How to Run Faster

One of my goals is to be able to run faster.   Growing up I played a lot of soccer and football.  These sports had a lot of sprinting involved in them.  I was quite fast and often would beat the person defending me and make a nice play.  I also played baseball but was bad at hitting.  I compromised this by getting proficient at bunting down the third base line and sprinting to first base, beating the throw to first base.  Then I would steal second base and somehow get to home.  All of this was done primarily by sprinting and being fast.

In order to get faster there are a few things that you can do in the gym to help.  The main thing studies have shown include that when doing leg workouts the focus should be on doing less repetitions and heavier weight.  The workouts should include squats and leg presses.  These exercise are ones that focus on exploding upward in order to complete the repetition.  I also like doing leg extensions and leg curls.

When you run for speed you also should try running outside and do interval training by starting of at a nice jogging pace.  Then sprint for 15-20 seconds and then go back to jogging pace. Try sprinting to two or three lamp posts or other objects along your running route and then recover for two or three lamp posts.  This type of running is known as fartlek running.

If you are trying to get faster as a runner you should do leg workouts such as squats, leg presses, leg extensions and leg curls.  When running you should do interval training and practice running fartleks.
Within a few weeks you should notice that you can run faster.

KettleBell 101

If you've gone to the gym lately you may have heard of workouts that use kettlebells. They are very popular in gyms right. What exactly is a kettlebell?  They look like cannonballs with thick handles on them and they come in various weights. Kettlebells can be effectively implemented into workouts as weights for explosive exercises.  The main benefit for using kettlebells is that the exercises used with them hit multiple muscles all at once. It is challenging also because the weight is not centered like using a barbell in any lifts so in order to use them you have to be able to manage the weight being off centered.

Kettlebells come in numerous weight amounts. Choose a weight that is challenging but not too heavy.  The weight should be heavy enough to be challenging but not too heavy to use poor form and risk injuring yourself.  Kettlebell training is unlike any other, as it requires  power, strength, mobility, stability, cardiovascular fitness and good endurance. These are dynamic exercises that allow the body to move fluidly and use different muscles at the same time. 

One of the basic exercises is to put the kettlebell between your legs while bending and then explosively swing the bell up to shoulder level.  This exercise is using your quadriceps in your legs but also builds your core muscles and arm and shoulder muscles. By doing a set or two of this exercise you are also getting a cardiovascular workout. You can vary the exercises and be able to focus the exercise on whatever muscles you want.  Below is a video I found to help demonstrate the many things you can do with kettlebells

The kettlebell is an excellent way to workout because it builds strength, stamina and burns fat.  It is a dynamic exercise that works multiple muscles at the same time.  Many gyms have classes you can go to that use kettlebells.  You should check them out and see how you like them.