Tips To Run Faster:

Tips to run faster are invaluable as there is no substitute for speed, which plays a pivotal part in nearly every sport known to mankind.

Is it possible to increase a player’s speed? In a nutshell…Yes. However, the methods of training, the diets, the reasoning and nearly everything else associated with the subject, is as varied as the numbers of coaches, intellects, physical therapists and others associated with the matter.

Increasing quickness is a building block program which incorporates many different training methods, as no One source, be it drill, exercise or diet alone will produce positive results.

Running The Bleachers

Tips To Run Faster

I am not a track & field coach, therefore do not possess the insight or training of such a professional. However, I can teach and pass along portions of the training program I was taught as a young athlete.

Phase I:

Like every other building block we utilize in baseball we begin with a strong foundation and that’s obviously the legs, which must be strong in order to merely carry the body’s weight, but in order to exert immediate energy in which to propel the body forward requires well conditioned legs.

Breathing, oxygen intake and disbursement to the muscles in order to maintain maximum efficiency, accompanies any sports related training to increase capacity, because unless you’re playing chess, maximum exertion is the name of the game.

In order to accomplish both of these goals, strengthen the legs and expand lung capacity, simultaneously, I recommend running up flights of stairs. This is an extreme leg and cardio conditioning program, which will definitely produce that burn in the thighs and calves, while gulping air.

Walk back to the bottom of the steps, which will provide the body recuperation time.

Use common sense and base your routine on the number of steps you’re climbing, as one flight of steps may require a starting point of 10 repetitions, while 3 flights of steps would need 3 or 4 repetitions. Regardless of the number of reps or steps, always walk back down to the bottom as this provides the body time to recuperate before the next set.

A word of caution here. If you’re planning to run up bleachers, say at a high school football stadium, only do so if the aisle way up the bleachers are a solid step or platform, as you do not want to be jumping from one bleacher seat area to another.

Number one, it’s the wrong way to perform this drill and sooner or later you will misstep and fall, most likely seriously injuring yourself.

Sprints

Tips To Run Faster

Phase II:

You’ve experienced the burn, both in the legs and the lungs, as you ran the steps, but you can already feel the increased strength, as you can run the entire program without your legs shaking and feeling wobbly.

Now is the time period in which we add to the program and introduce the training of the enlarged muscles to react to the motions of running. Enlarging any body muscle requires tearing it, sounds bad but is nature’s way, in order for it to grow. Although the running of the steps is much more muscle friendly as far as tearing, than weight lifting, there is a certain amount of injury, so cut back on the step strengthening aspect.

We will now concentrate on muscle memory, teaching the muscles to react immediately and quickly, and as we’re more concerned about speed than endurance, you will perform daily sprints of @ 30 - 40 yards.

Again, you starting out slowly and increasing your repetitions as you grow stronger, from a standing position, as if you were a base runner, sprint to the designated distance. Remember to walk back to the starting point allowing the body to recoup, which is imperative or else the body stops improving and begins breaking down.

Weekly Long Distance Run

Tips To Run Faster

Once a week run a long distance of at least two miles, if you must run and walk until you can run the entire distance, fine, but this extra distance addresses issues short sprints can not, such as Aerobic conditioning is greatly enhanced as the distance traveled is longer.

This increases smooth easy breathing, which increases the delivering of oxygen rich blood flow to the muscles, maintaining strength and the Tendons and Joints are strengthened by the increased period of physical activity.

Phase III:

While building muscle mass and strength we can not forget the importance of maintaining flexibility. Simply put, by remaining flexible the range of motion is increased, which increases the length of your stride, and the longer stride, the more distance covered with each stride, which equals increased speed.

Long Fluid Strides

Tips To Run Faster

Remaining flexible is also very important to reducing injury of strains and tears of the muscles produced by instantaneous maximum exertion. The last thing you want is to train for 3 months only to tear a muscle, ending your season, the first ball game.

There are numerous methods of exercises for stretching muscles, such as Yoga which is the oldest form of stretching and strengthening the body known by man, and Pilates has also proven to provide excellent results.

Always stretch before and after your work out.

Phase IV:

There is one other element to work on which a lot of people overlook, and that is the coordination of the rest of the body with the legs in order to act as a fluid smoothly running machine.

Training To Lift Knees

Tips To Run Faster

The arms and legs, in conjunction with one another, provide this smooth running form in order to maximize forward motion, and we achieve this by increasing leg and arm quickness, which includes running with the knees high.

Normally in training camps this exercise is performed by running through a line of tires, which forces the legs to lift high and the arms to pump, which increases the speed of both as well as increasing balance.

If you are practicing by yourself and don’t have access to such training equipment, you can substitute simply running in place. The important thing to remember while performing this drill is to concentrate on lifting your legs high at the hips and pumping your arms up and down as quickly as possible.

The arms and legs don’t have to be in perfect sync with one another, as that will come in time, you’re more concerned with increasing their speed.

Tips To Run Faster To Stealing Bases

Stealing a Base

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