Sprint Drills for Beginners (TOP 3 DRILLS)

Summary

In this informative video, Cesar from the Sprint Project shares three essential drills designed to enhance sprint technique, which are crucial for runners and especially beneficial for beginners. He starts by identifying common mistakes in arm movement, leg landing, and posture, then introduces seated arm swings to refine arm motion, straight leg bounces to strengthen foot push-off, and the A-step to improve posture and foot strike. Cesar emphasizes the importance of practicing with high-quality technique over quantity of repetitions for effective results.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♂️ The video is aimed at improving sprint technique, which is crucial for any form of running, especially for beginners learning to sprint.
• 🤔 Common mistakes in sprinting include insufficient arm movement, excessive lateral arm movement, landing too far in front on the heels, and poor posture due to a rounded back.
• 📝 The importance of arm movement in sprinting is highlighted, as it affects leg movement and overall speed; full range of motion is necessary to avoid energy wastage.
• 👟 The straight leg bouncing drill is introduced to strengthen the feet, which are often the weakest link due to modern footwear, and to improve push-off power.
• 🔄 The seated arm swing drill is emphasized as an effective way to improve arm technique by isolating arm movement and focusing on correct posture and core engagement.
• 👀 The video suggests using visual cues like 'thumb to eye, elbow to the sky' from Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis to guide proper arm movement.
• 🤲 The difference between open and closed hands during arm swings is explained, with open hands providing a mind-muscle connection and closed hands mechanically shortening the arm for faster pumping.
• 🚶‍♂️ The A-step drill is presented to improve posture and teach the foot to strike back into the ground under the hips, aligning with gravity for more efficient movement.
• 💪 The video stresses the importance of practicing with high-quality technique over quantity of reps, as practice habits directly influence performance.
• 🤸‍♂️ Strengthening the feet through drills like straight leg bouncing can prevent common issues like sore feet, shin splints, and sore calves.
• 🔍 The script encourages viewers to record themselves practicing to identify and correct form issues, especially for drills like the A-step.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the 'Sprint Project'?

The 'Sprint Project' was created by Cesar to provide a comprehensive resource for sprinting information, as he couldn't find a single place with everything he needed when looking for information on sprinting.

What are the three main components of sprinting mentioned in the script?

The three main components of sprinting are arms, legs, and posture.

What are the common mistakes made with arm movement during sprinting?

Common arm movement mistakes include not moving the arms enough and moving the arms too much side to side, which can affect leg movement and waste energy.

Why is landing far in front of the body on the heels considered a mistake in sprinting?

Landing on the heels is a mistake because it requires the leg to pull the center of gravity over the foot and causes the joints to absorb the majority of the impact, instead of landing on the ball of the feet which helps absorb impact more effectively.

How does a rounded back posture affect sprinting?

A rounded back posture prevents the lungs from expanding and taking in oxygen effectively and also prevents the arms from achieving a full range of motion.

What is the first drill introduced in the script and what does it aim to improve?

The first drill is 'Seated Arm Swings', which aims to improve sprint technique by isolating and focusing on arm movement.

What is the cue 'thumb to eye, elbow to the sky' from?

The cue 'thumb to eye, elbow to the sky' comes from Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist.

What are the benefits of the 'Straight Leg Bouncing' drill?

The 'Straight Leg Bouncing' drill helps to strengthen the feet, which are often the weakest link in the leg, allowing for a more powerful push off the ground.

What is the main purpose of the 'A-Step' drill?

The main purpose of the 'A-Step' drill is to improve posture and teach the foot to strike back into the ground under the hips, going with gravity instead of against it.

What should one focus on when practicing the drills to ensure proper technique?

When practicing the drills, one should focus on doing fewer repetitions with high-quality technique rather than many repetitions with poor technique, as practice habits will shape the final technique.

What is suggested for monitoring and improving technique during the drills?

It is suggested to practice in front of a mirror or record oneself to monitor and improve technique, using a water bottle as a makeshift tripod for recording.

