WEEK TWENTY-NINE :: How Can You Improve Your 40 Time?

[admin]

TOPIC: How Can You Improve Your 40 Time?

For the week of: June 8th - June 15th.

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In bodybuilding, people ask, "How much do ya bench?" In the speed world, people ask, "What's yer 40 time?" What are the secrets of improving your 40 time?

What type of weightlifting workout program should you follow to improve your sprinting speed? How many days a week should you workout? What type of running workouts should you do? What type of plyometrics are best?

Is there any type of special equipment you can use? Are there any supplements that will help?

Are there any special starting or running techniques that people can use to improve their time?

Are there any activities that you should avoid that could actually slow you down?

What type of improvement can you expect in four weeks? Twelve weeks? One year?

BONUS QUESTION: What is a good 40 time for a junior high athlete? For a high school athlete? For a college athlete? What is your 40 time?

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Don't discuss any other topic in this section. ONLY discuss the question above.

The best response will get $75 in credit to use in our online store! The other good responses will be used in an article on the main Bodybuilding.com site, with the poster's forum name listed by it. Become famous!

Thanks,
Bodybuilding.com

[CourageinBattle]

My life revolves on the 3 digits that make my 40 time. Being a football and track competitor, I know too well the rewards of having a blazing 40. In addition, I've managed to cut mine by 1.5 seconds which is considered amazing. You're sitting there, thinking man i want these guys to eat my dust. I want them to know me by the back of my shirt. WARNING: Remember reading this article ain't gonna make you faster pal. Take your eyes off this computer screen and look down. See those legs, those are the ones that are gonna carry you across that finish line. It's up to you if you wanna cross that finish line with your held up high and your pride still intact. But, if you're one of those bums or has-beens that never really accomplsihes anything, stop reading this article so you can cross the finish line with your tails between your legs, like a coward. But, if you're one of those guys who grabs his dreams by the balls and gets after it, READ ON! There are countless ways to get fast and I'm going to cover the most important ones!
HOW SHOULD I TRAIN WITH WEIGHTS???
To begin with, your weight lifting program should comprise with low weight and a extreme focus on explosion. This explosion will hone those fast twitch muscle fibers that are necessary to be quick and fast. Each set should consist of slow negatives and explosive contraction of the muscle. Squats, Lunges, Leg Press, Power Cleans, and Wall Sits are all great excercises!
What are Plyos and How do they Help???
Plyometrics are a crucial way of strenghtening the fast twitch muscle fibers. The explosions incorporated with them is parallel to the explosion necessary to run a fast 40.
Plyometric Exercises
-Standing based jumps performed on the spot (low intensity) - Tuck Jumps, Split Jumps
-Jumps from standing (low-medium intensity) - Standing long jump, Standing hop, standing jump for height
-Multiple jumps from standing (medium intensity) - bounds, bunny hops, double footed jumps over low hurdle, double footed jumps up steps
-Depth jumping (high-very high intensity) - jumps down and up off box (40 to 100cm), bounding up hill
-Eccentric drop and hold drills (high-very high intensity) - hop and hold, bound/hop/bound/hop over 30 metres (athletes stops and holds on each landing before springing into the next move), drop and hold from a height greater than one metre
Planning a Plyometric Session
The choice of exercises within a session and their order should be planned. A session could :
1. Begin with exercises that are fast, explosive and designed for developing elastic strength (low hurdle jumps; low drop jumps)
2. Work through exercises that develop concentric strength (standing long jump; high hurdle jumps)
3. Finish with training for eccentric strength (higher drop jumps).
An alternative session could be:
1. Begin with low hurdle jumps
2. Progress to bounding and hopping,
3.Continue with steps or box work
4. Finish with medicine ball work out for abdominals and upper body.
Warm up
A thorough warm up is essential prior to plyometric training. A cool down should follow each session.
How many ???
It is wise not to perform too many repetitions in any one session and since it is a quality session, with the emphasis on speed and power rather than endurance, split the work into sets with ample recovery in between.
Where to do it and what to wear???
For bounding exercises use surfaces such as grass or resilient surfaces. Avoid cement floors because there is no cushioning. Choose well-cushioned shoes that are stable and can absorb some of the inevitable impact. All athletes should undergo general orthopaedic screening before engaging in plyometric training. Particular attention should be given to structural or postural problems that are likely to predispose the athlete to injury.
What should i do to condition for Plyos???
Higher than normal forces are put on the musculoskeletal system during plyometric exercises so it is important for the athlete to have a good sound base of general strength and endurance. Most experts state that a thorough grounding in weight-training is essential before you start plyometrics. It has been suggested that an athlete be able to squat twice his body weight before attempting depth jumps. However, less intensive plyometric exercises can be incorporated into general circuit and weight training during the early stages of training so as to progressively condition the athlete. Simple plyometric drills such as skipping hopping and bounding should be introduced first. More demanding exercises such as flying start single-leg hops and depth jumps should be limited to thoroughly conditioned athletes.

There are other plyos too! For example, following the last set of a lift, do a plyometric lift. I for one do squat jumps following my squat lift. It works like this. I stack on a medium weight, perhaps what i can do for a set of 10. Then a partner puts extra weight on the bar during my negative portion of the lift. When i hit rock bottom, they remove their weight and i explode up. I usually do this for 5 reps. So, for squats you can do squat jumps. Then, other plyometrics are weightless. Box jumps can be used following any leg exercise. It is crucial to get on the box and off it as quick as possible. Remember to pump the arms in an upward motion to help you jump. Yet another helpful plyo is cone jumps. These will help improve quickness. Just have short quick explosions over the cone and pretend you're downhill skiing. Lastly, it is important to havwe powerful abs. They will help you keep that forward lean while you're sprinting. This forward lean will get you movind much faster than normal!
What equipment should i get???
To begin with, there are numerous pieces of equipment that will assist you in your quest for speed. A running parachute will provide constant resistance. Ankle weights are also useful when it comes to increasing speed. The final piece of equipment is the holy grail of all sprinters. I'll let you in on our little secret...Strength Shoes. You can find them online. They're the weird looking shoes that have humongous blocks on the front. Follow the strength program that comes along with them and you'll be in fantastic shape for your 40.
Running Techniques and Excercises
There are countless running techniques used for sprinters wanting a speedy 40. The first idea is, be quick. Quick feet are happy feet. The faster your feet get off the ground and back again, the faster you'll be. There’s a technique called pawing. You can have a hand on the fence when practicing this. Start off with you left hand on the fence with the left thigh parallel to the ground. Then, when your coach blows the whistle paw the ground as fast as possible. Try to drag your foot as softly as possible. After doing this, attempt to return with your knee parallel to the ground an your toe pointing as high as possible. While doing this, your right arm should pump along with your foot helping you gain coordination and technique. Your right arm should be locked at a 90 degree angle. Another exercise you could use is ladders. Try to get your feet in and out of each rung on the ground as fast as possible. Be light on your feet! Lastly, run on your toes. I know you think you know that but you don't. By toes i mean the least surface area as physically possible. Thus, you can cover more distance in less time. Ok, your excercise plan should consist of resistance training on alternate days and speed training on alternate days. Speed training should not take you longer than 90 minutes and should consist of the following:
1. A 5 to 10 minute warm up of course!!
2. High knee skip 30 yards
3. High knee run 30 yards
4. Skip for height 20 yards
4. Forward bounds or broad jumps 30 yards
5. Kareoka: A crossing of the feet in front and behind of each other, 30 yards
5. Butt Kick 30 yards
6. Frankensteins: Put your hands out infront of you like you're frankenstein, hence the name, then attempt to kick as high as possible with as slight a knee bend as possible. This will improve felxibility and work your calves really well.
7.End with a few hard core sprints. Remmeber focus on technique here cuz you're tired...
8. Cool down and stretch
REMEMEBER! Throughout this example excercise session when I say 30 yards I mean you go 30 yards and then return to your original starting point 30 yards. So actually you trave a total of 60 yards! Keep your abs tight and stay on your toes at all times. Lastly, stay hydrated!
The only activities you should avoid when trying to get a quick 40 time is eating unhealthy. Keep yourself in good shape and you should be fine! If you're reading this article, you're probably in good shape, a member of an athletic program and are just looking for those few tips that'll give you the edge you want!
Quick pointers for the day of the 40!
Wear short shorts that won't keep your knees from bending. If you have track spikes wear them. Lastly, wear a tight shirt to help keep down the wind resistance.

If you follow this plan then the possibilities are endless. Remember the only limitations you have are the ones you set! You should easily be able to cut your forty time by .1 to .5 if you do this correctly. That may not seem a lot but every hundreth of a second counts!
Good times:
Junior High Athlete:5.00
High School Athlete:4.45
Mine:4.42 (I weigh 210 and have flat feet!) =(
College:4.35

Remember Leroy Burrel once said, "The more I train, the more I realize I have more speed in me!

[BigRyan56]

Strength Training
Strength training is a great way to improve your forty time. The main exercises you should concentrate on if you wanna improve your forty are Squats, Cleans, Snatch, Clean, Push Press, and Deadlift.

Squats are a real biggie, probably the biggest exercise to do to improve your forty time. Squats work your whole body and is probably the best exercise for your lower body. There are many variations of squats like the Sumo Squat, Bench Squat, Deep Squat, Jump Squat, Olympic Squat, and Power Squat.

Another great exercise and biggie is the Clean. The two variations of Cleans I do is Hang Cleans and Power Cleans. Power cleans are great for whole body development and help greatly with your explosion. It is alot easier to do Power Cleans than Hang Cleans because you use you're momentum of your whole body. The Hang Clean requires a pause at the thigh area, which makes this a bit more harder because you dont throw your whole body into it.

Plyometrics
You can do high knees, frog jumps, knee tucks, one legged bounds, skip for height, skip for distance, knuckle drags, and many other plyos that really help your overall athleticism.

Vertical Leap has a relation to your forty yard dash. Many athletes who have a high vertical leap have a low forty time. Their relations are somewhat comparable. The forty yard dash is a short burst run, which requires your fast twitch muscles to be used and so is the vertical jump. They are maximums of what you can do in a short amount of time or in a moment, unlike 400 meter runs and stuff like that. They involve maximum recruitment of your muscles instead of endurance of your muscles. So while you work on your forty time, try to work on your vertical leap so you kill two birds with one stone. I like to do Vert Jump, which I just jump up and grab a 10ft basketball rim.

I love to do hill runs or bleacher runs. This is what many NFL and College runnigbacks do for pure leg power. It stregthens your legs greatly. There is little risk of injury when you do this to. The incline adds resistance to your running and inmproves overall leg drive which helps you push off when your striding during your run. You can counter this move by doing the opposite, which is downhill runs. This makes you run faster than you really can because there is no resistance and gravity takes affect. This helps your muscles adapt to running faster and this actually helps alot. You can also do running exercise in a pool. The water gives you resistance and there is no risk of injury. This really helps your foot speed and should be tried by all, plus it's safe.

