in the tank. You're sprinting for conditioning and the athletic and health benefits, not for competition. A trained sprinter knows there's a huge difference between sprinting at 90% of max speed versus going balls to the wall. Sticking with 90% output will leave you significantly more relaxed and it'll encourage fluidity. Stick with longer sprint distances. Thirty and 40-meter distances encourage you to tighten up and get to the line with less regard for anything other than a mad dash. Sprinting at 85 or 90% of your maximum speed limit is still sprinting. Give yourself a bit more rest time and do some 100-150 meter sprints. Not only will they help you open up your stride, but they'll give you more time under tension and really attack your conditioning. For a good sprint workout, perform proper mobility drills, stretches, and warm-up sprint drills like A skips, running A's, butt kicks, and carioca. After a few preparatory sprints at 30-40 meters each (resting as long as needed), perform 2 x 80m, 2 x 100m, and 4 x 120m. Take your time walking back to your starting line between reps and rest an additional 30-60 seconds before going again. Use a "falling" start rather than exploding from a dead stop. The gradual change in joint angles will make it easier for you to fall into proper drive phase positioning and give the muscles less "shock" during the first strides. If you want to be extra safe, start sprinting from a 5-10 stride jog. Falling Start Sprint Can I Just Use a Treadmill It's not ideal. For the most part, sprinting on a machine that has a belt speed limit of just 12 miles per hour isn't sprinting. Elite athletes reach top end speeds of nearly 30 miles per hour during the 100 meter dash. You may not be elite, but it's still reasonable to think you can move faster than 12 miles per hour over ground, 'cause that's really slow. Also, the moving belt is pulling your leg through the motion instead of by active hip extension. It's best to learn good form and get to sprinting outside. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Destroying Fat It takes more than just “eating less and exercising more” to reach single-digit body fat. Check out these advanced fat loss strategies. Bodybuilding, Fat Loss Training, Training Christian Thibaudeau March 19 Training I Bodybuilder 3 - Legs - Friday Build muscle as fast as humanly possible — week after week — until you see a body in the mirror that you barely recognize. Exercise Programs, Legs Christian Thibaudeau April 26 Training The Best Way to Row Period Barbell rows are a staple for building a big back and an overall stronger body. And using an underhand grip makes them even better. Here's why. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength, Training Eric Bach March 6 Training Sucker Punch Dan John An in-depth discussion with Highland Games competitor, thrower, coach, teacher, and wise man of the iron game, Dan John. Powerlifting & Strength, Training Bryan Krahn May 10