Outlines

00:00

🏃‍♂️ Sprint Technique Fundamentals and Common Mistakes

Cesar introduces the video from the Sprint Project, aiming to demonstrate three drills for enhancing sprint technique, beneficial for all runners but particularly for beginners. He discusses the importance of proper arm movement, leg positioning, and posture in sprinting, highlighting common errors such as insufficient arm range of motion, excessive lateral arm movement, heel striking, and a rounded back posture. These mistakes can hinder performance by limiting step length, wasting energy, and reducing oxygen intake. The video promises to correct these issues through targeted drills.

05:02

💪 Targeted Drills for Sprint Improvement

The first drill, 'Seated Arm Swings,' focuses on arm technique by isolating arm movements for better visibility and correction. Cesar suggests sitting on the edge of a chair with a straight posture and engaging the core to execute the drill, emphasizing the importance of proper arm recovery and the choice between open and closed hands for different outcomes. The second drill, 'Straight Leg Bouncing,' addresses foot strength, a common weakness due to modern footwear, by bouncing on the balls of the feet to improve push-off power and prevent injuries. The final drill, 'A-Step,' aims to correct posture and teach foot striking under the hips for efficient movement with gravity. Cesar advises practicing these drills with precision and quality over quantity for optimal technique development.

Keywords

💡Sprint Technique

Sprint technique refers to the specific skills and movements used in short-distance running to achieve maximum speed. In the video, it is the central theme, with the host demonstrating drills to improve this technique. The script emphasizes the importance of arm movement, leg positioning, and posture in enhancing sprint performance.

💡Arms

In the context of sprinting, 'arms' are crucial for generating momentum and maintaining balance. The script points out common mistakes such as insufficient arm movement or excessive side-to-side motion, which can negatively impact leg movement and overall sprint efficiency.

💡Legs

The script discusses the role of 'legs' in sprinting, particularly the common mistake of landing too far in front of the body on the heels. This not only slows down the sprinter but also places unnecessary strain on the joints. The correct technique involves landing on the balls of the feet to utilize foot muscles for impact absorption.

💡Posture

'Posture' is highlighted as a key component of sprinting in the video. A rounded back, often a result of prolonged sitting, can restrict lung capacity and arm movement. The script suggests that maintaining an upright posture is essential for efficient sprinting and oxygen intake.

💡Seated Arm Swings

This is one of the drills mentioned in the script designed to improve sprint technique by focusing on arm movement. The seated position allows for clearer observation and correction of arm movement, which is integral to the sprinting motion. The script provides detailed instructions on how to perform this drill effectively.

💡Straight Leg Bouncing

This drill aims to strengthen the feet, which are often the weakest link in sprinting due to modern footwear. The script describes the process of bouncing on the balls of the feet to improve the push-off power and prevent common issues like shin splints.

💡A-Step

The 'A-Step' drill is introduced in the script to correct foot strike and improve posture during sprinting. It involves a specific foot movement that encourages striking the ground under the hips, aligning with the force of gravity for more efficient sprinting.

💡Range of Motion

'Range of motion' is mentioned in relation to arm movement, where full motion is necessary to prevent steps from being cut short and to enhance the power of each stride. The script uses the phrase 'full range of motion' to emphasize the importance of complete arm swings in sprinting.

💡Core Engagement

In the script, 'core engagement' is a technique used to stabilize the body during sprinting and seated arm swings. It involves contracting the abdominal muscles to provide a solid base for arm and leg movements, as illustrated by the script's description of preparing for a punch to the stomach.

💡Hip Flexors

The 'hip flexors' are mentioned in the context of potential issues with posture and leg extension during sprinting. Tight hip flexors can lead to a rounded lower back and hinder full leg extension, which the script identifies as something to be aware of and possibly stretch to improve sprint technique.

💡Quality Reps

'Quality reps' refers to performing a smaller number of repetitions with correct form rather than many repetitions with poor technique. The script emphasizes that how one practices is how their technique will appear, advocating for precision and correctness over quantity in training.