Starts
Push up starts
Simply get in a push up position and do a push up but lean forward as you're pushing up and get your feet under you as you start your stride. Do this for about 5 to 10 yards.

Take A Picture Starts
First you get into a relxed postion as if you were taking a picture with one knee on the ground and the other with your hand on it. Then you place your hand to the ground as if you were getting into a three point stance kinda. then you raise your hips and this is starting to look like a sprinters stance. Then you raise your hand that isnt on the ground to yourside like a lineman who is about to speed rush. then you go and explode for about 5 to 10 yards.

Ball Drops Starts
This ones simple you get into a take a picture final stance and when you see that the ball that the person is holding in front of you, about 5 to 10 yards away, is dropped you go. You have to reach the ball before it bounces for the second time.

Drills
20 yard shuttle
Set up three cones in straight line 5 yards apart from each other. You get in a three point stance. You start from the middle cone and you run to your right or left, which ever hand you get down with you go the opposite way. You run and touch your foot on the line of the cone then you run to the other cone on thge other end. Sprint to the other end cone now and touch your foot on the cones line and sprint then sprint and pass the middle cone and thats it. Make sure when you are running and touch your foot on the line use your outside foot closest to the cone, so you don't have to turn your whole body

O - 5 yards - O - 5 yards - O

L Drill
O 5 yards O
5
y
d
O
This drill is shaped like a L, like it says, You use three cones and set them up 5 yards apart.You start off on either ends of the cones, just not on the middle one. You sprint from cone 1, the one you started from, to cone 2, the middle cone. You take an outside turn around cone 2 and run to cone 3, the last cone. You wanna turn on the inside of cone 3 so when you do a full turn you can then run to cone 2 and turn on the outside of it. When you turn on the outside of cone 2 you then sprint past cone 1 and its over.

60 yard shuttle
O
5
y
d
O
5
y
d
O
5
y
d
O
You simply set up 4 cones straight and five yards apart. You simply start at cone 1, which is either end of the cones but not the middle ones You run to cone 2, the middle cone, and touch the cone's line and run backt to cone 1 and touch cone 1's line. Then you run to cone 3, the next cone after cone 2, and touch the cone's line and run back to cone 1. Then you touch cone 1's line and then rrun to cone 4, the end cone, and touch it's line and run past cone 1 and you're done. You've just ran 60 total yards, WOW!!!
Box Drill
You set four cones up in the shape of a box. The cones are 5 yards apart from each other. First you get in a three point stance and you sprint to the cone in front of you, then when you come to the outside of the next cone you shuffle to the cone to your side, try not to hit the cones. As you come to the outside of the cone on your side you back pedal to the cone behind you. Then when you come to the outside of the cone behind you, you sprint diagonally to the cone diagonal of you.
O5 yardsO
5 5
O5 yardsO
W Drill
You set five cones up 5 yards apart in the shape of a W, I like to keep the drill names simple as you can see. You start on either side of the top of the W, just not the middle one. Then you back pedal to the cone diagonally behind you. Then you switch directions as you pass the cone and sprint forward to the cone in front of you. Then you back pedal as you pass the cone that was in front of you. Then again you switch direction and sprint past the last cone.You can also reverse this drill and sprint-backpedal-sprint-backpedal-sprint-backpedal. Now you're dont the W drill.
O O O


O O

There are many more drills, but these are the main ones that I do. You can do many variations of all these drills and switch up sprints and shuffles and make the back pedals and carioca.


Proper Form
Many people have different running styles. People try to say run like this and run like that. I've seen track stars that didn't have perfect form but won because they were comfortable with their form. I say use a comfortable form. lean a little forward as you run to throw your body weight forward to give you some forward momentum. Pump your arms too. Keep comfortable strides and try not to wobble your body around to much keep everything in one motion and going forward. That's about it for form I say. I just say run as fast as you can.
Improvements Seen
You really won't see much improvement with running speed for about 6 weeks. You might see a little bit of a change sooner. I give you six weeks and you'd be running maybe a thousandth of a second faster and that matters alot for many football players. You could improve your forty by 2 or 3 and maybe even 4 thousandths of a second after about 12 to 16 weeks of hard training.


Supplements that may help in lowering your forty time.
Creatine is a biggie. Creatine is released in your body for about 10 seconds or a little more at a time. So creatine will help short burst activities like a forty yard dash. It is a great supplement not only for this, but it helps add strength and size.
Kre-Alkalyn
This is a new supplement on the market and it is a basically a pumped up creatine. It's ph levels are around 14 and creatines is I believe around 3 and 5. This means that Kre-Alkalyn will not break down into creatinine like creatine does. really when you use creatine you only get abot 30% of the gram dosage you take to your muscles. Kre-Alkalyn is alot better. It has a 10 times greater absorption rate than regular creatine does. 1.5 grams of Kre-Alkalyn is equivalent to 10 grams oif regular creatines. So less is more in this case.
Nitric Oxide
This is a great supplement to take if you want stregth and muscle mass increases. The stronger your muscles, such as in your legs the better forty you should run because you have a stronger explosion, ya get it. Nitric Oxide dilates your blood vessels so more nutrients can flow to your muscles and "feed" them. This also helps with a pump in the gym. the pump is awesome because a pump for all those who haven't experienced is when a huge flow of blood to the muscle happens because your body is trying to feed your muscle while you use them up working the muscle. Any way this pump is great and indicates to you that you're doing something right, so I recommend this to everyone.

Good Athletes
Junior High
Runningback 4.7
Linebacker 4.9
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.6

High School
Runningback 4.5-4.6
Linebacker 4.6-4.7
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.4-4.5

College
Runningback 4.4-4.5
Linebacker 4.5-4.6
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.3-4.4

Professional
Runningback 4.3-4.4
Linebacker 4.4-4.5
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.2-4.3

My 40yd dash:
4.72

[cardioking]

Although I am not familiar with what people at different levels should be running I do know that with each year times are improving along with skill. While there are plenty of tricks to improving the 40 time lets talk about what a person should do to improve there 40 in the gym. A good sprinter needs to be extremely lean yet very powerful and explosive. Low bodyfat is key as is a lower bodyweight. A lot of times you will find sprinters and speed athletes alike doing explosive exercises that creates power such as plyometrics (jumping and box exercises) as well as snatches and other power moves. These athletes have to pay extra attention to there knees as they do not want to cause pain or inflamation. In the weightroom they should pay attention to an all around weight program and work on abs to strengthen the core. In terms of cardio they want to do sprints and have some sort of endurance for oxygen sake. Most importantly the athlete needs to do sprints both in the 40 and in longer sprints like the 100 and 200. Many athletes like to use a parachute to add resistance to sprinting sessions while others like to just drag things. The start is very important and is dependant on the person as to how you start but most successful sprinters do good when they start with there head up instead of down.

[dragontraining]

Simply, the 40 yard dash of today's world can get you almost anywhere in a d-1 college or even into the NFL, we are starting to realize that. Here is what you need to become a king at the 40 yard dash.

There’s three things that you need to have to be succsusseful at the 40 yard dash

Heart- If you don’t have heart and mentality you certainly will not achieve your goal, BodyBuilding.com, Its not supplements that make the player it’s the heart and the mind of the player, sure supplements can make you a better stronger athlete but it truly comes down to what’s inside of you not on the outside.

Training- You must have free time to train, I recommend training 5 days a week. You will never get your achieved time if you don’t have time planned out to practice.

Time- You must tell yourself that these things take time, your not going to go from a 5.9 to a 4.4 overnight after practicing, you must tell yourself that it takes time to reach your dreams. ANYTHING
is possible if you try.

Ok, Now that I told you the three things that are first needed to run the 40 here are the physical things you want.

I am not a big fan of Supplements but if you wish…

1. Creatine- Creatine is an excellent product. It will make your faster and have more power. www.bodybuilding.com is where I would shop, ( NO I AM NOT KISSING UP) Its just that they have very low prices and you can really get some steals on there.

2. Lipo6- I put Lipo down because I have tried this product for its energy… and BOY did I get energy. I ran .2 faster when taking 2 pills before my workout and I got explosive energy which is highly needed for a 40.

Now that you got that information down I will tell you what you need to do running and weight lifting wise. I will make this very easy so it can be read by younger fellas ( yea I feel ya guys I know coaches are tuff on the 40.)

Lifting
Squats- 5 sets of 10... Keep it at low weight and go down slowly and EXPLODE up so your really get that workout so you can focus on explosion.

Trap Bar- 3 sets of 8.… Very good for the 40, Do around 75% of your max and flip the bar over backwards and grab it the other way for more resistance.

Leg Press- 5 sets of 10... Excellent exercise for the 40. Do around 85% of your max.

Standing Calf Raises- 5 sets of 20... I love this its very good for your explosion in the 40, take about 35lb dumbbells and stand on your tippy toes and come back down, you really feel it.

Cardio

Bleachers- This is HIGHLY recommended it will really build up your endurance and legs for your 40.

40and 100 yard sprints- Hey, haven’t you ever noticed if you ran the 40 over and over again that you will be used to it and if you run constant 100’s that the 40 will seem like nothing to you? Do around 5 sets of each.

Jump-rope- Jump rope is a extremely good cardio, its good for your legs and builds up to your explosion
Skipping and Butt kicker drills- These are very good drills to keep your blood pumping and get you coordinated, recommended for warm-up purposes.

Yes, There is one “special” equipment that I would use for the 40 and yes it’s a torture but it will give you AMAZING results for the 40 yard dash. It’s the sled! The Sled is an excellent device that will surely give you a lower 40. You can do different drills with it like run with it behind your back for a 100 yards, (Warning: Do not SPRINT it will give you an injury) Do 40 yard walks with it, It can be VERY useful.

Techniques- There aren’t many techniques that you can do, but what I do recommend is this.

Think about something you hate, something that really PISSES YOU OFF! Get down in your 40 stance left hand on the ground and bend now raise your hand slowly up taking in a VERY PISSED OFF deep breath and REMEMBER your left foot is behind your right foot but not far because if it is far than your just gaining yardage you’ll be running a 41 or 42 yard dash haha.

Ok above is when you get set, that’s really all people tell you in articles but I will tell you what to do IN the 40 yard dash because, HELL everything counts right?

10- Keep your head down and look down on the ground, rise up about the 20. HOLD your breath.

20- You should just be getting out of the slant of your body and be rising up let your air out through your NOSE not your mouth.

30-You should be looking up and getting ready for the big finish

40- Race right into the finish line in, and envision your girlfriend or someone you love being beat-up and you want to help them, CHARGE RIGHT IN THERE AND SAVE THEM! DO NOT I REAPEAT DO NOT LEAP into the finish line, you will loose .1 or 2 seconds it does not make you get there faster TRUST ME!

Also, When you start off do not go back and fourth run straight! don’t waddle you’ll just loose precious time.

