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10 Quick Sprint Workouts To Build Explosivity

Sprint workouts are important for improving performance and building explosivity into your training.

Oftentimes overlooked in favour of strength training, sprint workouts have huge benefits for cardiovascular health, explosivity, and building endurance. 

One of the best benefits of sprinting is that anyone can do it! Speed, distance, and fitness level doesn’t matter; it’s fun to run fast, whatever fast means to you. If you’re a long distance runner, sprint intervals can also help you build speed, helping you complete your 5k or 10k runs in less time.

What are the benefits of running?Source: Unsplash

Further benefits of sprinting include (but are not limited to) burning a ton of calories, boosting your metabolism, and increasing your stamina. All things that help you become a better, stronger athlete.

You can train sprints on a track, road, or treadmill.

Sprint Workouts for CrossFit Athletes

Incorporating runs into your workouts helps your training become more well-rounded, and interval training is a great way to do that. Here are 9 quick sprint workouts to program into your training, beginning slow and working up to harder routines.

1 “Simple Beginner Routine” by Healthline

AMRAP 20 minutes:

  • Sprint 30 seconds (50/60% max effort)
  • Recover 60 – 120 seconds
  • Sprint 30 seconds (70% max effort)
  • Recover 60 – 120 seconds
  • Sprint 30 seconds (80% max effort)

Repeat this for 20 minutes, as many rounds as possible (AMRAP)

2 “Fartlek Workout 101” by Training Peaks

12-minute warm-up jog, followed by:

  • 2 minutes jog
  • 7 minutes moderate-hard
  • 3 minutes jog
  • 3 minutes hard
  • 5 minutes jog
  • Cool down or repeat

A Swedish word meaning ‘speed play,’ fartlek runs serve to build endurance in your running. This kind of interval running is great for getting comfortable with running faster and learning how to recover while moving.

3 “Griff”

For Time:

  • 800 meter Run
  • 400 meter Run (backwards)
  • 800 meter Run
  • 400 meter Run (backwards)

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written.

Score is the time on the clock when the last 400 meter Run is completed.

4 “Sham”

7 Rounds For Time:

  • 11 Deadlifts (bodyweight)
  • 100 meter Sprint

Read More on BOXROX Pro: How Can You Improve Your Cardio Without Hindering Your Gains?

5 “Surfer on Acid”

3 Rounds for Time:

  • 400 meter Run
  • 21 Burpees

Max sustainable pace is the fastest pace an athlete feels they could hold for all three rounds without slowing down while taking into account the added burpees. 

This movement can also be approached in a similar fashion to the runs. What is the fastest pace I can hold here without slowing down? Athletes can look at the time on the clock when they exit the gym after the first round to give them a target split to try and replicate for the following two. 

The second round will likely be the most difficult, so buckling down there both physically and mentally will be important.

3 rounds is recommended for this WOD, but can be scaled one to one round for time.

6 “Clark”

For Time:

  • 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Burpee Broad Jumps
  • 200 meter Run

Clark is a solo bodyweight workout that consists of Burpee Broad Jumps and Running. Each round of Burpee Broad Jumps is followed by a 200 meter Run. 

In the first round, you do 10 Burpee Broad Jumps followed by a 200 meter Run. In the second round, you do 9 Burpee Broad Jumps followed by 200 meter of Running. This framework continues until you reach Round 10.

Score is the time on the clock when the last 200 meter Run is completed.

As we’re focusing on sprint drills in these workouts, you can scale this WOD by limiting the number of Burpee Broad Jumps.

7 “Hill Sprints”

For Time:

  • 100 meter Sprint (Uphill)
  • Recover (Downhill)
  • 100 meter Sprint (Uphill)
  • Recover (Downhill)
  • 100 meter Sprint (Uphill)

Time cap: 5 minutes.

A simple and surprisingly tough workout depending on what hill you choose. Hill sprints in general are excellent for building endurance. 

This workout is simply as many 30 second hill sprints you can perform in 5 minutes. 

Ideally you should think about pacing for this workout. The first couple of 30 second sprints should be done 60% of your max effort, while towards the end of the 5 minutes you can really push into 90% of your max effort.

Score is the number of uphill sprints accumulated in 5 minutes.

8 “Stimulus Travel WOD 3”

3 Rounds for Time:

  • 0.5 mile Run
  • 50 Air Squats

Once again this workout can be scaled depending on your running ability. Substitute the half mile for 200 or 400 meters.

how to start runningSource: Andrew Tanglao on Unsplash

9 “Emily”

10 Rounds for Time:

  • 30 Double-Unders
  • 15 Pull-Ups
  • 30 Air Squats
  • 100 meter Sprint
  • Rest 2 minutes

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work in the order written for 10 rounds.

Score is the time on the clock when the last 100 meter Sprint is completed.

10 “Bare Cove Travel WOD 41”

8 Rounds for Time:

  • 200 meter Sprint
  • 12 Air Squats
  • 9 Burpees

    With a running clock, as fast as possible perform the prescribed work for 8 rounds.

Score is the time on the clock when the last round of the Burpees is completed.

Read More: 25 Running Workouts to Build Powerful Conditioning for CrossFit

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