Highlights

Introduction to the Sprint Project and its purpose for creating a comprehensive resource on sprinting.

Common mistakes in sprinting technique categorized into arm movement, leg landing, and posture.

Importance of full arm range of motion for effective leg movement and sprint strength.

The negative impact of excessive side-to-side arm movement on sprint efficiency.

The problem with landing on heels and its effect on joint impact and leg strength.

Advantages of landing on the ball of the feet for better impact absorption and leg power.

Posture issues due to prolonged sitting and their impact on lung function and arm movement.

Overview of three drills designed to improve sprint technique.

Seated arm swings drill to enhance arm movement and sprint technique.

Technique for seated arm swings, including posture, breathing, and core engagement.

The role of thumb position and elbow angle in arm swing efficiency.

Difference between open and closed hands in arm swinging for sprinting.

Straight leg bouncing drill to strengthen feet and improve leg extension for sprinting.

Execution of straight leg bouncing with focus on toe pointing and minimal knee bending.

The A-Step drill for posture improvement and teaching correct foot strike under the hips.

Technique for the A-Step drill, emphasizing glute contraction and maintaining an upright position.

Importance of practicing with high-quality technique over quantity of repetitions.

Invitation for viewers to share their sprint technique drills and struggles in the comments.

Transcripts

hey what's going on it's cesar from the sprint project in this video i'm going

to show you three drills for improving sprint

technique technically this will be useful if you're doing any form of

running but it'll be especially useful if you're

learning how to do sprints if you're new here welcome

originally i created the sprint project because i was looking for information on

sprinting but i couldn't find a place that had

everything i needed so i decided to build it myself now

let's get into the video before we get into the drills let's

quickly go over some of the most common mistakes

sprinting can be broken down into three components arms

legs and posture for arms there are two common mistakes

one is not moving the arms enough two is moving the arms too much side to side

the problem with these mistakes is that what happens

at the arms affects the legs if your arms don't move through a full range of

motion then your legs won't either so each step

you take will be cut short and be much weaker on the other

hand if your arms move too much side to side energy is wasted that could instead

be used to move your body forward for legs the most common mistake is

landing far in front of your body on the heels the problem with this

mistake besides the fact that the leg has to pull the center of gravity over

the foot is that when you land on your heels your

joints have to absorb majority of the impact

on each step instead when you land on the ball of your feet

your foot muscles achilles and calf muscles

lengthen and help absorb the impact of each step

in terms of posture majority of us sit for a large part of our day

so one of the biggest problems is a rounded back this prevents your lungs

from expanding and taking in oxygen effectively not to mention also

prevents your arms from achieving a full range of motion now that we've

established some of the most common mistakes let's get into the drills the

first drill are seated arm swings in my experience

this is one of the fastest ways to improve sprint technique because it's

much easier to see what your arms are doing

compared to your legs and posture if you're at the track you can sit down at

the bleachers or if you're at home watching this video you can grab a chair

and sit on the edge to perform this drill

just make sure you sit far enough so your arms can move freely without

touching the back of the chair first sit up straight eyes straight

ahead then take a big breath and engage the core if you're not sure

what this is supposed to feel like imagine if someone was about to punch

you in the stomach so you filled your lungs with air

and contracted your core as a shield to begin thumb to eye

elbow to the sky i got this cue from carl lewis who is nine times olympic

gold medalist then you can begin swinging your arms

while keeping the core engaged you can start off slow

in order to build up the correct movement pattern then once you're

comfortable with the movement you can do it even faster

and work on power here's how it's supposed to look like front of the body

when the hand is at the highest point the angle at the elbow is slightly less

than 90 degrees as it comes down the arm opens up and it

becomes nearly straight at the leg then begins

to close as it comes up behind the body here the elbow is the same height as

your shoulder with the upper arm parallel to the ground if you can't do

this that's alright over time as you practice this drill

your shoulder mobility will improve for recovery do what feels most natural

to you some sprinters recover with the arm below the waist

some recover with the arm above the waist in order to get a faster arm swing

