Sprint and Agility Training

There are a lot of different sports that people participate in and they require different types of fitness. A Marathon runner may find a game like Touch football difficult; likewise a basket ball player would find a marathon a very daunting task. Your training needs to be suited to your sport and/or your fitness goals. Sports like Basket ball and Rugby require intense activity at near 100% effort followed by short breaks whereas an endurance athlete requires a steady output of energy for hours. People participating in different sports train very differently.

Speed work or Sprint training is still relevant to a distance runner though. In order to run faster one must practice running faster. You can't simple go out and run your normal run faster every time you go out. A sprint training session is designed to develop your speed separately. Your body will increase its efficiency and general ability to run faster. This increase in speed will slowly transfer across to longer runs and you will find your current long distance speed easier and thus will be able to increase your long distance average speed.

Sprint or Agility

If you are a distance runner or an endurance athlete you will probably only need a sprint session in your training schedule in order to improve your running speed. However if you participate in a sport that requires a lot of changing direction and general agility, you need to incorporate this aspect into your sprint sessions.

A Basketball player plays their sport on a relatively small area, but will run up and back across the court many times in the progress of a game. As in touch football or touch rugby you will be stopping and turning regularly in order to keep up with the game. It would be rare, in most team field sports, that you would be required to run more than 10 - 30 meters in one burst. However you may need to repeat the effort in another direction several times in a row.

Speed Sessions

A speed session will probably only take 20 - 30 minutes to complete. Twice in 10 days is usually sufficient to generate gains without degrading performance in your normal training schedule. Once per week would be a maximum, especially if you already have some sprint work in your normal sport specific training. The sessions will be hard work and some carbo loading before hand is recommended - a large pasta dinner the night before a speed session and an extra energy drink a couple of hours directly before the session will help you maintain the levels needed.

Although you may be a distance runner you will still have speed gains by training with short sprint distances. You can't expect to go out and run kilometers at sprint pace. Training sessions of 5x30 meter sprints will have a more significant effect on your average speed than longer sessions. These sessions will also be a lot easier to complete and pace yourself for. 30 Meters is relatively easy to maintain 100%, whereas trying to pace yourself for longer distances will become difficult as you tire.

Be Prepared
A thorough warm up and warm down are very important for all training sessions, no less so for sprint sessions. Allow for 5 - 10 minutes of stretching at the end of the session. A light run is also a great warm down. You will be tired and thirsty so an extra sports drink for before, during and after the workout might be a good idea.
 
How it works
In these sessions you will be getting your muscles and cardio systems used to the extra exertion that's required to run fast. The cardio fitness is your body's ability to supply your muscles with oxygenated blood and remove any waste products, like lactic acid, generated during the muscle's work. As with just about everything in life practice makes perfect. At least it helps you to improve. The more time your body spends running at a faster pace the more adapted it will become to the task.

Muscular Endurance
Your muscles will be tired after a sprint session, so running it before a rest day or a light training day is recommended. The hard work your legs will be put through will increase muscle density and endurance. This means your muscles will take longer to tire, and not just with the fast movements but the improved endurance will carry over to long distance running also.

The Plan

As noted before, limit these high intensity sessions to about once per week. There are two different work-outs below depending on your goals. You may find that after a few weeks you need to increase your load a little. Try and resist major increases in distances or overall session time. Focus instead on increasing the effort in each sprint. It's also important to start every session feeling as fresh as possible.

Sprint Training
Warm up, 800 meters easy jog
8 x 30 meter sprint with 2 minutes walking recovery between sprints
Warm down, 800 brisk walk followed by stretching
Sprint & Agility
Warm up, 800 meters easy jog
4 x 20 meters sprint forward, 20 meters backward. 2 minutes walking recovery after each forward and back set
2 x 15 meters sprint, stop and turn as quick as possible and sprint back 15 meters. 4 minutes rest before next set
4 x 15 meters sprint, stop and turn as quick as possible and sprint back 15 meters. 4 minutes rest before next set
6 x 15 meters sprint, stop and turn as quick as possible and sprint back 15 meters.
Warm down, 800 brisk walk followed by stretching
All sprints in the above table are to be at 100% effort.

By Chris Allen


Return to Training page