How to Get Faster at Sprinting
You do not need to be a track athlete to benefit from sprint speed. Whether you want to be faster for your sport, pass a fitness test, or just feel more explosive, this guide gives you the practical steps to get noticeably quicker in 6 weeks.
Step 1: Assess Your Current Sprint Speed
Before you start training, establish a baseline. Pick one or two of these tests and record your result. You will repeat the test every 2 to 3 weeks to track improvement. Having a number to beat is far more motivating than vague feelings of "getting faster."
40-Yard Dash
How to Test
Mark 40 yards (36.6 meters) on a flat surface. Have a friend time you from the first movement to crossing the line. Do 3 attempts with 3 minutes rest between each. Record your fastest time.
What It Tells You
Your acceleration ability. Most of the 40-yard dash is acceleration, so this measures how quickly you get up to speed from a standstill. This is the most relevant test for team sport athletes.
Beginner
5.5+ seconds (male) / 6.5+ seconds (female)
Intermediate
4.9 to 5.5 seconds (male) / 5.8 to 6.5 seconds (female)
Fast
Under 4.9 seconds (male) / under 5.8 seconds (female)
100m Sprint
How to Test
Use a running track. Start from a standing position (not blocks). Have someone time you at the finish. Do 2 attempts with 5 minutes rest. Record your fastest.
What It Tells You
Your overall sprint capacity including acceleration, max velocity, and speed maintenance. This is the standard measure of pure sprint speed.
Beginner
14.0+ seconds (male) / 16.0+ seconds (female)
Intermediate
12.0 to 14.0 seconds (male) / 13.5 to 16.0 seconds (female)
Fast
Under 12.0 seconds (male) / under 13.5 seconds (female)
Standing Broad Jump
How to Test
Stand with toes behind a line. Jump forward as far as possible, landing on both feet. Measure from the starting line to where your heels land. Take the best of 3 attempts.
What It Tells You
Your lower body explosive power, which directly correlates with sprint acceleration. Athletes who jump farther tend to sprint faster because both require horizontal force production.
Beginner
Under 6.5 feet / 2.0 meters
Intermediate
6.5 to 8.5 feet / 2.0 to 2.6 meters
Fast
Over 8.5 feet / 2.6 meters
8 Practical Ways to Get Faster
These methods are ordered from easiest to implement to most complex. Start with the first three (they require no equipment and produce immediate results), then layer in the rest as you progress.
Master a Proper Dynamic Warm-Up
Most people sprint cold and wonder why they feel slow and tight. A proper warm-up increases muscle temperature by 2 to 3 degrees, improves nerve conduction speed by 10 to 15%, and primes your neuromuscular system for explosive effort. Do this before every sprint session: 5 min easy jog, 20 leg swings each direction, high knees x 30m, butt kicks x 30m, A-skips x 30m, then 3 buildups at 60%, 80%, 90% effort.
Why It Works
A warm body sprints 3 to 5% faster than a cold body. That is the difference between a 5.5 and a 5.3 second 40-yard dash.
Fix Your Arm Drive
Your arms dictate what your legs do. If your arms move slowly, your legs move slowly. Drive your elbows straight back (not across your body). Hands travel from cheek to hip pocket. Fingers relaxed, not clenched. Practice seated arm drives: sit with legs extended and pump your arms as fast as possible for 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times. This teaches arm speed without the complexity of full sprinting.
Why It Works
Arm drive improvements are the fastest way to see immediate speed gains because they require no physical adaptation, just technique correction.
Practice the Drive Phase
The first 10 meters of a sprint determine your acceleration. Most beginners stand up too quickly and lose power. Practice wall drills: lean against a wall at 45 degrees, drive one knee up explosively, and switch legs. Do 3 sets of 10 each leg. Then practice 10m starts: focus on keeping your head down, body at 45 degrees, and pushing the ground behind you with short, powerful steps.
Why It Works
Better starts mean you reach your top speed sooner, which makes you faster over any distance.
Do Hill Sprints for Power
Hill sprints are the safest and most effective way to build sprint power. The incline naturally teaches proper drive phase mechanics (forward lean, knee drive, ground push) and reduces hamstring injury risk because you cannot reach absolute max velocity uphill. Find a hill with 5 to 8% grade. Sprint up for 20 to 30 meters. Walk down. Rest 90 seconds. Repeat 6 to 8 times.
