[Julio is an Exercise Science graduate student at Old Dominion University and is an Athletic Development Intern at Athletic Lab]

Here are 5 coaching cues that have helped me lower my 10 and 30 meter sprint times dramatically in just a few weeks of speed technique work at Athletic Lab.

1. Stay Relaxed – It may seem contradictory, but being too tense during your sprint (i.e., “trying too hard”) will likely have a negative effect on your sprinting time; as excessive tightness prevents the body’s musculature from maximizing its potential during each stride.

2. Run Tall – One common problem when sprinting is having a low body position. This tends to increase ground contact time during each step, which in turns leads to increased breaking forces. The goal in sprinting is to produce the maximal amount of force in the least possible ground contact time. Thinking “hips up” will likely help you maintain an upright posture.

3. Knees Up – This cue piggybacks on the previous one. In order to maximize propulsion with each stride, you need to hit the ground as forcefully as possible. The higher your knee goes before coming in contact with the ground, the more distance it has to accelerate downward. According to Newton’s Second Law: F = MA (Force is equal to mass times acceleration). For the same amount of mass, higher acceleration will equal higher force production, which in turn will increase propulsion and stride length. Keep in mind however that you could reach the point of diminishing returns here. Too high a knee lift and you end up expending energy to bring back down the knee to an optimal peak height.

4. Dorsi-flexion – Dorsi-flexion of the foot is the action of actively pulling your toes up toward your shin. Keeping the foot in this position helps minimizes the time it stays on the ground, as an already dorsi-flexed foot allows for rapid force generation and transition into push-off. Another benefit of active dorsiflexion is that it helps recruit the gastrocnemius muscle more effectively to help propel the body. One way of training and reinforcing dorsi-flexion is through thoughtful incorporation during sprint drills.

5. Get the first steps down and back quickly – At top speed the goal is to optimize stride length and power generation. At the start of the sprint, however, the objective is to accelerate your body quickly and build up to top speed. Getting that first step down quickly will help get you moving faster, setting you off to a good start. At the start, ground contacts will be largely behind you (or seemingly since it will appear as if you’re at an acute angle in relation to the ground) as you progress toward top speed your contacts will appear to occur either directly under the hip or slightly ahead of the hip.

Reference:

Young M. (2007). Maximal velocity sprint mechanics [DVD]. United States: Coaches Choice.