Competitive sprinters require a comprehensive athletic conditioning program, which includes speed drills, plyometrics, flexibility exercise and strength training. A well-designed, sport-specific weight training program may increase bone density and strengthen the muscles responsible for supporting the body's structure during high-speed drill sessions and sprint events. Weight training may also develop the muscle fibers that are associated with speed.
Speed Strength
Competitive sprinters require speed-strength, which race coaches define as the neuro-muscular system's ability to produce the maximum amount of force in the shortest period of time. Speed strength has two components. Starting strength refers to the force developed in the first 30 milliseconds of a sprint. Explosive strength is the muscle's ability to sustain this force for 150 milliseconds. Olympic lifts, such as the snatch and clean, are most effective for developing speed strength, asserts Australian coach Denis Knowles, in an article on the Coachr.org website.
Fast-Twitch Fibers
Slow-twitch fibers have a slow contraction time and a high resistance to fatigue. Marathon runners have a high proportion of slow-twitch fibers. In contrast, sprinters have a high proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which have a quick contraction time and a low resistance to fatigue. Fast-twitch fibers have two subdivisions. Type A fast-twitch fibers support prolonged anaerobic activities such as the 400-meter race. Type B fast-twitch muscle fibers have higher force production but are even more sensitive to fatigue. They support short duration events such as sprints and hurdle jumps. Genetics influence the number of fast-twitch muscles in your body. Training affects their size. Exercise physiologist Jason R. Karp advises that training with one to three repetitions at 80 to 95 percent of the athlete's one-repetition maximum recruits the fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Training Time Frame
Former US National Decathlon Team Coach Harry Marra recommends a progressive, thrice weekly training schedule that begins four months prior to the race event. Establish your basic strength during the first month of training by performing 10 repetitions of each exercise. Perform eight repetitions the next month and six during the next. Marra suggests performing four repetitions during the month before the event, but some coaches suggest one to three. The four-repetition plan would suit 400-meter racers, who require slightly more endurance, whereas all-out sprinters will benefit from the one-to three repetition plan.
Exercises
In addition to exercises such as the snatch and clean, exercises such as the squat, dead lift, leg press, lunge and bench press effectively increase speed strength. Develop explosive strength by integrating plyometric exercises such as the box jump into your workout.
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