Why I use sprinting as my baseline, everyday workout.
There are many “scientific”, research-based reasons why sprinting is a great workout. I’ll give you my everyday, experiential reasons why I’ve been sprinting everyday for the past 2 years. Yes, everyday. With a few rare exceptions, my monthly “punchcard” is full and if I do miss, it’s never more than one or two days in a month.
Time and Efficiency
My average workout duration is about an hour. I’ve created a jam-packed routine where I can get a lot done in an hour. I get right into the workout from parking lot to the field, no stretching. And I’ve created a “warm up” that is essentially a workout in itself.
But if I’m short on time or have a really busy day, I can do a 15-20 minute workout and still feel like I put in a lot of work. Or sometimes I’ll lose track of time and my workout can end up being two hours. Although I try not to do this, as it will tax my system, which will be paid for in subsequent workouts.
Optimizing my time and maximizing efficiency is the biggest reason I do sprints as a daily workout. Sprinting utilizes every capacity of my physical and mental ability. Here are just some of the benefits I get from my workout,
- Building and executing speed, strength, power & explosiveness – Sprinting is the fastest full-body physicality we can perform. We are using only our body to generate max force into the ground, with ground contact through our feet at just fractions of a second to propel our body to move through space at our max speed. That’s kinda cool.
- Developing and increasing mobility, flexibility, biomechanics, joint and tendon health, end range positions. But at the same time revealing deficiencies that need to be improved. Weakness, imbalances and injuries will arise if these are incorrect and not corrected.
- Listening to my mind body connection – Feeling the impact of my feet on the ground. Sensing when my hamstrings are not firing properly. I can feel my tendons when they have good recoil and “bounce”.
- Firing the central nervous system – to run at maximum speed requires hyper focus and intentionality – speed, power, release, reflex, high-quality body mechanics, total body movement. All firing from the central nervous system, all coordinated and timed in fractions of a second.
- Refreshing the lymphatic system, increased blood circulation, respiratory capacity, heart strength and blood oxygen levels.
- Promotes HGH, muscle growth and hypertrophy.
- For each sprint I enter a state of “flow”. I’m thinking about nothing. All my senses are heightened and I’m trying to run completely on reflex, instinct and intuition. I can’t listen to podcasts or audiobooks when I sprint because I have no idea what they just said after a rep.
- Sprinting and getting into a state of “flow” allows me to destress.
- The Progression is literally limitless. I wouldn’t have been able to do the routine I do today, a year ago. My strength, endurance and ability are improving. But there are also points where I hit a plateau and there is always something that can be improved, i.e. mechanics, speed, power, mental focus.
- I want to develop this approach as a progression-based habit that is sustainable at a sprinter’s pace. And use this mindset and method so that it can be transferrable to other parts of my life like, work, career and skill building.
Sources
They didn’t need to convince me the awesome benefits of sprinting. But I went back to see if my intuition and approach on sprinting was viable and valid. These are some sources and advocates of sprinting I found, that have created some great videos with science-based explanations.
- Muscle growth
- Improved fat oxidation, holding onto muscle without burning muscle tissue
- Improved protein synthesis
- Improved aerobic capacity, VO2 max – max oxygen body can take in and deliver to muscles
- Targets fast twitch muscles
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Improved heart health
- Ultimate primal workout
- HIIT vs HIRT – HIIT requires duration that is too long, not delivering a maximum explosive effort
- Sprinting stimulates anti-aging hormones, testosterone, growth hormones, helping build back stronger and more resilient body without pushing the risk of burnout, breakdown, illness and injury.
- Breakdown happens when reps are too frequent, duration is too long, and not enough recovery
- Every “rep” should be as good as the first. The quality of each repetition should not degrade and get progressively weaker and worse.
- Burnout – 24 to 36 hours later the body shuts down, going into required recovery. Feels like laziness. Get away from depleting, exhaustive workouts.
- Sprints over 30 seconds causes cellular breakdown – disassembling and deamination
- 3 keys: Intense 10-20 seconds, Luxurious rests, Appropriate volume
- Cardio-metabolic benefits the same as 1 minute sprinting = 50 minutes steady state cardio
- Metabolism elevated 24 hours – 2 minute sprinting vs 30 minute steady state cardio
- HGH increase, building muscle, melting fat – 30 second sprint increased HGH 450% for 60 – 90 minutes
- Elevated testosterone vs steady state cardio
- Fat loss
- Develop mental ability