Negative Activity’s

The only bad activity’s that could hurt you is eating bad and not being true to yourself.
Avoid, Skateboarding it could really damage your legs and such it will affect your body a lot. Eat healthy you wont get anywhere if you don’t eat right. I am not going to sit here and tell you a great diet cause that’s bull, just look at the food pyramid and always remember this quote “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

Before The Big Dash-

Wear under-armour or something tight and spandex, where WHITE because you’ll be much cooler, black and dark colors will slow you down. I recommend getting these sneakers Nike Men's Air Zoom Vick’s. You can find them on www.eastbay.com keyword: Vick (on the site.)

Also eat a good meal and get good nights rest, you’ll be energized for tomorrow. Try eating something light like a banana and some cherrio’s with some Gatorade.






Improvement

You can expect improvement at any time given time. If you work your hardest and train like I said I will tell you, you will achieve your goals… Believe in yourself bro!




BONUS QUESTION: What is a good 40 time for a junior high athlete? For a high school athlete? For a college athlete? What is your 40 time?

Junior High Athlete
5.2 and below

High School Athlete
4.8 and below

College Athlete
4.6 and below

My 40 time

Priceless, haha just kidding I run a 4.5

I want to tell you guys I wish you the best and I hope you achieve your dreams e-mail me at any time at protossmatt@yahoo.com guys!

P.S All Exercises can be found at www.Bodybuilding.com

[dzL p Hr Ea K]

Good Athletes
Junior High
Runningback 4.7
Linebacker 4.9
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.6

High School
Runningback 4.5-4.6
Linebacker 4.6-4.7
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.4-4.5

College
Runningback 4.4-4.5
Linebacker 4.5-4.6
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.3-4.4

Professional
Runningback 4.3-4.4
Linebacker 4.4-4.5
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.2-4.3

My 40yd dash:
4.72

whoaaaa mann!!...theres no way anybody in junior high can have a 4.6 40....r u crazy??? ur lucky if u got that in high school....ive never seen a 4.4 in high school or even a 4.9 in junior high..jeeezzz

[CourageinBattle]

whoaaaa mann!!...theres no way anybody in junior high can have a 4.6 40....r u crazy??? ur lucky if u got that in high school....ive never seen a 4.4 in high school or even a 4.9 in junior high..jeeezzz

Idk about the junior high time because most kids are not training for it at the time. However, a high school time of 4.4 is very common. At least at my school and in Illinois. This year alone my team had 6 kids run a 4.4 and one 4.35. But, then again my football team is a powerhouse prgram. Many of these kids have been training for years! All you have to do is train right and make the right lifestyle choices! Don't ever limit yourself!

Speed Killz

[dzL p Hr Ea K]

well of course its possible but its so unlikely

[sushils7]

Hello everybody,

I have been reading the forum for quiet a while. I started lifting at 23, after completing college, today I am 27. I weighed 43kgs at the at time, about 5 years ago. The results started to come in after 6 months and in 2 years I weighed 78kgs, all muscle and bulk, no fats, my waist line has always been around 30-32". I never participated in any sports upto my graduation. So I do not have any Idea of what is good time for a speedster at different stages of life for 40 yards and I do not have any stats of my self for "the 40".

But now affter 4 years of training I can run fast enough and I know how to gain in the results in running.


The work out program.

1. Speed walk: Walk on a tread mill at 6 to 6.5kmph for 10-15 minutes
2. skipping: Skipping concentrating on you front foot. About 200 skips at speed of 60-90 skips per minute, 3 sets.
3. lunges: Weighted lunges is the best exercise to increase the power of the muscles that are used in running. It increases the speed and power of quads, hamsand calves, also increases the strength of the ankle joint. One should do atleast 80 to 100 lunges.
4. After lunges it is the time for some standing calf raise. these should be performed with all the variations possible, ankles - straight, in and out. About 20 reps and 3 sets in each ankle positions.
5. Now if U have acces to a running track, a 200 mtrs hurdle(10 hurdles) race, 3-4 laps, will be the final touch to it or else 3 sets of single leg leg press can be done or leg extentions.
6. moderate weighted leg curlings, 4 sets and 20 reps.

That is all of what I can suggest.

This has to be done twice a week. Next day run on the treadmill at 80% of the top speed of yours for 4 minutes, 4 times with

a gap of 5 minutes each, giving enough time for your muscle to recover.


Special equpipment:

There do exist some special euqipment for improiving the strenght of the inner muscle of the quads, like the one being sold by telebrands. It is a spring based equipment which has to be put between the knees and pressed inwards. This will put pressure on the sartonus and adductor muscles and improve its strenth and condition the ligaments.


The supplements:

The speedsters need more of strength, energy and fast recovery than muscle mass. For this there are only 4 products that I will recommend:
(Please make a note that I train the the morning.)


1. All time favourite "Prolab N-large 2" 1 scoop with 1/2TSP "HP CEE" before training and same after training. In the evening a serving of "ON 100% whey protein" can be taken.

2. Else 1 scoop of "Nutrex vitargo cgl" before training and one after the training and a serving of "ON 100% whey protein" after training

Not to do:

During the schedules practicing running I will not suggest activities like playing football, cause here U run many a times in ackward fashion, dribble the ball, kicking etc.

That is all. I hope this should give very good results when followed with full dedication.

Thanks

[hardtrainer25]

I will first start this by dispelling the notion that speed cannot be learned, people are either born with the ability or they will never be fast. And while that might be true on a Olympic caliber level, it is still possible to train to get very fast, atleast faster than you are currently now.
I decided I wanted to get faster when I was young and was getting into lifting. I am not old by any means, I am currently 22, but I started this around the time I was 16. I had done 40yrd dashes for sports, and always turned in one of the slower times, and that was very upsetting to me. I was an athletic kid, I had been playing sports all my life, but considering I am quite short, it is hard to continue playing when you are slow and that size. I started to look things up on the internet, and became interested in these things called strength shoes. They boasted claims of making people able to jump 10inches higher and run faster. I knew someone that had a pair and he said they worked somewhat well, but he said they worked because of something called plyometrics, which was a type of exercise. I had heard little about this before, but decided I wanted to learn about it.
I am not going to get into the specific nuances of what plyometrics is, you can look it up on another article on this website (about excercises such as box jumps, bounding, ect), but basically what it does is it trains the fast switch fibers. These are the things that are essential for speed and they are what make you fast. They are used in things like running, jumping, and throwing a baseball, and the more you train them the better you are at these things. I also talked to a trainer at the gym I just joined about how to increase my speed, and he told me to do it by either lengthening my stride, or by lessening the time my food touched the ground. I decided to focus on the second of the two, and to do so I would need to strengthen my calves.
Here is where what I did is different that other things I have read in the past, but I can argue with the results. What I tried to do was stand on my toes, or the balls of my feet, without my heels touching the ground as much as possible. Whenever I was walking or standing still, I walked on my toes, and let me tell you its awkward and it can burn if you do it for a long time. It will look really weird, and your friends will ask why you are doing it, but you will be happy with the results I assure you. After a month or two of doing this I didn’t even notice I was doing it any more, it became second nature, and I got the result I wanted. I noticed that when I started to run fast I could run solely on the balls of my feet, which made me much faster. By this point I had let my membership at the gym lapse and had stopped lifting, but for some reason I continued to do this walking on the balls of my feet thing. The next year we did the same 40 meter running, and he also timed the 10 meter portion of the run thing. Not only did I improve my 40 time from 5.4 to 4.8, but I had the second fastest time in the 10 meter start. This made me very happy because I cut six tenths of a second of my forth without any lifting or working out.
The next year I went away to college and decided to take up playing sports there, like so many college kids do. I noticed that all of the kids were either big or really fast, and I didn’t really fit into either mold. I had started going to the gym again and now was serious about going, so I knew more about training. I decided to look up training techniques to become faster. Initially I wasn’t interested in how sprinters became fast, because I know thought that was mainly genetic, but rather how bigger men became faster. I also decided that the sport that had the fastest big men was football, so I looked at some of their training and decided upon a training regimine that would help my speed. I also started training with a few of my friends who were much bigger than me, which helped me to motivate myself, and is something I recommend to anyone. It was summer out, so it was nice that the bulk of my training would be outdoors. What we would do is on one day, we would meet. We would stretch lightly, and then run a mile to warm up. My friend would then drive his car up to where we were, and one by one we would take turns pushing it for about 150 yds down a stretch a parking lot, then the driver would drive it back and the next person would start. You need atleast two people to do this because you need a driver too, but I would recommend three or more because after you do one series you will feel like throwing up. We did this for 5 times each, and that was our workout for the day.
We did that for the first couple weeks, while still lifting legs in the gym, but now had abandoned all lifts except squats and deadlifts cause our legs were too sore. We would do four sets of each, aimnig to fail in the 6-8 rep range. Once entering the next phase, after a month of the above set upwe would basically abandon the gym all together for legs, with the exception of adding lunges and calf raises to another body parts workout. We continued the same car training on Wednesdays, but now added another type of training on Friday. What we did was we went back up to the high school, strethched and ran a mile to warm up. Then we ran six 100 meter sprints around the track, where we sprinted 100 meters, walked 100 meters very slowly, and then sprinted another 100 meters. After we did this we went and got a big tractor tire and some rope and went up to the baseball field. We went 40 meters apart, and then the first person tied the tire to the rope and put the rope around his wasted. He than ran to the first person, they switched who had the tire, they ran to the third person who was in the original place and they he took the tire and ran back to the original person and switched the tire. We did this for about 15 minutes or about 10 times each. It didn’t seem hard at first, but it is burned like you wouldn’t believe by the last few trials. I also hadn’t forgotten about what I had learned about plyometrics, so I would also do a little of that on Mondays, and I do mean a little. I would do 3 sets of box jumps (15 reps), which are setting up two 18-24 inch boxes, jumping off one and as soon as you land jump onto the second one; that is one rep, do 10 reps. I also did bounding, where I would pick a point that was high up and jump to touch it as many times as I could for 45 seconds, doing that three times. Finally, I would do something that would help to improve my first step. What I would do is go outside and draw a small box around where I was standing. Then I would take my right foot and touch over the line as fast as a could and bring it back to where I started. I did this as fast as I could for each for sets of 15 and did it forward, backward, and to each side. I did three sets for every direction for each foot.
I also now was realizing how you could utilize upper body training to help with your speed. I realized that many of the sprinters had not only muscular legs, but very muscular upper bodies, and realized that could contribute to the speed. I realized that your speed also has a lot to do with kicking your arms back, so I started to do a lot of kickbacks for my tricep training. I would do three sets or 8-10 reps for three tricep excercises. The second exercise would be kickback, because it appeared it would help me improve my ability to pump my arms faster, which it did.
That was it for my training, it may not seem like it is very stressful but it is. It was offseason for me, and I wasn’t doing to much other physical activity, so that is why I was able to do it. If you try to do this in season it will impare you ability to do your best, as it will be to taxing on your muscles. You have to make sure you take a lot of supplements (such as protein, creatine, and BCAA’s) to help you repair your muscles to keep you active. I do not know about the average times for high school and college athletes, but I would thing that they are probably very similar to the times posted in the other posts. I have stopped focusing on running excercises because I have graduated and no longer play any sports actively (not enough time with work). But as of last summer I ran a 4.34 40 time, which is over a second less then what I used to run, which I think is pretty good.