Why It Works
Hill sprints develop the same muscles as sled pulls without needing any equipment. They are the single best sprint workout for beginners.
Use Resistance Band Drills
Loop a resistance band around your waist and have a partner hold the other end. Sprint forward against the resistance for 15 to 20 meters. The band provides progressive overload during the acceleration phase. After 3 to 4 resisted sprints, do 2 unresisted sprints and notice how much faster you feel. This "contrast training" is one of the most effective methods for immediate speed improvement.
Why It Works
Resisted sprints overload your muscles to produce more force. The unresisted sprints that follow feel effortless because your nervous system is primed for higher force output.
Add Sprint-Specific Strength Moves
Three exercises that directly transfer to sprint speed: hip thrusts (the most sprint-specific exercise because they load the glutes in the same position as ground contact), split squats (single-leg strength for the drive phase), and calf raises (ankle stiffness for faster ground contact). Do 3 sets of 8 for each, twice per week. Use a weight that is challenging for the last 2 reps.
Why It Works
Stronger muscles produce more force. More force into the ground means longer strides. Longer strides at the same or higher frequency equals faster sprinting.
Improve Hip and Ankle Flexibility
Tight hips limit your stride length and reduce the force your glutes can produce. Tight ankles reduce your ability to push off the ground. Daily mobility: hip flexor stretch (half-kneeling, 60s each side), pigeon stretch (60s each side), ankle circles (20 each direction), and calf stretches against a wall (30s each side). This takes 8 to 10 minutes and can be done while watching TV.
Why It Works
Flexibility is the silent speed limiter. You cannot express strength through a range of motion you do not have.
Practice Full Recovery Between Sprints
The biggest mistake beginners make is not resting enough between sprint reps. Sprint training is about quality, not conditioning. Rest 2 to 3 minutes between 20 to 40m sprints. Rest 4 to 5 minutes between 60 to 100m sprints. If your next rep feels sluggish, rest longer. You should feel fresh and explosive for every rep. If you do not, you are doing conditioning, not speed training.
Why It Works
Your phosphocreatine system (the energy system that powers sprints) needs 2 to 3 minutes to fully recharge. Sprinting on a partially recharged system trains endurance, not speed.
6-Week Beginner Sprint Program
Two sprint sessions per week. That is all you need as a beginner. This program takes you from never having done structured sprint training to running at full speed with solid technique. Add strength training on 1 to 2 non-sprint days for best results.
Test your baseline (40-yard dash or 100m) before starting, then retest at the end of week 6. Expect a 5 to 10% improvement if you follow the program consistently.
Session 1 (Tuesday)
Dynamic warm-up (15 min). Wall drills: 3 x 10 each leg. Standing starts: 6 x 20m at 85% effort with walk-back recovery. Seated arm drives: 5 x 10 seconds. Cool down: 5 min easy jog + stretching.
Session 2 (Friday)
Dynamic warm-up (15 min). Hill sprints: 6 x 20m at 90% effort with walk-down recovery. Buildups on flat: 4 x 40m accelerating from jog to 85%. Cool down: 5 min easy jog + stretching.
Focus
Learning proper sprint technique. Keep intensity at 85 to 90%, not maximum. Focus on body position, arm drive, and the drive phase. Your body needs to adapt to explosive movements.
Session 1 (Tuesday)
Dynamic warm-up (15 min). Standing starts: 8 x 20m at 90 to 95% effort, 2 min rest between. Buildups: 4 x 50m accelerating from 50% to 95%. Cool down.
Session 2 (Friday)
Dynamic warm-up (15 min). Hill sprints: 8 x 25m at 95% effort, walk-down recovery. Resistance band sprints: 4 x 15m resisted + 2 x 20m unresisted. Cool down.
Focus
Increasing intensity toward maximum effort. Volume stays the same but each rep is closer to 100%. You should notice your starts feeling smoother and your arm drive becoming more natural.
Session 1 (Tuesday)
Dynamic warm-up (15 min). Standing starts: 6 x 20m at 100% effort, 2.5 min rest. Flying 30s: 4 x (20m buildup + 30m max sprint + 20m deceleration), 3 min rest. Cool down.
Session 2 (Friday)
Dynamic warm-up (15 min). Hill sprints: 6 x 30m at 100%, walk-down recovery. Flat sprints: 4 x 40m at 95 to 100%, 3 min rest. Cool down.