my experience here's the difference between open and close hands open hands

allows you to feel the wind against your palm

which gives you a better mind's muscle connection closed hands mechanically

shorten your arm which allows you to pump them faster and increase the speed

of each step here is how it's not supposed to look

like you don't want to look down on your hands

or up too high because where you look affects your posture

you don't want a small range of motion from the front

the hands should not cross the midline of the body if there's one thing you

take away from this video it should be this

the second drill i call straight leg bouncing unless you frequently walk

around and exercise barefoot the feet are usually the

weakest link in the leg which may lead to sore feet sore calves

and shin splints simply put because of modern day shoes

our feet are weak and this drill is going to help us

strengthen them so that we can push off the ground

with more power first begin on the ball of your feet next

without bending your hips or knees too much push your toes into the ground and

start bouncing then continue bouncing but instead use only

one foot at a time finally move forward while balancing on

one foot at a time adding in the arms at this point you're

isolating your feet to do majority of the work

both to push you into the air and move your body forward

by training the feet in isolation the power of each leg will be much stronger

once you put everything together and are actually sprinting here is how it's

supposed to look like the big toe should be the last part of

the foot to leave the ground immediately after pushing to the ground the toes

should point up landing should happen on the ball of the

feet with only minimal bending at the knee or hips to absorb

impact here is how it's not supposed to look like because we're isolating the

feet the knees and hips should not be bending and extending

otherwise they'll be helping to generate a large amount of the power when moving

forward if your toes are scraping the ground

that's a clear indication that either you're not pointing the toes up at all

or you're not doing it fast enough when moving forward you should not be taking

large steps or landing in front of the hips

this will cause you to lose a straight leg position the third drill is called

the a-step the main purpose of this drill is to

improve your posture and teach your foot to strike back

into the ground under your hips so that you're going with gravity instead of

against it to perform this drill stand with your feet shoulder width apart eyes

straight ahead first take your foot off the ground with your

toes pointed up then tap your opposite knee with your ankle

and relax slightly finally bring the foot back down to the same place it was

before underneath the hips once you get

comfortable with the movement you can do it faster

you can do both legs add the arms in and move forward

the easiest way to perfect this drill is to practice in front of a mirror or by

recording yourself which you can do using a water bottle as a tripod just

make sure the water bottle is full here is how it's supposed to look like

your power and balance comes from the leg that's on the ground

so make sure to contract the glutes there should be a straight line

from the top of your head to the foot by having your toes pointing up you prepare

the foot muscles to strike the ground so that when it does contact the foam

muscles are engaged effectively when you contact the ground it should be with the

ball of your foot first underneath the hips here is how it's not

supposed to look like you should not be leaning forward

backward or to the side if this happens make sure you're contracting your glutes

and core they work together with the hamstrings and quads to maintain an

upright position if you're having trouble keeping the leg

on the ground from bending at the knee or you're bending at the waist

then it's likely you have tight hip flexors the hip flexors connect from the

lower back to the top of the thigh so if they are tight they may cause your

lower back to round and prevent your leg from extending

completely to summarize seated arm strings are going to improve your arm

technique by isolating the arm movement straight

leg bounces are going to teach you to get a full extension through the leg

and the a-steps are going to improve your posture and teach you to strike

correctly into the ground all of these drills keep

in mind that doing less reps with high quality technique

is always better than doing lots of reps with poor technique

how you practice is how your technique will look like so make sure that your

practice is as perfect as possible i think those are three of the most

valuable drills you can do when learning sprint technique now i'm

not saying these are the best drills in the entire world

if you have any other drills that you recommend feel free to drop in the

comments and i'm interested what are you guys

currently working on in terms of building your sprint

technique or what are you currently struggling with

i think it'll be interesting for all of us to see what everyone else is working

on so drop in the comments and thanks for

watching i'll see you in the next one