[Aaron Legall]

One concept I believe in is the concept of specific adaptation to imposed demand. In other words your body can only get better at what you train it to do. So in a sprinting sense: “Go get your running shoes out and run sprints till you get better!” But on a more practical note here’s what I believe will work. I’ll explain just how my program works so you understand.

Diet/Supplementation- Forget Macdonalds and the food your little brother eats. You need quality protein and lots of it to repair those sore muscles after your sprint workouts. I suggest 1 to 2 grams of protein per pound of your bodyweight everyday. Remember normal daily recommendations of protein are for couch potatoes and not for hardworking aspiring athletes like yourself. You need creatine to help improve your strength and quickness and to better utilize ATP for quick bursts of energy you will need as a sprinter. You know you should stay away from fatty foods these will slow you down. Drink lots of water or Gatorade. Hey you won’t run your Ferrari on inferior fuel!

Stretching- Some people believe stretching is for sissies. Here’s what I have to say to them. Try getting anywhere fast with tight, unrelaxed muscles. For all you men out there who want to be big and sprint fast…all that muscle is good but unless you limber up you know it will only make you slower.” Hold your stretches for 20 seconds each then relax. One other thing that’s very important is that powerful sprinting and plyometric motions involve a quick stretch of your muscle followed by a contraction. This builds elastic energy in the muscles for a quicker rebound contraction force. So your muscles need to be flexible and stretching will help this.

Core Exercises- By your core I mean your abs and your low back. A wobbly midsection is a sprinter’s nightmare. Do lots of ab work. Focus on strengthening. Do crunches with weighted balls or free weights. Do side bends with weights. Perform your reps and sets like a regular strengthening exercise. Do low reps 6-8 and high weights. Rep to failure. Yes your abs are muscles too and they are responsible for keeping your midsection straight and stable while your legs and arms drive you forward rapidly. Exercise your low back too with hyperextensions and good morning exercises. A more balanced and stronger midsection means more stability and body control especially over such a short distance as a 40.

Jump Rope/ High Knee Lift Running- Any exercise that can get your leg muscles moving quickly in a coordinated manner off the ground will make you faster. Remember you are trying to improve by fractions of a second. What skipping will do is improve the brain-muscle(neuromuscular) connection between you leg muscles and your brain. This allows your legs to get used to pushing you off quickly. Skip as fast as you can with two legs and then one leg for about one minute at a time. Do about three sets of each. Running with your knees coming up to 90 degrees for about 40 yards will seem challenging at first. But imagine how much easier regular sprinting will be as your legs will become accustomed to working harder over the same distance.




Weight Lifting Program
Calf Raises- Calf raises in seated or standing are very crucial. Have you ever seen a sprinter with small calves? You must increase your strength in this area. These are the muscles that actually push your feet off the ground forcefully and absorb the shock every time you land on the balls of your feet in a sprint. Again train these to failure each time and you will see results.

Squats- This exercise can never be overstated. Most of your leg power is in your quads anyway so why not strengthen them. Your legs can bear a lot of weight so try lowering into a squat slowly, holding for 2 seconds then coming back to standing powerfully. In all reality a nice controlled squat will work your glutes and hams as well. This is a great exercise that will help you to also gain better muscular control and stability in your legs. This is key in sprinting.

Lunges- This exercise to me is great because it somewhat mimics the legs apart motion of sprinting where one legs is behind pushing off and the other in front. This exercise can help you increase strength in a practical way. Use dumbbells at your sides or a barbell. Use the back leg to push you off powerfully into the standing position. Again lunges challenge your balance and muscle control which is important to sprinters.

Hamstring Curls/Deadlifts- Hamstring exercises are some of the most overlooked but in all reality your hamstrings should be strong as well. These muscles are deceleration muscles in sprinting and that’s the way they get injured a lot in sprinters because they are often not sufficiently strong and flexible. Be as diligent with you hamstring exercise as you are with your quads. They will make you more stable you will have better muscle control. Deadlifts will also work your glutes which you can observe in any sprinter or even running back. They are powerful!

What to expect- I would suggest that anything under 5 seconds is a pretty good time depending on you height and weight. But aim for the stars. Even in The NFL among elite athletes there are varying speeds from low 4 second times to just under 6 seconds yet most of them are considered fast for their position. You may not improve by a whole second or even half a second but since you have put in teh work you wil improve. I believe an improvement for example from 4.7 seconds to 4.5 seconds is very admirable within 2 months.

In conclusion remember that you have to work hard to get better at anything. Sprinting is no different and it can be a lot of work. But like anything you cannot keep doing the same things the same easy way over and over and expect to get better. You need to challenge yourself. Push yourself harder at the gym. Jump rope longer. Use different ab exercises from time to time. Sprint longer distances. The bottomline is set higher goals for yourself each day. Sprint Sprint Sprint…Don’t forget to rest. You will get faster. Was that you that just flew past me there?!!!!

[live4this13]

It amazes me how many peoples first post is in the topic of the week.......just amazing they come here first.

As for a 4.4 high school time is that hand timed or laser timed? I don't doubt it just wondered.

[coury11]

Strength training and plyo targeting your hams, quads, calves, and butt will indeed help you become stronger in the muscles you use to run but when you simply train in the weight room you will get slower and lose mobility unless you do sprint excersizes aswell. The best way to become a better dead out sprinter is a balance or 4 main things....Weights, Plyo, Actualy sprinting and ALOT of stretching so that when you gain leg strength you don't lose leg speed.

[bigcalves]

How Can You Improve Your 40 Time?




In the fitness world everyone aks what your bench is. On the track world every asks what your 40 and 100 time. This bring us to our next goal. Increasing the highly sought after achievements for each individual event. There are tons of bench press extercises and how to increase your bench in 'x' amount of time. Our goal in this article will be to increase your 40 time and get faster and stronger legs. By having a good 40 time, you might have a chance in your event. I will show you specific workout for your legs and your whole body to increase your 40 time. Stronger legs are important to your 40 time, but also your routine for running and practicing will be important too. In bodybuilding all you need is weights, but in track, especially the 40 will be harder. You will need to work on your body in the gym, and practice running on the track. It's way harder, and dedication will help. I will show you routines for working out in the gym, specific leg worout and also running extercises that condition you. By doing this, you will get the fastest time you can at the 40. So buckle up your belts, and get ready to get a faster 40 time.


So our goal will be to increase our 40 time. Workouts will be intense, running practices hard. Would that be it? Well, if you want to run track at your local high school, yeah. You can stop reading now and go hang out somewhere else. If you want a fast 40 time, that will require dedication and hard work with awesome results, continue reading. Even though we have workout and running practices, dont forget nutrition and recovery time. People seem to forget how important to your body these factors are. Without good nutrition forget making it anywhere. Also without good recovery time, you can forget about gaining muscle and strenght on your legs. So make sure to rest for 8-9 hours per night. No more than 9 and no less than 8. You need your HGH to be kicking during the night to build explosive power in your body for that 40 event. So make sure to get your set and to eat good. What's good? Well we will discuss nutrition in depth in this article too. So keep reading and you will be on your way to an incredible 40 time.




Weight Training



Weightlifting is important to any athlete. Especially bodybuilders and track starts. Without weight training, your muscles will be average size, and any other person on the track with bigger muscles will have more power and domination. So weightraining is a must for track. Even though thousands of athletes flock to the weight room, not everyone knows what your doing. Benching and curling 2-3 times a week will not improve your 40 time. I garantee it. You need a routine that should be effective and give your more power and explisiveness. Don't pick your routine from the magazines, since the routines are hard on your body and build for bodybuilders/gym rats. Don't expect to have results from these routines. You need a specific routine cuztomized to your goal, and in this case a faster 40 time.


Our focus is not building muscle, but speed and explosion. Sure muscle will come, but don't expect to be the next bodybuilding champ. We are not looking to bulk 15-25 lbs because that will actually slow you down. We are looking for explosive muscles, that will deliver speed and power. So logically, our trainign will be different. Like i said, we are not looking to build a perfect body so extercises will be focused on the main groups that provide explosiveness and power. Legs will be the main muscle group, while back and arms will be secondary. This is not the routine for you if you are trying to build a big chest. Chest will be done or even skipped in sacrafice to our other important muscle groups. You will go into the weightroom 3 times a week, because the other 3 you will be out on the track busy with running practices. You will have 1 day off to take a rest and enjoy life. Our reps will stay low, so we can focus on power and explosiveness. Remember that quads, hamstrings, and calves are the most important muscles for the 40.




Weight Training Routine


Monday- See Running Routine

Tuesday- Weight Training
Legs- Squats- 10, 8, 4, 4
Leg Press- 10, 6, 6, 4
Lunges- 8, 8, 8, 6
Ham Culs- 12, 10, 8, 6

Wed- See Running Routine

Tuesday- Weigh Training
Back- Pull Ups- 8, 8, 6
DeadLifts- 8, 8
DB Rows- 10, 10 ,10
PowerCleans(exposive movements) 6, 6, 4

Friday- See Running Routine

Saturday- Weight Training
Arms/Shoulders- Curls- 8, 8, 6, 4
Tri Pushdowns- 8, 8, 6, 4
Preacher Curls- 4, 4, 4
French Press- 6, 6, 6
Military Press- 12, 10, 6, 6

Sunday- OFF




Running and Plyometrics



Since you are running the 40 you will need to practice sprints. Your muscles need to get used to the pressure and speed they need in that 5 seconds or less. So running for hours will not help you on the 40. Practice on the 40's and 100's for a faster time. Remember that you need explosion. That's our goal here. Explosive power, because in those 5 seconds you will not be able to have time to adjust your speed. Only the fastest survive and thats what you need. So remember, not running long distances but running for short, intense moments will build up strength and power. Here is a routine that will help you run.


Remember that you already have a weight training routine designed. Plug this routine into your weight training routine for success at the 40 event. Remember that the routine is not made to get you big and bulked up. You are looking at the wrong sport if that's your desire. Your goal is speed. That's all. Speed and explosion to get a good time. Always leave 1 day off in your training schedule since it relaxes you physically and mentally and you feel much better the following day to begin your training all over.


Running Routine


MON- Springs- Spring until you can't anymore and jog for 30-60 seconds and
repeat. 15-25 minutes

TUE- See Weight Training Routine

WED- Same as MON

THUR- See Weigh Training Routine

FRI- Same as MON

SAT- See Weight Training Routine

SUN- OFF



Plyometrics


Plyometrics is a word that not everyone has heard. People know the extercises but are not sure what the general name is. Plyometrics have been done for a long time. Plyometrics are jumping, bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance athletic performance. That way you get more muscle power, strength and explosion. In the 40 event, athletes can benefit a great deal because it will give them more power and elasticity, which will help you get faster. In that 5 seconds you don't have time to get up to speed. You need the speed at the start. So by doing plyometrics your muscle will get better elasticity and that's like a rubber band. You pull it and when you release, it springs back fast with amazing power. That's the same thing we are tring to create to get a faster 40 time. Here we have a few lower body plyometrics that condition the most important muscles for the 40.



