Your muscles are composed of two types of fibers. Different people have different percentages of these fibers making up their muscles, which leads to some individuals performing better at sprinting and other short-term, high-intensity tasks, while others are better at endurance activities. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are the kind catering to sprinting and high-intensity exercise because they respond quickly and are strong. No matter what your body is naturally gifted with, you can train your muscles and encourage the development of more fast-twitch muscles through exercise.
Step 1
Focus running workouts around high-intensity, low-distance exercises. Integrate distances of 100 m or less, and no more than 400 m without taking breaks. Although longer distances can still help your body produce fast-twitch muscles, they will be less efficient at doing so. Give yourself long rest periods in order to fully recover between runs and increase your total output -- this gives your muscles the greatest benefit. Do running exercises at least three or four times a week.
Step 2
Lift weights every other day. Weight lifting is paramount to developing fast-twitch muscle because it exercises your muscles under a high-weight stress that endures for a short period of time. Ideal lifts that help fast-twitch muscles develop in your legs and lower body include the squat, leg press, toe press and leg curl, among others.
Step 3
Perform plyometric exercises a few times every week. These exercises are centered on developing muscle explosiveness, which is what fast-twitch muscle is developed for. Do box jumps and other exercises that force you to jump, leap or make other taxing explosions with your leg muscles.
Step 4
Eat a balanced diet high in protein. Protein is essential to building new muscle, and through that fast-twitch muscle fibers. The average adult needs 47 to 52 g protein a day, but if you are trying to build muscle, exceed this amount.
