SPRINTS as part of my workout... suggestions?

[madbomber31]

i am training around an injury that seems more severe than i thought... very painful and inhibits the lifting... i can however still play tennis... so i have been doing that as often as possible... using machines in the gym and now would like to start sprinting... slimming down a bit, hopefully i dont drop below 220 (6'1") but the body needs a break, it has given me no choice...

suggest some cross training routines with sprints.

 

[Snooker991]

What sort of injury

Can you be more specific about what sort of injury. I ask because sprinting is a VERY high impact activity...and muscles, joints, tendons can be easily injured, torn, broken and injuries can become exacerbated when you start sprinting.

Let us know...Snooker

 

[madbomber31]

shoulder.. i believe i retore my cuff on the left shoulder... it has not been this sore for quite a while...

 

[Snooker991]

Okay...

Madbomber,


A good sprinting form does involve quite a bit of shoulder movement but assuming it is healed, you can control it properly then you should be okay.

Okay first a little about Sprinting form, there are lots of ways to do it but the tips I have learned are as follows:

1. bend elbows so that the arm makes approxiamately a 90 degree angle

2. make sure you are swinging your arms at hip height and not up at chest height.

3. Avoid landing on the balls of your feet, it should almost be that you are jumping off the ground from step to step.

4. Back almost straight (lean slightly forward) this is a comfort thing what ever is comfortable as long as you are not bent or leaning back

5. do not clench fist, palm flat parallel to direction of motion, do not clench lips either.

Stretching:
PLEASE PLEASE STRETCH....
and spend at least 5-10 minutes doing it...
Let me repeat...STRETCH
Get some fluids in you as well...


Okay some sprint drills:

Ladder drill: set some objects (cones if you are cool and shit) but something marking distances, set these objects 7 strides apart and use 5-7 markings. Then start at first marking and sprint to the second one: take 5 seconds to rest then sprint back. Then take 5 more seconds and sprint to the third marking. Take 10 seconds and then sprint back. Lather...Rinse...Repeat
No just continue to sprint to each marking taking an additional 5 seconds each time. (This will suck...trust me but it works)

R and R drill:
place one object about ten yards away from another and place a third about 25 yards. Run backwards from the first object to the second, once you see the second turn around and sprint to the third one. Walk back, and repeat


Stride-Jog-Sprint-Walk:
set two objects 40 yards apart
Stride from the first to the second (Stride means about 75% of maximum, so that means you are taking a full sprinting stride but not moving as fast as you could, it will make sense once you start doing it) then jog back to the first cone, Sprint to the second and then walk back to the first. Rest 30 seconds and do it again.

I hope that helps
Snooker

 

[madbomber31]

see, i was just gonna do some suicides/gut busters, 40 yard sprints and 100 yard sprints... but i'm open to trying new stuff.