Drop Jumping
You get on a box and drop, not jump down. After that you jump up to the next box. Make a small line of 4-6 boxes and practice it. It will provide excellent conditioning to the hamstrings, quads and calves. Also be sure to have a set of a few jumps. Focus on quality rather than quantity. Our goal is to gain power and speed, not endurance becase everyone's body can handle 5 seconds of springting, our goal is power.


Medicine Ball
This is done for the upper body. Get a 5-10lb medicine ball and a spotter. Get the spotter to drop it on your chest, (well your going to be catching it, so hands) and as soon as you catch it, throw it back at thim. Get about 10-15 reps on it and about 2-3 sets. You can include these extercises in your weight training routine that i provided. Also make sure to warm up, because if you are using heavier weight, you can get injured or pull a muslce.











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[bigcalves]

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Nutrition and Supplements




Nutrition



In today's world coaches are uneducated. Most people don't know the way to a good nutrition plan. If you want a fast time you will need to get all the factors that effect it and put them in check. Weights, running, practice, rest, nutriton, supplements... All of these factors, when done perfectly, produce world class athletes. Sure you may not be then next Micheal Johnson, but you will get fast. Most people complain about genetics and how that slows them down. The fact is that they are uneducated and ignorant. They don't know their left from right in the track world. Good nutrition is the source key to reaching your goals. Ask any professional athelete and you will hear it from them. Nutrition will be in the top 3 things that made them a success. Now there are carbs, proteins and fats.


Carbs are made for energy. They come in variaty of things. Potatoes, rice, pasta and fruits are all carbs. Carbs will produce energy and get stored in your muscle cell as glycogen and will be used later on. That's why most athletes do a carb-loading and that helps them get more out of their energy that's stored in their muscle. Carb-loading might not be so good, since it's a short event, but we want the fastest time. I highly recommend carb-loading for your 40 event. Next on the chart is protein. Protein rebuild cells. So you need it. With all the training you will have, you will need it more than the average Joe. You will need 1.5-2 grams per each lb. of body weight. So if you weigh 100lbs, you will get 150-200 grams of protein per day. Protein is found in meats, beans, and fish. Fats are the last main macronutrient that you will need to know. Fats are good for you. Now there is bad and good fat. Saturated fats are bad, while unstaruted, Poly and Mono, are good for you. 20% of your calories should come from good, high quality fat. Fat helps burn fat, and it's an important macronutrient in your body.



Supplements



Supplements can always give you an extra boost and that might be what you just need to overcome a plateau and becoming faster. By using supplents you will have an advantage over your body providing it with extra stuff so it overcomes. Using supplements is not only a smart idea but a must in getting an extra boost. It will help and you will feel good. Bodybuilding.com has a excellent store, filled with wonderful supplements to help your goals at very affordable prices and i highly reccommend buying from them. Out of the thousand of useful supplements i will show the 5 most common and useful ones. Here are a few supplaments that will help you get faster and more explosive.



Creatine
Creatine is a wonderful supplement. It almost doubles ATP enegry stores which are responsible for energy and short term movements of muscles, or during a heavy workout. By having extra ATP, you will be able to lift more, and last longer than people with normal creatine levels in them. Creatine is all natural and used by thousands of athletes worldwide.


Whey Protein
Whey protein is a must. It's protein that is fastly dissolved in the blood stream. It's a must for after a workout and any other time you need protein in you, fast! With normal diets, most people don't get enough protein and by supplementing with whey protein you are increasing your protein and helping your body build up. It's a must in the fitness lifestyle.


Multi Vitamin
In today's diets we don't get enough vitamins and minerals. You simply cannot supplement all your needs with food, so multi vitamins are extremely needed. Even people that don't workout use them, imagine how important they are to atheltes, especially when looking to overcome a plateau.


Glutamine
Glutamin is a very popular supplement. It is an amino acid that prevents muscle loss and helps recovery. Good for when bulking and a must for cutting. It can give you a boost with recover and that can 'push' you through your plateau. It is a must to have and it is completely natural and used by thousands of athletes worldwide.


Fat Burner
Fat burners are not magic pills that burn fat. They are filled with ingridients that 'wake up' the metabolism and make it faster. That will result in burnign more calories and then fat loss. If you are cutting and stuck and not losing body fat, then consider using a fat burner. From personal experience i can say that they work, and especially when in a plateau they can help a lot.



Remember to avoid running or any vigoruous activities before an event. That way you will use up your glycogen stores, and by the time the event comes your will not do good. Remember not to do squats, or any other workout 2-3 days before the race. It's not good since it will make you more tired and slower and that's the last thing we want. I would recommend sleeping. Sleep for 1-4 hours around 2 hours before the meet. Then wake up, have some carbs and protein and get ready for that race. Give yourself time to warm up and don't be shy or afraid to do some stretching exterices and small running/sprinting warm ups.

A good imporvement for over time is possible with hard work and dedication. Don't expect any magical results in the first 4 weeks. Maybe lowering your time but .1 will be great. After 12 weeks it would be nice to lower .1-.3 from your time and even then it would be done with hard work. After 1 year of keeping a strict routine and having dicipline you can lower it by .1-.5. Just don't expect anything magical. Plus if you are alread doing 4.7 don't think that in one year you will do 4.2. It doesn't work that way, otherwise people will be doing that in 2 seconds. Just remember to work hard, push yourself and maintain dicipline and it should all work out.



BONUS QUESTION: What is a good 40 time for a junior high athlete? For a high school athlete? For a college athlete? What is your 40 time?


Everyone is different. Different body types, genetics, height, weight, built. So everyone has a different time. For someone in High School I would say a 5.00 - 5.2 is good. As for someone more advanced would be 4.45. As you go in college, things get fast, and people can do 4.33 and better. But don't give up if your time is bad. Rome wasn't build in a day. Just relax, take a deep breath and get ready for a long journey. A journey that will get you fast.

Well, this is it. Remember to eat healthy, extercise and your goals will be met. There is no reason why you can't be the next track superstar. Believe in yourself and don't let go of your dream.

Good Luck!

[texas1234]

yeah a 4.4 is very common in high school a guy from my school in texas ran a 4.38 . Also at a track meet in the 100 he got second or third in the prelims and 8 in the finals i saw all the races and they beet him from start to finish and i talked to him after the race and he said he ran his best. i aslo talk to some people from the winning schools and they said that there guys ran 4.3s as well. that was just one meet i saw and there were about 40 that week.

[live4this13]

Improving Your 40 Time


What is a 40 time?

A 40 time is the time it takes for an individual to run forty yards.

Why is it important?

The 40 time is possible one of the most vital stats to an athlete. Not only does a individuals’ 40 time how fast someone is, it also shows their explosiveness and acceleration. Many colleges look at a persons’ 40 time to see not only how fast a person is, but as well as how fast they can get up to speed. For instance, an extremely fast athlete could have a slow 40 time if it takes them twenty yards to get up to full speed. Whereas another athlete could be slower than then first but have a better 40 time because they can accelerate quicker. This is why, when we train for our 40 we must include both speed and acceleration training.

Form

I firmly believe that you can make the most improvement in your 40 time by working with what you already have. What does this mean? It means that the best way to get a better time is work on your form. Correcting even the smallest flaws can shave tenths of seconds off your overall time. With that being said here is what I suggest you focusing on to improve form.

Lengthen your stride- Stride length is extremely important because if your steps are short and choppy you will waste vital energy. Short strides causes your body to work twice as hard to travel the same distance, this is not something you want when focusing on speed. Practice stretching your legs out, and covering the most ground in one step as possible, saving energy and improving speed. Remember don’t stride out so far that you become off balance, but avoid short strides. You will find your ideal stride length with practice.

Video tape your start- If at all possible have a friend or coach video tape your start. Once you have yourself on tape, analyze your start try to pick up anything that could cause you to lose time. Also do a “Google Search” for sprinting videos and compare them side by side and note where your limbs (arms, legs, head position, etc.) are in comparison to other sprinters. Note how your feet move at the start, try to get out of your stance and into your full stride by your second step.

Upper body movements- Another point often overlooked is the upper body movements in sprinting. Make sure you are swinging your arms when sprinting, this will help propel your body forward and create an equal balance between upper and lower limbs. Avoid excessive and exaggerated jerking, and opt for a smooth rocking motion. You should be able to find your ideal movements by practicing.

Sprinting and Plyometrics Routine

Sprinting and plyometrics are important, due to the fact that if you are aiming for increased speed, what better way to accomplish that then by actually getting out and sprinting. Since I will have you on a “Modified Westside” weight program (see below) it would be ideal to keep our sprint work consistent with our weight training. With that being said our layout will be as followed:

MONDAY (A.M.) – Max-Effort Upper Body lift (below)
MONDAY (P.M.) – Plyometrics Routine
TUESDAY – Sprint work
WEDNESDAY - Max-Effort Lower Body Lift (below)
THURSDAY – Plyometric Routine
FRIDAY - Repetition Upper Body lift (below)
SATURDAY – Sprint work and Plyometric Routine
SUNDAY – OFF

I selected this program because of the verity of things you can do with it. It allows you to still be able to hit the weight room hard, and still get in your speed work. I suggest only having one leg day in order to make sure you don’t over train your legs.

Now that we have the program laid out, you are probably wondering what each day means. Well I will explain the Sprint and Plyometrics routines now, however, I will save the weight days for later, so ignore the lifting part for now.

Plyometrics Routine

Plyometrics should not be overlooked, they are vital in increasing overall power output and explosiveness. I personally like simple plyometrics routines. I believe you should use them as a focus on learning you your body moves, and to create rhythm. Here is the plyometrics routine I suggest:

Warm-up:
30 yd run at 50% speed
30 yd run at 50% speed
40 yd run at 75% speed
40 yd run at 90% speed

High Knees 3x30 yd

Butt Kicks 3x30 yd

Transition Sprints 4x40 yd

Lunges 2x15 yd

Frog Leaps 2x15 yd

Plyometrics Explained

Warm-up-Self explanatory, make sure you perform them to get your blood flowing, and loosened up.

High Knees-Focus on bring your knees up as high as possible while jogging

Butt Kicks-Jogging while kicking yourself in the butt

Transition Sprints-Sprint the first 20 yds then turn around and back pedal the last 20. Focus on keeping your balance while turning around, you should be able to get your footwork down to where you don’t have to slow down when turning.

Lunges-Hands behind your head, step out as far as possible go down slowly then back up. Make sure to not try to go to fast on these.

Frog Leaps- Go down like a squat then explode back up off two feet, focus on really stretching out and jumping far, but don’t sacrifice form.

[live4this13]

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Sprint Routine

Make sure to concentrate on going hard on all your sprint work. Sprint work is vital in becoming a faster athlete. In this routine we will focus on both longer and shorter sprints. The longer sprints will increase your anaerobic threshold, so that you can maintain your short speed and power throughout the course your sprints. Shorter sprints will prepare you for the actual 40 test and help more in the speed department.

