8 Reasons to Sprint to Greater Success

Charles Poliquin 8 reasons why everyone should sprint

Chalres Poliquin's editorial staff highlights 8 reasons why everyone should "sprint".  The article notes that a sprint doesn't have to be moving at your fastest possible speed, but can be a high-intensity training using alternating components of very intense activity with rest periods.  If you only have a half hour or so to workout in the morning before workout using sprints will not only work best for a shorter time period, but will give you just as much if not greater benefits then long periods of lower-intensity exercise, such as jogging.  

Back to the science.  The first reason highlighted in this article is to lose fat.  A group of steady aerobic exercise and a group of 15 sprints for 30 seconds participated in a 1994 study.  The group who did the sprints lost 9 times more body fat!  You didn't read this wrong I said NINE times more body fat!  The article highlights a couple other studies that showed similar results as this one.  

Second reason highlighted was to build muscle.  If you have been reading some of my blogs you should already know the importance of muscle.  Muscle improves your resting metabolic rate, aka your metabolism, and improves insulin sensitivity among other things as well.  Another huge benefit for women is an increase in bone density, which greatly reduces after age 50. 

I am not going to go over the 6 other reasons because frankly the article linked above does an amazing job of doing so already.  I just want to stress the importance of SPRINTING.  Whenever I walk into the gym I see people walking on the treadmill, using the elliptical, doing the bike, jogging, and lifting.  It is only on a rare occasion that I see someone spiriting; in fact I hardly ever see it.  I am not sure why because sprinting not only shows better results, but also is shorter time duration to complete a full workout.  Maybe it is because the general population at the gym isn't educated enough to know the importance of sprinting?  Well then I hope this article will give you that knowledge to start a sprinting program in your gym today.  

Sample sprinting program for beginner

Make sure you warm-up for at least 5 minutes before your workout

Sprint (85%-95% effort) 20-30 yards 15 times rest 45-60 seconds in between 

Advanced sprinting programs (each one is a separate workout)  

Sprint 400 yards x 6 rest 2:00 minutes 

Sprint 200 yards x 12 rest 1:15 seconds 

Sprint 100 yards x  16 rest 45 seconds take a break after 8 for 2 minutes 

Sprint 50 yards x 30 rest 30 seconds take a break after 15 for 2 minutes