How should you train over the summer?

Training during the summer is a vital opportunity for any high school track athlete eager to boost their performance. With a well-structured plan, you can enhance your skills while minimizing burnout and injuries. This article will show effective summer training strategies that focus on building a solid foundation through strength and flexibility, and the significance of sprinting shorter distances.

Running track designed for athletes to practice sprinting and distance running.

Building a Strong Foundation

Summer is an ideal time to focus on developing a strong foundation rather than just "resting" and wasting valuable training time. Establishing this foundation will prepare your body for the demands of the upcoming season, allowing you to run faster and more efficiently with better form.

Strength Training

Incorporating strength training into your summer routine is essential. Studies show that strength training can SIGNIFICANTLY improve performance and prevent injuries. By getting stronger, you will build the foundation needed to get faster while preventing injuries. Aim for a mix of bodyweight exercises and resistance training to boost overall strength.

Key exercises to include in your routine are:

• Squats: Essential for foundational strength

• Hanging leg raises: Builds core and hip flexor strength needed to drive your knees during a sprint

• Calf raises: Gets you more explosive and helps with shin splints

• Hip thrust: Strengthens glutes to provide power during sprint. (Studies show that glutes are the powerhouse of a sprint)

• Long lever hamstring bridge: Hamstrings are easily the most injured muscle in sprinting, so to prevent this, you need to strengthen your hamstrings!!!!

  
  

Commit to doing these exercises on leg days. Start with lighter weights to build foundational strength, gradually increasing the resistance as you become stronger.

Plyometrics

By doing plyometrics, you'll build explosiveness which is a HUGE difference between a fast and slow sprinter

Dedicate a plyometric day into whatever training plan you're using, and make sure to put max effort into them!!!

• Depth jumps: These are intense make sure the depth you're dropping from is LOWER THAN your max vertical

• Sprinting: Believe it or not, sprinting is a plyometric and it is arguably the best one

• Standing broad jump: Improves horizontal power (VERY GOOD FOR ACCELERATION)

• Squat jump: Really good for building vertical power (top speed phase)

  
  

If you don't know how to do these, look it up. MAKE SURE TO WARM UP AND STRETCH PROPERLY BEFORE!!!!

Sprinting in Short Bursts

In summer training, focus on short sprints rather than long distances. Instead of long runs, sprinting distances of less than 100 meters can help you maximize speed and power while reducing the risk of injury.

Include sprinting drills such as:

• 10-Meter Sprints: Develop block start

• 30-Meter Accelerations: Improve your acceleration

• Flying Sprints: Build top speed

  
  

Run these sprints at maximum effort, but do them with long breaks (3-6 min) in between to ensure adequate recovery. Limit sprint workouts to 2-3times a week, and combine them with your strength and flexibility training for a balanced regimen.

Prioritizing Rest and Recovery

Rest and recovery are just as important as your workouts. Muscles need time to heal and grow stronger after intense sessions. Be sure to schedule rest days in your training plan and listen to your body when it signals the need for a break.

Good nutrition plays a critical role in recovery. Focus on a well-rounded diet that includes plenty of carbohydrates for energy, proteins for muscle repair, and healthy fats for overall well-being. Consider meals like grilled chicken with quinoa and steamed vegetables or a smoothie with fruits and nut butter.

Your Path to Success

As you embark on your summer training journey, remember that building a foundation of strength and flexibility is crucial for your development as a track athlete. Through consistent strength training, high range of motion exercises, and short burst sprints, you will set yourself up for success this upcoming season.

Stay committed to your training plan, prioritize rest, and make adjustments when necessary. Before you know it, you will transition smoothly from summer training into competition season, feeling more prepared and confident than ever. Best of luck, and enjoy your training!