One day I decided to make sprinting to be my baseline daily movement. I realized that if I don’t sprint or don’t do any daily exercise or movement my body, mindset and output level would drop. My body wouldn’t be in a “ready state”, it would conserve energy and usage and try to find efficiencies, i.e. get lazy. Muscles would weaken, joints would stiffen, my central nervous system wasn’t as activated.
My theory was that if I made sprinting my everyday routine, as vigorous and intense as it is, I can make it my baseline daily movement. As baseline as like getting up, walking to the office, walking the dog or a brisk jog.
After about 2 years of sprinting everyday, I’m pretty satisfied with the results. I’ve had to make adjustments, experimented, rethink approaches but all in the effort of learning and developing. I’m definitely faster and a stronger runner.
My starts, speed, explosiveness, power and endurance have all improved. My legs are stronger and developing more muscle. My flexibility and mobility have all increased. My tendons and joints are a lot stronger, regaining and in some cases surpassing my previous pliability, recoil and bounce ability. I’ve increased my plyo-ability, improved my run mechanics, ground force production. My central nervous system is firing. I’ve gone through and fixed, plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis, knee tendonitis, tight hamstrings, tight lower back.
I wanted to get my body in such a “ready state” that I could wakeup in the morning, get out of bed and start running or jumping. And I’m very close, I can do some bounces do some mobility, and takes me only a few seconds to get warmed up. Whereas, before I’d be so stiff and cold out of bed, it’d take me all morning to loosen up.
This is just my theory about baselines, establishing baselines and pushing that line out a little bit further everyday, progressing, developing. With not just sprinting or workouts but anything you want to improve or develop.