Warm-up:
30 yd run at 50% speed
60 yd run at 50% speed
60 yd run at 70% speed
80 yd run at 70% speed

Full Speed Sprints:
2x10 yd
5x40 yd
2x80 yd
1x100 yd

Reverse Sprints **
3x30 yd

**On Reverse sprints you will back pedal for 30yds and sprint back to the starting point.**

Weight Training

I suggest you follow a “Modified Westside” program, simply because it has sound principles and it is consistent to our sprint and plyometrics program. I will lay out the sample workouts then explain key points and why this program sets you up for success.

MONDAY (A.M.) – Max-Effort Upper Body
MONDAY (P.M.) – Plyometrics Routine**
TUESDAY – Sprint work**
WEDNESDAY - Max-Effort Lower Body
THURSDAY – Plyometric Routine**
FRIDAY - Repetition Upper Body
SATURDAY – Sprint work and Plyometric Routine**
SUNDAY – OFF

**see above for sprint and plyometric routines.

Max-Effort Upper Body

Close Grip Bench Press- work up to a max set of 3-5 reps

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press- 3 sets of 6-10 reps

Bent-over Rows- 4 sets of 10-15 reps

Chin Ups- 2 sets of 12-15 reps

Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches- 4 sets of 8-15 reps

Max-Effort Lower Body

Box Squats- work up to max set of 5 reps

Dumbbell Bench Step-ups- 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Romanian Deadlifts- 3 sets of 4-8 reps

Wrist Curls- 3 sets of 8-15 reps.

Repetition Upper Body

Dumbbell Bench Press- 3 sets of max reps with 60 seconds rest

Skull Crushers- 4 sets of 5-10 reps

Pull-Ups- 3 sets of 8-10 reps

Dumbbell Shoulder Presses- 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Straight Bar Curls- 3 sets of 6-10 reps

Core Circuit Training- Go through the Circuit twice with no rest.
Leg Lifts
Swiss Ball Crunches
Dumbbell Twist

Overview

This routine allows for a lot of exercise variation. I suggest you follow this set up for a few weeks, then switch it up to your liking. However, if you decide to change the exercise selection, be sure to include a variation of a squatting movement, and a posterior chain movement. These are both vital in creating speed and explosiveness.

Nutrition

It is extremely hard to lay out a nutritional program without knowing someone’s body type, experience, etc. Therefore, I will just be giving some basic tips that everyone could follow. I would suggest a 45%:35%:20% Carbs: Protein: Fat ratio. Your carbs should be mostly complex, and come from: brown rice, wheat bread, pasta, and oatmeal. Try to be sure and bracket most of your carbs around your workouts and in the morning. Make sure you take in 1.2-1.5g per pound of bodyweight in protein. All your fats should be healthy fats, and come from sources like: natural peanut butter, and fish or flax oil. Try to avoid carbs before bed, and foods that contain a lot of sugar or trans fats.

Supplements

With so many different choices out today it’s hard to know what is best. While supplements are not a huge part of getting faster, they can help. I will explain a few areas where I think supplements can help, and give you a product choice for each one.

Protein- Protein is extremely important right after a workout. It helps repair your muscles and fuel them. I suggest a Whey Protein for pre and post workout. You can also include a casein protein to help reach your protein requirements.
Whey- Primaforce Substane WPI http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/prima/wpi.html
Casein-Xtreme Formulations Ultra Peptide http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/xf/ultrap.html

Creatine- Creatine helps increase energy stores, and strength output. Creatine will help you get through your workouts and increase strength. I suggest these creatines:
Bulk CEE -http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/hp/ester.html
Dymatize Xpand- http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/dym/enxpand.html


Energy- Everyone can always use extra energy boost. My personal favorites are:
Man BodyOctane- http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/man/body.html
VPX Redline- http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/vpx/red.html

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Other Things To Note

Try to avoid a lot of extra running, and long distance runs. Also avoid putting on a lot of fat, and eating unhealthy.

Things to Remember when preparing for a contest:
Warm up prior to your 40 sprint
Make sure you have plenty of carbs and protein pre and post workout.
Try to avoid any heavy leg lifting a week before although you may want to have one light leg session 3-4 days before your 40 day.

What kind of improvements can you expect?

This depends on your body, current time, etc. It is really hard to say, however if you are currently an “average” athlete, you can expect to increase your 40 time in as little as 4 weeks just by correcting your form. I’d say with good training and good genetics you could lower it a full second in a year.

[Any special equipment?[/b]
I do not believe in any equipment increasing speed. The only thing I might would support is a Speed Ladder. It is not vital, and really wouldn't fit into the routine I laid out.

Bonus
Times vary from athlete to athlete, and position to position. I’d be happy with a time in these ranges:

Junior High Athlete-4.9-5.3
High School Athlete-4.5-4.7
College-4.4-4.6

My time is 4.7ish coming from 5.6. I improved my time by correcting form, increasing my stride and working on explosiveness. I believe that with hard work and dedication the program I have laid out will help you reach your max potential. Good Luck reaching your goal, and please be sure to stretch out prior to running.

References

Here is the link to all the Westside information used in this article, however my split is modified and varys some from the split he lays out. So if you wanted to see his actual split it is in the link.
http://www.defrancostraining.com/art...s_westside.htm

[doggiejoe]

Gone in 4.2 Seconds

Ah the good ol 40. The test which makes and breaks athletic careers. It’s what will make you get on the field or make you watch from the bench. There’s no other test more recognized than the 40 yard dash. It’s just 40 yards, but the world makes this test more important than the S.A.T. Let’s be honest here. What’s the first stat you sort in the Madden 05 draft combine? Yes the good ol 40. If a guy is not fast enough, coaches don’t even care if they can play the sport or not. They think, if they got speed, I can coach the sport. That’s why you see so many sprinters turned football player wide receivers drop balls on television. This doesn’t mean a guy with average speed can’t improve their speed. In this article, I will teach you basic methods in improving your speed. You won’t be disappointed.

The Workout

When training for speed, you will need to follow workouts that are made for explosion. These workouts include exercises like the bench press, squat, deadlift, military press, power clean, and snatch. These exercises are called the “core lifts” in the workout and are all compound lifts. Then you have exercises like incline bench press, close grip bench press, triceps pushdown, front raises, lunges, step-ups, leg extensions, leg curls, and hang cleans which are labeled “auxiliary lifts”. The workout will be a 3-day split. The days off from lifting will be the time spent on the field doing running. The running will consists of drills like cone drills(shuttle, figure 8,side to side, suicides, etc.), hill running, and 10,20,40,60,100,200,300,400 yard sprints. On running days the athlete will also perform plyometrics which I’ll go into later.

The workout will go something like this…

Sample Routine

Monday
Weight room- 3 core, 3 auxiliary lifts

Tuesday
Running/Plyometrics- Sprints, all plyometrics

Wednesday
Weight room- 3 core, 3 auxiliary lifts

Thursday
Running/Plyometrics- Hill running or cone/position drills, all plyometrics

Friday
Weight room- 3 core, 3 auxiliary lifts

Saturday/Sunday
Light conditioning if desired.

Plyometrics

Pylometrics are what I believe the best form of exercise involved in shaving off valuable time from your 40. Plyometrics use shocking methods to turn your slow twitch muscle fibers into fast ones. Slow twitch fibers are used for distance running, while fast twitch fibers are used for speed bursts. Marathon runners are full of slow twitched fibers while sprinters are full of fast twitch fibers. Not only will plyometrics make you run faster, but it will even increase your vertical jump! Depending on skill level, plyometrics can shave off valuable mili seconds from your 40 and add inches to your vertical jump. All in all, plymetrics will make you more explosive and better overall athlete.

Here are some of my personal favorite plyometric exercises…

Lunge Jumps

Begin in the regular lunge position then explode up and go as high as possible while switching feet in the air. Do 2 sets of 10.

Squat Jumps

Begin in the bottom position of the squat then explode straight up with legs straight as high as possible. Do 2 sets of 10.

Squat Tuck Jumps

Begin in the bottom position of the squat then explode straight up with your legs tucked into you chest as high as possible. Do 2 sets of 10.

Side to Side

Place an object of 12 inches or so and jump side to side over it as fast as possible. Do 2 sets of 30.

Skips

Skip with a running motion and pumping your arms hard. Do 2 sets of 40 yards.

Frog Jumps

Get in the bottom position of the squat then explode up and forward and repeat. Do 2 sets of 40 yards.

Jump Ups

Set a surface of 2-3 ft high and jump onto it as fast as possible and planting both feet firmly on the surface. You can increase or decrease the height depending on your abilities. Do 2 sets of 10.

Death Drops

These are my favorite. Get on a surface of 2-3 ft and let yourself drop from it and as soon as hitting the floor jump as high as possible. Do 2 sets of 10.

Accessories

Equipment

Speed Latter

This latter can be used to make your feet quicker thus making you faster and more agile overall. These are many exercises you can do with a speed latter so use your imagination. You don’t necessarily have to purchase one because create one on your own.

Cones

Cones or having something representing cones is a must. Cones can be used for the shuttle run which improves your acceleration which is needed to cut time off your 40.

Parachute/Sled

Parachutes and sleds can be used to add resistance to your runs and will make you run faster at the end. They will improve your overall running strength.

Jump Sole Shoes

These are the famous shoes athletes use to improve their vertical jump and to improve their speed. They have a sole on the bottom front so you’d be running on your heels and making you workout your calves even more. They can also be dangerous and cause injury so beware.

Supplements

Multi-Vitamins

Every athete needs more vitamins than a regular person. So the regular one-a-day won’t cut it. Since atheles train more and lose more sweat and vitamins, you need to put back what you lose in your body.

My recommendation is AST Multi Pro 32x.

Protein

Protein is another essential supplement for athletes. And again athletes need more protein than the regular person. They also assist you in reaching you daily protein requirements. I can’t stress enough the importance of protein.

My recommendation is Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard.

Creatine

Creatine is really the supplement that can put you ahead of the pack. It will give you amazing strength gains and will also take your athletic performance to another level. It is also safe and the best bet to get you where you want. If you want to get ahead of the game then look no further.

My recommendation is Higher Power Creatine Ethyl Ester.

Taurine

Taurine is my secret weapon. Like creatine it will expand your cells allowing for more water to enter and leaving your muscles looking fuller. It also very cheap and effective. Another benefit is the energy you will receive from taking this product. Look at the back of the most famous energy drink Red Bull, it has taurine! Taurine and creatine stacked to together will work wonders for your athletic performance.

My recommendation is NOW Taurine powder.

Caffeine

If you find it hard to get through your workout and your running, then you need energy. Caffeine gives you that energy you need and desire. It will make working out a lot easier and you’ll find yourself breezing through everything. It will also elevate your alertness on the field and in the weight room so you’ll never be caught dozing off.

My recommendation is Higher Power Caffeine.

