Improving Your Top End Speed

If you are wanting to improve your sprinting speed then you have got to train your muscles to be faster! Now I know that this may sound obvious, yet most athletes don't have a clue as to how they should go about doing this. The fact is that there are several ways to improve your sprinting speed, but I am going to discuss a single exercise from the strength training element of your workouts that will drastically improve your speed training.

The Overhead Kettlebell Swing

If you are wanting to drastically improve your sprinting speed then you have got to condition your muscles for speed and when it comes to your strength training workouts you have got to condition those muscles through related movements which are involved in the task of running. One great way to do this is through the dynamic method of kettlebell training. You see by now you may be somewhat familiar with the ancient kettlebell and understand that this form of strength training is very movement based in nature. This is why it translates over so well into the realm of athletic competition. One of the base movements of kettlebell training is the double arm swing. This exercise has many variations, but the overhead version truly promotes the development of your posterior chain or your sprinting muscles which consist of your hips, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. To execute this lift you will need the availability of a single bell of moderate resistance. Stand with your feet at shoulder width with the bell hanging at your groin. Make sure that you have a firm hooking grip on the kettlebell with both hands. From here you are going to execute the hip snap movement which consist of you forcefully flexing and extending at both your hips and knees to create momentum to swing the bell. You must make sure to keep your shoulders retracted and your abs tight in order to stabilize your core and back. As the bell swings back and forth from the power you generate from your hips allow the momentum to build up until it carries all the way up to above your head. As you bring it overhead you should be fully locked out at the top of each repetition. This exercise will certainly get you to sprinting faster in a hurry.

If you haven't already started to implement overhead kettlebell swings and other great kettlebell lifts into your speed training workouts then you are truly missing out. If you want to learn more about hard hitting strength and conditioning secrets like this one feel free to access the rest of my articles on the subject for free. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only champions train smart!