Today, speed in sports is needed more than ever. It’s important to encourage coaches to experiment with running, plyometrics, weight training, and other speed training techniques. All of these tools are important, but the base of any speed program is in the gym.

Before discussing the best exercises for increasing running speed, it must be said that correcting structural imbalances should precede any fitness program. For example, a delay in the development of the broad middle thigh muscle can negatively affect not only the ability of an athlete to squat, but also to run.

Exceptions aside, there is a strong relationship between muscle mass and running speed. In the article “Running Performance Has a Structural Basis” published in The Journal of Experimental Biology, the authors analyzed the performance of 45 world-class runners over eight distances (from 100 to 10,000 meters) who took part in international competitions in 1990-2003. The scientists reported that the more massive runners were more likely to succeed in shorter distances, such as 100, 200 and 400 meters.

And now five exercises that can make you faster.

➜ Squats

Running speed depends not only on the movement of the arms or legs, but also on the ability to apply force to the ground, and nothing improves this ability more than heavy squats. In an eight-week study of rugby players, those who increased their squat max by an average of 30kg saw an increase in running speed of 6-7.6% in 5-, 10- or 20-meter sprints.

➜ Barbell chest raises

Coaches know from practical experience that chest raises can make athletes go faster. A survey of university coaches showed that about 85% of them use chest lifts in their athletes’ programs. In the NFL, that figure was 88%. The barbell cleanup increases athletic power, that is, it teaches the athlete to generate effort quickly. This has been proven in one study of twenty third division college football players.

One group of athletes performed powerlifting exercises, and the other weightlifting, such as chest raises. It turned out that weightlifting exercises doubled the results in the 400-meter race.

➜ Pushing a loaded platforms

This exercise can be done both in the gym and outdoors. The advantage of the exercise is that it largely repeats the sprint without changing the running mechanics, which happens, for example, when running with weights in the hands or ankles. The secret is that the exercise should be used exclusively for acceleration training, which means a distance of no more than 20 meters, after which the athlete already begins to straighten up.

➜ Raises the body back with secured ankles

Structural imbalances in the posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors) can not only lead to injury, but can also negatively affect running speed. For example, the back muscles are responsible for transmitting force from the legs to the upper body. Raises of the body are very effective because they load the gluteal muscles, involve the functions of straightening the hip and bending the knees with the biceps of the thighs, loading even the calf muscles.

Interestingly, by changing the position of the feet, you can correct running technique problems associated with developmental imbalances between the different heads of the hamstrings. For example, athletes who run with a slight outward turn of their feet should perform sit-ups with their feet slightly turned inward to correct this imbalance.

➜ Pull-ups

The idea of ​​working the upper body in order to increase running speed may seem strange, however, you need to understand that acceleration begins precisely from the top of the body. Pull-ups not only build strength in the upper body, but also strengthen the abdominal muscles, which compensate for the twists and turns of the lower body during running.

There is no single strength exercise that improves running speed. The best result is a combination of exercises, including some of the above. Try them for a faster start and a successful finish!