Running Technique

This is probably the fastest and quickest way to drop your 40 time. On the start you need to focus on exploding of the line. Remember the clock starts on your first move. At the line you want to place your right hand on the line and bring back your right foot. Then at a 90 degree angle you should put your left arm as if you were putting it inside your pocket. The first ten yards you want to stay at a 45 degree angle and SLOWLY creep up to a full running stance. You want to pump your arms as fast as you can at a 90 degree angle. Remember to run through the line and pretend your running a 50 yard dash. You also want to take smooth large strides towards the finish line in a straight line.

What To Avoid

If you want to get faster I don’t recommend that you go on a bulking or cutting diet. You should stay on a maintenance diet so your body has everything it needs to perform. Remember to keep your diet clean also, if not you’re not getting anywhere. You should also avoid long cardio sections as they don’t make you any faster and only will make you lose valuable muscles. You don’t want to jog either, if you want to run, then sprint!

Expectations

Don’t expect to cut a whole second off your 40 after reading this article. Be more realistic and set goals. Set short term goals like taking off .1 in a month and long term goals like .5 in a year. With hard work and dedication anything is possible. Remember consistency is the key to everything in life. Don’t ever quit and always think BIG.


Continued...

[doggiejoe]

Continued...

Other Factors To Improve Your 40

Flexibility

I got news for you. If you can’t touch your toes without bending your knees, then you haven’t reached your full potential in running. Flexbilty gives you the abilty to take larger strides and thus shaving time of your 40. So work on your felxbility and watch the time lower. This with running technique are the easiest way to improve your time and your atheletic performance.

Core Performance

If you didn’t know, your abs and hips control your running. This can make or break your 40 time. So if you haven’t focused on your core, this is the time to start. A stronger core will equal a stronger time. There are many exercises and stretches to improve your core.

Shoulders

Shoulders? Yes, shoulders. Your feet will only move as fast as your arms. Meaning if you pump your arms harder, you’ll run harder. Look at all the world-class sprinters. What do they have in common? They all have amazing defined shoulders. So never forget the importance of your arms and shoulders and keep those arms pumping.


BONUS QUESTION: What is a good 40 time for a junior high athlete? For a high school athlete? For a college athlete? What is your 40 time?

Junior High Athlete



Pos. / Elite / Above Average / Average / Below Average

Football

WR,CB,RB / Under 4.7 / 4.7-5.0 / 5.0-5.3 / 5.3 and higher
LB, S,FB,TE / Under 4.9 / 4.9-5.3 / 5.3-5.6 / 5.6 and higher
OL,DL,QB / Under 5.3 / 5.3-5.5 / 5.6-6.1 / 6.1 and higher

Basketball

PG, SG, SF / Under 4.9 / 4.9-5.3 / 5.3-5.6 / 5.6 and higher
PF,C / Under 5.1 / 5.1-5.4 / 5.4-5.8 / 5.8 and higher

Baseball

OF,2B,SS / Under 4.9 / 4.9-5.3 / 5.3-5.6 / 5.6 and higher
1B,3B,C,P / Under 5.1 / 5.1-5.4 / 5.4-5.8 / 5.8 and higher

Track and Field

All / Under 4.7 / 4.7-5.0 / 5.0-5.3 / 5.3 and higher


High School Athlete



Pos. / Elite / Above Average / Average / Below Average

Football

WR,CB,RB / Under 4.5 / 4.5-4.8 / 4.8-5.1 / 5.1 and higher
LB, S,FB,TE / Under 4.8 / 4.8-5.2 / 5.2-5.5 / 5.5 and higher

OL,DL,QB / Under 5.2 / 5.2-5.4 / 5.5-6.0 / 6.0 and higher

Basketball

PG, SG, SF / Under 4.7 / 4.7-5.1 / 5.1-5.4 / 5.4 and higher
PF,C / Under 5.0 / 5.0-5.3 / 5.3-5.7 / 5.7 and higher

Baseball

OF,2B,SS / Under 4.7 / 4.7-5.1 / 5.1-5.4 / 5.4 and higher
1B,3B,C,P / Under 5.0 / 5.0-5.3 / 5.3-5.7 / 5.7 and higher

Track and Field

All / Under 4.5 / 4.5-4.8 / 4.8-5.1 / 5.1 and higher


College Athlete


Pos. / Elite / Above Average / Average / Below Average

Football

WR,CB,RB / Under 4.4 / 4.4-4.6 / 4.6-4.7 / 4.7 and higher
LB, S,FB,TE / Under 4.7 / 4.7-4.9 / 4.9-5.1 / 5.1 and higher
OL,DL,QB / Under 4.9 / 4.9-5.2 / 5.2-5.5 / 5.5 and higher

Basketball

PG, SG, SF / Under 4.5 / 4.6-4.8 / 4.8-5.2 / 5.2 and higher
PF,C / Under 4.9 / 4.9-5.2 / 5.2-5.5 / 5.5 and higher

Baseball

OF,2B,SS / Under 4.5 / 4.5-4.8 / 4.8-5.2 / 5.2 and higher
1B,3B,C,P / Under 4.9 / 4.9-5.2 / 5.2-5.5 / 5.5 and higher

Track and Field

All / Under 4.3 / 4.3-4.4 / 4.4-4.5 / 4.5 and higher


The fastest I ever ran the 40 was 4.62 this high school football season. Right now I would guarantee a 40 of under 4.8.

[Twin]

4.5 Seconds of Fame

I've been running in intervals of 40 yards since i was 12 and playing pee-wee football.it was nessecary then, its nessecary now.Speed and acceleration is the first thing college recruits look for. Its measured on tracks, on field, and on court.Its the equivalent of the bench press in football and vertical jump in basketball.Wherever and However, If you plan to excel in sports you will most likely test in the 40 yard dash. Below are plenty of excercises, methods, and advice for lowering you 40 time.

What type of weightlifting workout program should you follow to improve your sprinting speed?

There are plenty exercises that will lower your forty time. ill give you all base lifts you need and a couple other auxillry lifts you can use to get that qualifying 40.

Cleans - This lift is for improving your acceleration off the starting line.many coaches and trainers agree this is the most important lift to lower your forty. if completed properly the clean will work your back and hip flexors whick will make a huge difference in your explosion off the line.it will also put stress on your shoulders which will assist in your arm pump. 3-5 sets...dont do more than 5 cleans in a set

Squat- This lift will build the foundation for the legs.working your quads, hamstrings, glutes and your lower back, squats is one of the most reccommended lifts for improving your speed. 3-5 sets

Deadlift- Another lift great for improving your explosion off the line. 3-5 sets

Front Squat-This lift will help increase your stride and maintain speed. 3-5 sets

Lunges-This lift will help you maintain your speed throughout the dash.these should be done with a barbell across the back,do all reps on one leg before alternating. 2-4 sets

Hamstring Curls-Hamstrings are usually are forgotten and are very important in running.you dont want to go real heavy on these. 2-4 sets

Weighted decline Sit ups- To build a foundation to run on.Abs are very important and frequently forgotten in training for running. 3-5 sets

Calf Raises-Do these with a medium weight and in a swift but controlled manner.3-5 sets

Jump Squats- Awesome lift used by many colleges to improve speed and jumping ability.These can be done with 5-10 pound plates or dumbells in each hand.Hold a squat position for 2-5 seconds while holding weights in each hand then explode up high as you can for ten reps.Then drop the weights and do the same for 10, pick up the weight and repeat once more for one set. 3-4 sets

You can make your own workout, but all lifts above except jump squats should be rested at least a day, preferably two, before attempting again
2-3 days a week is ideal.

What type of running workouts should you do?

Of course a good way to improve your running is to run. Heres a couple of workouts that will lower your 40. Note that strecthing should be done before and after running and plyrometrics.Also relax during both running and plyrometic excercises.

10 yard sprints. Focus on first step and acceleration. 3-5 sets

40 yards sprints. 4-6 sets

Flying 50. Jog 10 yards and sprint for 40. 4-5 sets

Arm Pumps. Done sitting down. 30-45 seconds for 3-5 sets

100 yard sprints.Will help improve top speed. 3-5 sets

Bear Crawls-100 yard for 3-5 sets

Falling foward sprints. Position feet and fall foward and sprint out for 10 yards. 3-5 sets

Stadiums- 6-8 sets


Plyometrics

These should be done on grass and 2-3 times a week...preform on balls of feet

High Knees- Aim for 40-60 a set. 4 sets

Broad Jumps- Aim for 3-5 a jump. 20 -30 yards a set- 3-6 sets

Kick Butt-. 20 yards for 3-5 sets

Scissor Kick Lunges- Done standing in place. 15 jump for 3-5 sets

Foot Fire- for 10 - 20 yard. 3-5 sets

Heel Walks for 20 yards. 3-8 sets

Walking Lunges for 50 yards.3-8 sets

Skips for distance for 50 yards 3-5 sets

Bounding for 50 yards. Good for stride.pretend your jumping over puddles.get good strecth on every jump 3-5 sets

backward bounding for 50. 3-5 sets

Is there any type of special equipment you can use?

Theres plenty of paraphaneila made for running. heres a couple that will help your 40

Bands. Requires a partner. You and your partner strap up at opposite ends of the band.stand behind each other the distance of the band.The person in front should sprint out hard while the person in back waits until the strecth is too much and follows.This gives resistance to the person in front and helps stride for the person in back.

Ankle Weights- These can work your achilles tendon and recruit fast twitch fibers if done with running workouts. Dont do during plyrometrics and be cautious while wearing them.

Jump Ropes- Can be done with some plyromerics and running workouts

Weight on a Rope.- Another form of resistance. can be performed on a beach.

Calf Shoes- These are the shoes with a pump in front to keep you off you heels. These can also be worn during running workout and will strengthen your achilles heel and ankle

Are there any supplements that will help?

Before supplements You should make sure your eating habits are healthy.Every athlete doesnt have to eat like a bodybuilder.Just make good choices on what you eat.That being said there are plenty of supplements that will help you in your quest to lower your 40.Heres a couple

Protein- Must have supplement. helps recovery and strength progress.

Joint Relief- Keep your knees and ankles in good condition for running

Multi Vitamin- Also a must have.make sure your body gets everything it needs for physical progress

Amino Acids- Many on the market. help with recovery and upkeep of muscles


Are there any special starting or running techniques that people can use to improve their time?


Form is very important in running and can shave hundreths off your 40 yard dash. Heres a couple of tips

Create a starting stance thats comfortable for you.It should have the potential for you to come out low.Find a stance that comfortable to you and explode out of it. Dont stand up out of it as this creates bad habits.

Find your first step leg.Stand feet together and have a friend slightly push you from behind.Whichever foot you land on should be the leg thats in the back of your stance.

Try not to stutter step out of your stance on the start.

Make sure you run on the balls of your feet to include calves in your foot strike and increase length in stride

Hold your breathe in your stance and let it out in your explosion out.

Come out of your stance low

Dont let your arms cross your body as this is wasted energy and lowers speed.Try to pump straight ahead.

Take powerful but relaxed foot strikes

Finish through the line.Alot of runners come up short of line adding time to there run

Stretch frequently- Not only does this help prevent injury but it will make you faster


Are there any activities that you should avoid that could actually slow you down?