Focus
Full-speed sprinting. Your technique should be solid enough to handle max effort without form breakdown. If your form falls apart at top speed, drop back to 90% and rebuild.
How to Sprint Faster for Your Sport
Sprinting in a sport is different from sprinting on a track. You rarely start from a standstill, you often change direction, and you sprint in specific equipment. Here is how to adapt sprint training for the sports that benefit from it most.
Soccer
Soccer sprints are rarely straight-line. Practice 10 to 20m sprints with a change of direction at the end.
Most soccer sprints start from a jog or walk, not a standstill. Practice "rolling starts" where you accelerate from a jog.
Deceleration is as important as acceleration. Practice sprinting 20m then stopping in 3 steps.
Sprint frequency matters more than max speed. Work on 5 to 15m acceleration to beat opponents to the ball.
Basketball
Court sprints are short: most are under 15 meters. Focus on first-step quickness and acceleration.
Practice lateral-to-linear transitions: shuffle sideways, then explode forward into a sprint.
Defensive slides into sprint transitions are game-specific. Practice 5 shuffles then sprint 10m.
Jump training (plyometrics) improves both your vertical and your sprint acceleration because both require explosive hip extension.
Football and Rugby
The 40-yard dash is king. Focus on the first 10 yards (your start) and the 10 to 20 yard zone (transition to max speed).
Practice sprinting in pads or from unusual positions (lying face down, on your knees) to simulate game situations.
Hip thrusts and sled pushes are the most transferable strength exercises for football speed.
Sprint in cleats on turf/grass, not in running shoes on a track. Train the way you play.
Tennis
Tennis sprints are 2 to 6 meters with rapid direction changes. Train short, explosive bursts, not 100m speed.
The split step (a small hop to prepare for movement) is the tennis version of a sprint start. Practice it with every drill.
Lateral speed matters as much as forward speed. Include lateral shuffles and crossover steps in your training.
Core stability is critical for changing direction quickly. Pallof press and anti-rotation exercises translate to court speed.
The Role of Body Composition in Sprinting
Your body composition affects your sprint speed, but not in the way most people think. Here is what actually matters and what does not.
Excess Body Fat Slows You Down
Every extra pound of non-functional mass requires additional force to accelerate. Research suggests that reducing body fat by 1% (while maintaining muscle) can improve sprint speed by 1 to 2%. However, aggressive dieting while sprint training leads to muscle loss, which makes you slower, not faster. Focus on quality nutrition and let body composition improve gradually.
Muscle Mass Helps (To a Point)
Stronger, more powerful muscles produce more force. But there is a point of diminishing returns where additional muscle mass adds weight without proportional power gains. Elite sprinters have a power-to-weight ratio, not just raw strength. Sprint training, plyometrics, and moderate strength training build the right type of muscle for speed.
Nutrition for Sprint Performance
Sprint training depletes glycogen rapidly. Eat adequate carbohydrates (3 to 5 grams per kg of body weight daily). Protein intake of 1.6 to 2.0 grams per kg supports muscle repair from the micro-damage sprinting causes. Stay hydrated: even 2% dehydration reduces power output by 3 to 5%. Eat a carb-rich snack 1 to 2 hours before sprint sessions.
5 Sprint Speed Myths, Debunked
These myths stop people from even trying to improve their sprint speed. Every single one of them is wrong.
The Myth
You have to be born fast to sprint fast
The Truth
Genetics set your ceiling, but most people are nowhere near their ceiling. A study of untrained college students showed an average 7% improvement in 40-yard dash time after just 6 weeks of sprint training. That is the equivalent of going from a 5.5 to a 5.1 second 40. Technique, strength, and power are all trainable.
The Myth
Jogging makes you faster at sprinting
The Truth
Jogging trains slow-twitch muscle fibers and aerobic endurance. Sprinting uses fast-twitch fibers and the phosphocreatine energy system. Excessive jogging can actually make you slower by converting fast-twitch fibers toward slow-twitch characteristics. If you want to sprint faster, you need to sprint in training. Easy jogging is fine for warm-ups and general health, but it does not build sprint speed.
The Myth
You need to train every day to get faster
The Truth
Sprint speed adaptation happens during recovery, not during the workout itself. The workout provides the stimulus. Sleep, nutrition, and rest provide the environment for your nervous system and muscles to adapt. Two to three sprint sessions per week with full recovery between them produces better results than daily training at reduced quality.
