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Cardio & conditioning

Sprint speed workout: drills, accelerations and flying sprints

Sprint speed is trainable: people who aren't elite sprinters typically get 1.5 to 3% faster over 6 to 12 weeks, and adding strength and jump training helps. This session warms you up with drills, then trains acceleration with five short sprints and top speed with three flying sprints, resting fully between each. The distances and rests are our editorial starting point, scaled down from what elite sprinters do. Run it once or twice a week, at about 90% effort for the first month. You need a flat, non-slip 60 m stretch and some cones.

45 minIntermediate11 movesCardio machine · A wall · An anchor point · A stepQuads · Calves · Shins · Hip flexors · Glutes · Hamstrings
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up (about 15 min)

  1. Treadmill jogging5 min easy
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoOr jog outdoorsEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals
  2. Ankle CARs (controlled articular rotations)5 circles each way, each ankle
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoEasier: Ankle circlesHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
  3. Skipping2 × 20 m
    Beginner · Calves, Hip flexors, Quads · 3D demoEasier: Ankle bounces (mini pogo)Harder: Alternate-leg bounding
  4. Fast skipping2 × 15 m
    Beginner · Calves, Quads, Hip flexors · 3D demoLow and quickEasier: SkippingHarder: Forward cone hops
  5. Acceleration wall drill3 rounds
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demo3 single drives, then 3 to 5 s of fast switchesHarder: Overhead dumbbell swing
  6. Kneeling sprint arm drill15 s each knee
    Beginner · Shoulders, Back, Abs · 3D demoHarder: Lateral hop to sprint
  7. Treadmill running3 × 50 m
    Intermediate · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoBuild-ups to about 70, 80, then 90% of top speed; walk backEasier: Treadmill walkingHarder: Sprint intervals

Accelerations

5 rounds · Rest Walk back, then 1 to 2 min

  1. Sprint intervals15 m from a standing split stance
    Advanced · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoLean, push the ground back, drive the arms. About 90% effort for the first 4 weeksEasier: Treadmill jogging

Flying sprints

3 rounds · Rest 3 to 4 min, walking

  1. Sprint intervals20 m build-up, then 20 m fast
    Advanced · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoRun tall and push down; stay relaxed through the face and shouldersEasier: Treadmill jogging

Hamstrings and calves

  1. Nordic curl2 × 4 to 6
    Advanced · Hamstrings, Glutes · 3D demoLower as slowly as you can, catch yourself, push back up. Expect sore hamstrings at firstEasier: Slider hamstring curlHarder: Full Nordic curl
  2. Single-leg calf raise from a step2 × 10 to 12 each leg
    Intermediate · Calves · 3D demoEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops

Cool-down

  1. Treadmill walking5 min easy
    Beginner · Quads, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoHarder: Treadmill jogging

Tips

  • Once or twice a week, 2 or 3 days apart, when you're fresh: never the day after hard leg training or the day before a match.
  • Be able to run comfortably for 30 minutes before you sprint, and keep to about 90% effort for the first 4 weeks.
  • Rest fully: if your sprints are getting slower, the session is over.
  • From week 5, sprint at full effort, then build to 6 accelerations and 4 flying sprints.
  • On a hill, swap the accelerations for 6 hill sprints of 8 to 10 seconds, walking down.
  • Time a 10 m sprint and a flying 20 m every 4 to 6 weeks with timing gates or a phone app, not a stopwatch.
  • Tightness at the back of your thigh means stop, not one more sprint.
  • Under 16: up to 16 sprints of about 20 m, twice a week, with at least 90 s between them, and a coach watching.
  • Chest pain, fainting, or a racing or fluttering heartbeat during or after a sprint: stop and call 999 (911 in the US).

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

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Questions people ask

How long does the sprint speed workout: drills, accelerations and flying sprints take?

About 45 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: Cardio machine, A wall, An anchor point, A step. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 8 of its 11 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.