Sprint training

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Download Sprint Summary (pdf, 16kb)

About the programme — Important notes

The goal of this programme is to improve your sprint endurance and sprint recovery — (not necessarily your top speed but rather your ability to maintain that speed over time!). Ideally you will want to do 2 sessions per week for 6-8 weeks leading up to a big tournament or event. 1-2 sessions during the tournment season (depending on what other training you may be doing).

Make sure you have at least 3 days rest before a big tournament or event.

Warming up and down:

Ensure you always complete a thorough warm-up before each session. This should include a 10 minute warm-up jog followed by 5-10 minutes of stretching. Complete each session with a 5 minute warm-down jog and good stretch.

Warning:

Although this programme will be the most relevant factor in improving your match fitness and ability to perform to your potential — it is hard and can be very demanding on your body. Listen to your body and know when you need to give it a break!

• Avoid sprint training on consecutive days!

• Do not continue to do the sprints on hard grounds if you have impact injuries such as shin splints

• Do work with a buddy to push yourselves. If you run at different speeds use staggered starts to handicap the faster runner — both run for the same time, and rest for the same time (rather than worry about the exact distances)

• Do be prepared to use alternative types of training if necessary eg: swimming / cycling / exercycles / steppers / rowers etc. Just make sure you follow the work to rest times / ratios and work at a high intensity!

• Do ensure you do a gradual and thorough warm-up and stretch prior to commencing any high intensity sprinting.

Notes:

Allow ~4:00 mins rest between each set of sprints. (ie: at a change in distance)

If you think this is too easy run harder on your sets! You can do static throw in recovery time if you like — but take the full rest time to allow your energy systems recovery properly so you get the best benefit possible from your training.

The same goes for the rest between consecutive sprints — try and keep as closely as possible to the times given. Sometimes it will seem easy and sometimes like you haven’t had nearly enough time to recover — but stick to it!

If the times of the first set in a session seem particularly slow (eg: 400m in 2:00min) use them as warm-ups for what is to follow. It’s OK to pace yourself through a session — better to complete all sets within time than just the first one!

If you can’t keep to the times or find them too easy! Then adjust the distance accordingly! Note it’s great if you can do this at a track (will make your times heaps better than on grass too!) but by no means is it essential. Just do the work — the benefits will follow.

Good Luck