The Myth
Long strides make you faster
The Truth
Overstriding (reaching your foot out in front of your body) actually creates a braking force that slows you down. Speed equals stride length times stride frequency. But stride length should increase from pushing harder behind you, not reaching farther in front. Focus on powerful push-offs and quick ground contacts. The long strides will happen naturally when you produce more force.
The Myth
Sprinting is dangerous and causes injuries
The Truth
Sprinting with a proper warm-up and gradual progression is safe for most healthy people. Sprint injuries typically happen when people go from zero sprint training to 100% effort without preparation. The 6-week program in this guide builds you up progressively. Start at 85% effort and only reach 100% after your body has adapted over 4 weeks.
Sprint to Capture Territory
Sprint training is intense but the sessions are short. Motera makes those short, explosive workouts count by turning every run into a territory capture mission on a real map. Your hill sprints, your acceleration drills, your warm-up jogs all contribute to expanding your running empire. It gives sprint training a purpose beyond just getting faster.
Track your runs with GPS, compete on leaderboards, earn XP, and explore through Fog of War. Free to download.
MoteraFrequently Asked Questions
Can anyone get faster at sprinting, even if they are not naturally fast?
Yes. Speed is a trainable skill, not purely a genetic gift. Research shows that structured sprint training improves 40-yard dash times by an average of 0.15 to 0.30 seconds in untrained individuals over 6 to 8 weeks. Most people have never done any sprint-specific training, so they are operating far below their potential. Technique improvements alone (better arm drive, proper body angle, relaxed sprinting) can produce immediate speed gains.
How many times per week should a beginner do sprint training?
Twice per week is ideal for beginners. Sprinting places high stress on your muscles, tendons, and nervous system. Two sessions per week gives you 72 hours of recovery between sprints, which is important when your body is adapting to a new type of training. After 4 to 6 weeks, you can add a third session if you are recovering well.
Will sprinting make my legs bigger?
Sprint training develops lean, powerful leg muscles, particularly in the glutes, hamstrings, and calves. You may notice more muscle definition and firmness, but sprinting alone will not produce bodybuilder-sized legs. That requires heavy lifting and a caloric surplus. Sprinting is more likely to reduce body fat while maintaining or slightly increasing muscle mass, resulting in a leaner, more athletic appearance.
Do I need special shoes for sprint training?
For casual sprint training, any flat-soled athletic shoe works. Avoid thick, cushioned running shoes because they reduce ground feel and power transfer. If you train on a track regularly, investing in track spikes makes a significant difference. Spikes grip the track surface and can improve sprint times by 0.1 to 0.2 seconds over 100m. For grass and turf, football cleats or firm-ground soccer boots work well.
Is sprinting safe for my knees?
Sprinting is generally safe for healthy knees. The forces in sprinting are high but brief (each ground contact lasts 0.08 to 0.12 seconds). The bigger concern is hamstring and calf injuries, not knee injuries. If you have an existing knee condition, start with shorter sprints (20 to 30m) at sub-maximal effort (80 to 90%) and build up gradually. Always warm up thoroughly before sprinting.
How do I know if I am making progress in sprint speed?
Time yourself. Pick one sprint distance (40-yard dash or 60m) and time it every 2 to 3 weeks under the same conditions (same surface, same warm-up, same shoes). A smartphone stopwatch works, but a friend timing you at the finish is more accurate than self-timing. You can also track progress by feel: if your warm-up buildups at 80% feel easier, your top speed has likely increased.
Should I sprint on grass, track, or treadmill?
A track is the best surface for sprint training because it is flat, consistent, and provides good traction. Grass is excellent for beginners because it is softer on joints and reduces hamstring injury risk (you cannot reach absolute max speed on grass, which is protective). Treadmill sprinting is not ideal because the belt assists leg turnover and does not replicate the force demands of real sprinting. Use track or grass when possible.
Can I combine sprint training with distance running?
You can, but they interfere with each other if done in the same training session. Sprint training develops fast-twitch muscle fibers and explosive power. Distance running develops slow-twitch fibers and endurance. Doing both on the same day blunts the adaptations from each. If you want both, do sprint training on separate days from distance running and prioritize whichever goal matters more to you.
