Stuck on the same PB for months and just can’t break through? Not for much longer, baby! This workout will make you run faster.
There are few things more disheartening than pushing yourself to your heart-pounding, lung-burning limit only to stumble across the finish line in nearly exactly the same time you finished before. Honestly, WTF? You trained hard, you pushed hard…and you did the same? How much more do you have to do?
Teach Your Body To Go Faster
If you’re already clocking all your running sessions, it may be time to look at the type of training you’re doing rather than trying to squeeze in even more time on the road. Why? Because you need to change how your body is powering your run. Here’s a very quick biology lesson: Your muscles are made up of different types of muscle fibres. If your training involves a nice, comfortable jog or running at a constant speed, you’re only using one type of muscle fibre. So that’s not going to help you when you want to pick up the pace for, say, a sprint.
READ MORE: Prevent Injuries From Happening When You Run With These Five Moves
The Better Runner Explosive Workout
To go even faster when you turn on the gas, you need to teach your body to use more muscle fibres by incorporating explosive movements like jumping into your training. “Explosive strength and power are developed through teaching the body to produce maximal force in minimal time,” explains Raeesa Solwa Mehtar, a biokineticist, running coach and 2016 WH Next Fitness Star top ten finalist, who developed this workout. “Not only has explosive, power-based training been shown to improve athletic performance in sports requiring a higher output, but it has also improved physical performance in endurance runners.”
READ MORE: 6 Kilojoules-Blasting Moves That’ll Make You A Better Runner
Watch Raeesa perform the moves:
READ MORE: Become A Better Runner With This Warm-Up Workout
Your Moves:
— Explosive Step-Ups x 30 seconds
— Lateral Double-Leg Step Hop x 20
— Box Jumps x 10
— Single-Leg Lunge Hop on Step x 10 each leg
— Jumping Lunges x 20
— Snowboard Squat Jumps x 20
— Lunge Twist with Ball Slam x 10 each side
— Burpee and Ball Wall Slam x 20
— Side to Side Step-ups x 20
— Broad Jump x 10 – max effort
— Lateral Hops Forward and Backwards x 20
Looking for more? Here’s hour beginner’s guide to running for weight-loss.