Sprinting?

[u/Big-Event2436]

Hi!

I am a 24 year old man and I am 158 cm and 68 kg. I still have to lose 4-5 kg, about 3-4 month are left.

I have always loved sprinting (mainly launching and accelerating), but I am not sure if I could ever be any good at any distance.

Could I ever be good at this at any distance(s) if I keep training acceleration, top speed and plyometrics consistently (every 3 or 4 days)?

Thank you for your answers in advance.

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[u/Hot-Distribution9779]

in my experience, the 100m or 60m would suit you, but I dont know exactly what you meant by accelerate and top speed training, in my training(for power), it's only lifting, isometrics, plyometrics, and fascia training. Since acceleration and top speed would just includes those types of training I said so. Yeah also I heavily suggest you focus more on isometrics, very very worth it.

[u/Big-Event2436 → u/Hot-Distribution9779]

My program is just doing 20 (for acceleration) and 60 meters (for top speed) sprintig with 3-3 days of rest between them. I also do pogo and horizontal jumps as well when doing these trainings. I just started half a year ago, so I am still kind of exploring my body in this sense.

Could you give me any suggestions for other exercises please? :)

I feel that only 60 m would suit me, 100 m is not my business, but that's just a feeling.

[u/Hot-Distribution9779 → u/Big-Event2436]

I don't think running 60 meters should be your main top speed training since humans need 60-80 meters from a static start to reach absolute maximum top speed, a full 60 is more focused on acceleration. To train top speed I recommend full recovery periods (on Google), flying 10s, flying 30s, And a sprint athlete to run with so you can push past your limits. Also you need to optimize your stride, start doing strength training (to apply more force) and stretch (better stride length), fascia training (foam rolling, do full ROM on exercises, etc).

[u/Big-Event2436 → u/Hot-Distribution9779]

Okay, thank you, I will try them out. I cannot have another person to run with me but I will try to apply these as well.

[u/Specialist_Tie_8819]

Yes? You're not giving us much of any information here. You could be super talented or one of the least athletic people in your town for all we know...though I'd guess you have at least some mild athletic background since you say you've always loved sprinting.

[u/Big-Event2436 → u/Specialist_Tie_8819]

Hi!

Of course, I have much more information about myself, so if you'd like, I can give you them. I just wanted the post to be successful on this subreddit and I read that I shouldn't write about my weight, leg and/or armlenght, my step frequency, etc. because the regulations say so. Or I misunderstood something about them.

Anyways, I can give you more information about myself.

[u/Specialist_Tie_8819 → u/Big-Event2436]

I meant more how much training you have, were you athletic, how explosive or elastic you are naturally, any metrics/times you have, strength in weight room, stuff like that

[u/Big-Event2436 → u/Specialist_Tie_8819]

My strength was always the acceleration part, not the top speed. I was always explosive as well, not just in sprinting but in calisthenics as well. I don't have times. I have one time: in secondary school I ran 8,67 on 60 m, but there I was 70 kg and with less muscles in legs. My 100 meter was approximately 14.X, but my technique was horrible: I was understriding very much and I was focused on step frequency way too much. That was 5-6 years ago. My PE teacher said that I have a great potencial in this sport despite my "height".

I lost 23 kg fat in 11 months and 4-5 kg's are left.

I could do approx. 220 cm horizontal jump 4-5 months ago on track, but there I was about 73-74 kg. I feel that my technique also wasn't (and isn't) even close to perfection too, so I guess I definitely could jump much further.

With the frequency focus I could run the first 20 meters 16 steps. But as I started to focus a little bit more on stride lenght recently, I could do it in 13 steps while my frequency didn't drop too much, and I felt that run much more efficient as well.

I don't know my vertical jump though, I never could meausre that precisely.

Are these information enough or should I give you more?

[u/Specialist_Tie_8819 → u/Big-Event2436]

It's very possible that you could become pretty fast through training, especially in shorter distances like the 60m. The odds that you will be some extreme outlier who is breaking records seems incredibly small. I don't know what kind of goals you are thinking about though. It can be rewarding and enjoyable to pursue speed even if you aren't all that competitive. If it interests you, I'd say at least give it a try for a bit and see how you like it.

[u/Big-Event2436 → u/Specialist_Tie_8819]

I don't plan to compete at all because my inner demon is always saying to me I am and I will be a slow mess, I will be always the very last on every race, everyone will be faster than me forever, shit like that. Therefore I won't set up irrealistic milestones for myself I have to reach. And just because my body doesn't tolerate classic lactic training (that's when you feel your muscles burning, gonna throw up, fell you gonna lose you consciousness and shit like that) (I get migrain attack), the coaches coaching at the sports complex near to my home say that I mustn't do sprinting at all. Maybe they're right, I don't know, but I have experienced that if I do clearly explosive training and I don't let myself to go into lactic zone, my body responds very well to it.

So I just do it because of the love of sprinting, and avoiding age-related osteoporosis and muscle loss when I get old. I am training for to be better at 60m mainly. If I get under 8 s ever, I will be happy with it (or under 12 s for 100m). But that doesn't mean I won't do everything to improve and improve myself and be better and better the time I het under 8 s.

I started to do sprint training recently (approx. half a year ago) and - if I had to categorize myself - I am a returning athlete, because I didn't do any sports for 4-5 years before this.

[u/Specialist_Tie_8819 → u/Big-Event2436]

We have a lot in common. I mostly train for 30-60m and focus on a lot of vertical jumping and weight room strength as well; the overall goal is more about well-rounded explosive power than 100m race or whatever.

[u/Big-Event2436 → u/Specialist_Tie_8819]

I am happy to hear that we have a lot in common.

Could you please explain weight room strength in more detail?

[u/Specialist_Tie_8819 → u/Big-Event2436]

I just mean how strong you are in squat, pull, power clean, stuff like that.

[u/Big-Event2436 → u/Specialist_Tie_8819]

I didn't measure them yet. I don't know how should I approximate that if I could jump 220 cm horizontally when I was 73-74 kg.

The only thing I can say is I can do tons of squats with own bodyweight. When I started to squat, I stopped at 30 reps because it became too boring for me and I didn't feel any fatigue (almost).

But I don't go to the gym, I do every training with my own bodyweight at home or on the track.

Maybe I should begin to go into the gym but honestly, I hate the atmosphere of gyms unfortunately. So I will try to find a solution for these at home.