Sprint Workouts for Beginners

People whose primary exercise is running, often complain that they are not losing as much weight as they want to. One of the main reasons for this is that people walk at a medium pace which speeds up the metabolism for only a short time which is not enough to lose weight. Adding a sprint workout to the existing running exercise can help you to not only shed those extra kilos, but also tone and sculpt your body. It will give you the lean and healthy look that you have always desired and will increase your resistance and flexibility. But what exactly is a sprint workout? Sprinting in essence is running very fast for a short interval. Sprinting workouts consists of concentric contractions of several muscle groups for a short period. It is a total body workout that engages each muscle group and this in turn makes your body stronger and fitter. For regular exercisers who are not seeing any results like loss of inches or toning of muscles, maybe it is time to challenge the body and opt for sprint workouts. Since sprint workouts are quite intense it is best that they be performed by people who are regular in their exercise regimen and have attained a basic level of fitness. If you have not done any exercise for a long time, then sprint workout is not for you as your body is not accustomed to such vigorous training and you will end up injuring yourself.

Sprint Workout Routine for Beginners

For beginners, a sprint workout should be started after proper preparations or you will seriously injure yourself. For people who walk for 30 minutes every day, it is recommended that they graduate to jogging and running. These activities will accustom the body to a more rigorous workout like sprinting and will help to strengthen your lower body. As a beginner you also need understand the importance of pacing yourself for the workout. Do not push your body to do rigorous sprinting exercises when you are a beginner. But ease your body into these exercises gradually. Do some warm ups and stretches to prepare the body for the sprinting workouts. Always keep yourself hydrated and most importantly stop exercising if you encounter pain in your knees or the balls of your feet.

Wind Sprints
To perform this particular sprint workout, first warm up by lightly jogging for 10-12 minutes. Now sprint for 30 seconds as fast as you can and then rest for 1 minute to catch your breath. Next sprint again for 30 seconds and rest for 1 minute. Do 10-12 sprints and then finish the workout by doing a light jog for 10 minutes.

Pushup Sprint
To do this sprinting workout, first warm up your body by jogging or running for a few minutes. Now assume a pushup position by placing your hands underneath your chest on the ground, with your chest, hips and legs in a straight line. Make sure that you balance your body weight on your arms and toes. Now lower your body to the ground and then assume the push up position again. Next, in one fluid motion, bring your left leg forward to touch your chest and then break into a sprint. Run forward for 10-15 yards, then assume the same pushup position and repeat the sprint.

Pyramid Sprint
To do this particular sprint exercise, first perform some warm up exercises to loosen your muscles. Next sprint for 10 meters. Do two repetitions of this 10 meter sprint. Follow this up by sprinting for 20 meters next and then repeat this 20 meter sprint four times. Sprint 40 meters afterward and complete six repetitions of this 40 meter sprint. Walk for a few seconds between the sprints to recover. Finish the workout by cooling down by stretching.

If you are doing a sprint workout for the first time, then it is recommended that you ease into the training session gradually. Sprint workouts are a great way to build up your endurance and strength and to attain a toned and sculpted body.