Endurance activities such as jogging or long swimming will slow you down on your sprints.These long endurance activities recruit more slow twitch fibers which are good for long distance and cardio, but is not what we want as sprinters.

What type of improvement can you expect in four weeks? Twelve weeks? One year?

The improvment of your 40 yard dash can depend on factors such as age and expierience. Anyhow give it atleast 4 weeks before expecting results.some people can see results within the first week. Ideal results are .05 to .1 a month.dont get discouraged thinking thats not enough. A tenth of a second can make or break your dreams.Of course you will eventually come to your natural plateau and progress will be slower but this doesnt mean you cant get faster as even olympic runners are always getting faster.

BONUS QUESTION: What is a good 40 time for a junior high athlete? For a high school athlete? For a college athlete? What is your 40 time?

These times are based on electronic timing on a track as opposed to hand timing.Electronic times are more accurate and as of result the time will be higher.electronic timing can add .05 to .15 to your 40.Also keep in mind track times will be a little faster than on a field

Junior High- Your athletes in junior high will run around 5.6 to 5.4 Your elite kids will run 5.4 to 5 flat

High School- Your athletes in high school will run around 5 flat to 4.7 Your elite will run from 4.7 to 4.5

college/ pro- The time range is lower considering the atleticism in college and the pros. 4.6 to 4.4 Your rare elite will run 4.4 to 4.3

Im a senior in a Florida High School and i run an electronic 4.4 on track

[live4this13]

Good luck guys. Nice work.

[ravadongon]

WEEK TWENTY-NINE :: How Can You Improve Your 40 Time?

By Ravadongon

In bodybuilding, people ask, "How much do ya bench?" In the speed world, people ask, "What's yer 40 time?" What are the secrets of improving your 40 time?

What type of weightlifting workout program should you follow to improve your sprinting speed?

Basically you want a routine that will improve your max strength along with your speed (speed + strength = power). I've found modified Westside Routines to fit in nicely with sports prep during the off-season. But this is only for people who have had a fair bit of experience with weightlifting.

ME LOWER

Squat/deadlift/good morning - Using one of these exercises or a variation of them for no more than 3 consecutive weeks work up from a warm up in sets of 3 until 3 repetitions are no longer possible and switch to a single rep working up to 4 single repetitions of between 90-100% of your max.

Lower back work - Choose from glute-ham raises, reverse hyper-extensions, half deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, stiff-legged deadlifts (SLDLs), hyper-extensions or cable pulls - 4 x 8-10 (weighted if need be to stay within rep range)

Abs - Any form of rectus abdominus work - 4 x 8-12

Lat work - Any form of upper back work such as wide grip chins, pull downs, barbell rows, cable rows - 4 x 8-10

ME UPPER

Bench Press or any of it's many variations (incline/decline, board press, JM Press etc.) working from a triple to a single.

Tricep work - Any form of core strength tricep work such as close grip bench, JM presses, Tate presses, lying dumbbell extensions - 4 x 5-10

Shoulder work - choice of either lateral or front raises - 4 x 10-12

Lat work - as above - 4 x 8-10

Biceps - Pick any bicep exercise of your choice - 3 x 8-10

DE LOWER

Box squat 8-12 doubles with 45-65% of 1RM (fast positive and negative phases)

Lower back work - as ME Lower

Side bends (or variation of external oblique training) - 4 x 8-12

DE UPPER

Speed bench 8-10 triples with 45-46% 1 RM (fast positive and negative phases)

Tricep work - as ME Upper

Pushdowns - as ME Upper

Lat work - as ME Upper

Biceps - as ME Upper

Structure:

M: ME Upper
W: ME Lower
F: DE Upper

M: DE Lower
W: ME Upper
F: ME Lower

M: DE Upper
W: DE Lower
F: ME Upper

and so on...

If you are justing starting of with weightlifting then, you should shoot for a basic routine such as this, before going into the one above:

DAY 1 (MON) – PULL

- Power Cleans (3x4)
- Barbell Rows switch with Dumbbell Rows, or Wide Grip Chins every 3 sessions (3x6)
- Barbell Curls switch with Close Grip Underhand Chins, or Hammer Curls every 3 sessions (3x8)

DAY 2 (WED) – PUSH

- Incline, Flat Barbell or Dumbbell Bench Press (switch between every 3 sessions) (3x6)
- BB or DB Push Presses (switch every 3 sessions) (3x6)
- Tricep Dips or Close Grip Bench Press (switch every three sessions) (3x8)

DAY 3 (FRI) – LEGS AND ABS

- Front or Back Squats (switch every 3 sessions) (3x6)
- Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlifts (3x6)
- Standing or Seated Calf Raises (3x8) (switch every 3 sessions)
- Weighted Crunches or Weighted Hanging Leg Raises (3x10)

How many days a week should you workout?

Your schedule should be able to allow for plenty of time to recover from sessions. Here is a sample schedule:

Mon (AM): Weights
Mon (PM): Plyos (only if upper day)
Tue: OFF or Restoration techniques
Wed (AM): Weights
Wed (PM): Sprints (only if upper day)
Thu: OFF or Restoration techniques
Fri (AM): Weights
Fri (PM): Plyos (only if upper day)
Sat: OFF
Sun: OFF

What type of running workouts should you do? What type of plyometrics are best?

First of all like you should with all sports training, perform gap analysis to uncover your weakness. There are two areas in improving your 40 time: acceleration and max speed, here are some drills at improving both:

Acceleration:

All max leg strength exercises improve acceleration, as do leg plyometric exercises: Particularly useful ones are standing long jump, standing triple jump, hurdle hops, and combination jumps (horizontal).

Sprint starts: For example, 20 x 5 m with 30 seconds recovery.

Foot speed drills: For instance, frappier drills, complete max number of foot contacts in 10 secs.

Resisted accelerations: Athlete performs max 10 m efforts with trainer pulling with tubing. Very useful as it is a completely specific way to add resistance sprint start movement. You must be careful not to overdo, as it could teach the athlete to run with slow cadence, which isn't what you want. Therefore, always finish workout with normal accelerations.

Max Sprint Speed

- Hill sprints – 8-10% gradient approx

- Sprint drills – improve running technique, coordination and stability of synergistic muscles involved in running

- Sprint workout - 5 - 10 x 30 - 80 m max efforts. 3-5 minutes rest in between.

(KEEP REST PERIODS LONG. YOU ARE TRAINING FOR MAX SPEED NOT SPEED ENDURANCE)

Is there any type of special equipment you can use?

The only musts I can think of are markers to mark out distances and obviously a pair of quality shoes.

If you want to perform resisted accelerations, in working on improving your acceleration then it would be a good idea to get a parachute or a sled. Personally I don't do resisted accelerations but if you want to then you'll need to get that.

Are there any supplements that will help?

This was covered in a TOTW a while back, basically the essentials are:

Multivitamin

- Essential for bodily functions
- General health and wellbeing

Protein (whey and blend) and BCAAs

- Contains Amino Acids – building blocks used by body to construct and repair muscle tissue
- Prevents catabolism – muscle wasting

EFAs

- Increased lubrication of joints
- Better utilization of fats
- Improved mental functioning

Creatine

- Increases amount of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) that is stored in muscles
- ATP – stored form of energy (between 2nd and 3rd phosphate groups) used by the body during cellular respiration to provide energy for the demands of contracting muscles.

Glucosamine Sulfate

- Helps re-build cartilage - shock absorber in the joints of your body
- Prevents joint problems before they start

Are there any special starting or running techniques that people can use to improve their time?

The best thing to do is to get someone who knows a bit about sprinting to watch and analyse your technique, however you can make some simple adjustments yourself:

- Increase your stride length (to an ideal length, not too big in that it throws you off balance and slows you down)
- Use your arms to propel you
- Breathe (provide oxygen to your muscles so you don't go into an oxygen debt early and consequently allow lactic acid to build up quicker and fatigue your muscles)

Are there any activities that you should avoid that could actually slow you down?

Athletes must always be completely fresh for speed training if it is to be effective. Therefore, avoid heavy weight training (legs) or hard endurance training the day before.

Also avoid consuming large amounts of "junk" food. Keep your diet clean as possible, and make sure your energy demands are catered for in the food you eat.

What type of improvement can you expect in four weeks? Twelve weeks? One year?

Depends on the athlete. Some may be able to cut their time down by more than half a second others will have to work at getting off tenths of a second

BONUS QUESTION: What is a good 40 time for a junior high athlete? For a high school athlete? For a college athlete? What is your 40 time?

Again, dependson the athlete. Different sports have different speed profiles and requirements. Racquet sports (tennis, squash, badminton etc.) require very fast off the mark acceleration, but maximum speed over a longer sprint 30-60 m is less important. Rugby and American Football require both good acceleration and maximum speed. Therefore max speed and acceleration need to be differentiated in training. So basically I can not give you a definite answer for what is a good 40 time for a junior athlete.

I ran a 60m at the start of the year (which is what they test for in Oz) clocking in at 7.3s so I'm working to cut that down, and test again at the end of this year, hopefully knocking a few tenths of a second of that...

[bigcalves]

Good Luck to all! We did good this week, may the best man win!

[live4this13]

Good Luck to all! We did good this week, may the best man win!

We all know I am the best man, lol JK. May the best article win

[Ifrit]

Wow. I really think live4this should have won first bigcalves second and doggiejoe third. Doggiejoe writes well but I don't see why you guys place him so high week after week. This is non biased because I didn't even write this week so you can't say I'm a hater,lol.

[live4this13]

Wow. I really think live4this should have won first bigcalves second and doggiejoe third. Doggiejoe writes well but I don't see why you guys place him so high week after week. This is non biased because I didn't even write this week so you can't say I'm a hater,lol.

Thanks bro, I thought I had a good article this week, and I put a lot of time into it, however I didnt win, and Iam not one to argue with the winners. Good Job everyone.

[dajoka004]

Good Athletes
Junior High
Runningback 4.7
Linebacker 4.9
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.6

High School
Runningback 4.5-4.6
Linebacker 4.6-4.7
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.4-4.5

College
Runningback 4.4-4.5
Linebacker 4.5-4.6
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.3-4.4

Professional
Runningback 4.3-4.4
Linebacker 4.4-4.5
Cornerback/Wide Receiver 4.2-4.3

Those times are false. Check out this article
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniont...1s18forty.html
When Ben Johnson ran his 9.79 100m in Seoul in the 80s, he was through 40 yards in 4.38 seconds. The article shows you the conversions for hand timed 40 yard times. Also electronically timed 40s cannot be trusted either. You have to take into account the surface and weather. No pro can run a 4.3 or 4.4. There may be a couple who can run a 4.5.

[XR8]

Stair running is perhaps the best workout for improving general speed, starting power and stride length. The stairs or incline should be between 20-35 degrees.

Bounding is an enjoyable way to develop overall leg power and improve stride length, though it’s somewhat difficult.

Jumping rope is, believe it or not, a rapid-fire exercise that can do wonders for your 40-yard dash.