Weight Training for Sprinters

Thursday July 2, 2009

Recently I won a bronze medal at the Pan Pacific Masters Games at 60 meters, and a got a fourth in the 100 meters. Considering I had not raced sprints since high-school -- quite a few years ago -- and had only used starting blocks in a few pre-championship meets in my "comeback," I was stoked. My old hamstring injury even held up well to the training and racing.

Sprint Start (c) Getty Images / Digital Vision

I did spend many hours in the gym doing weight training in preparation, and it seemed to pay off. Even so, you do have to have a scheduled program of some sort, whether you're at high-school, college or beyond. The main game is still training on the track, but I've put together a generic weight training program that may help you get started if stronger sprinting or improved running speed is what you're looking for. Let me know how you go.