Many athletes want to get faster no matter what sport they play. Speed plays a significant role in football, soccer, basketball and track and field and it can help in sports such as baseball and tennis as well. There are many exercises and programs available that can help athletes get faster and improve their sprinting.
Parachute Training
The running parachute can help a runner get faster and more explosive. The running chute is worn like a backpack and provides significant resistance. Go to the local high school or college track and prepare to run a 100-yard dash.
Take off on the coach's signal, and as the chute unfurls, you will feel a tremendous resistance as you are running. Resist the urge to turn around or slow down. Keep pumping as hard as you can and finish the sprint.
Go back to the starting line and prepare for another sprint. This time, when you get to the 50-yard mark, press the release button on the front of the harness and you will feel a surge of speed. This is called "overspeed" and will help you run in a faster and more explosive manner.
Run this drill at least twice when you run at the track each day.
Hill Running
This a great exercise that will help your sprinting, your vertical leap and your endurance. Hall of Fame football players Jerry Rice and Walter Payton both engaged in hill running throughout their careers and both said it helped them when it came to open field running and getting away from tacklers.
"I never had the best [40-yard dash] time when I came into the NFL," Rice said. "But I always felt that when I had the ball under my arm nobody was going to catch me. The hill running had a lot to do with that."
Sprint uphill at top speed for a distance of about 200 feet. Take a 30-second break and repeat the drill. Do this twice a day when you are training to improve your sprinting.
Jump Soles
Jump soles attach to the front of your running shoes and will isolate the explosive calf muscles that provide the bulk of your power when it comes to sprinting and leaping.
In order to take advantage of the jump soles, go to the track and alternate running with walking. Sprint 25 yards while wearing the jump soles and then walk 10 yards. Follow this routine for five sets. Take a 1-minute break and then do the same routine--sprint 25 yards and walk 10 yards--five more times.
This will help you increase your speed when you resume training without the jump soles. Use jump soles three times per week to improve your sprinting.
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