.: A Beginner's Guide to Sprints

Let's face it - Running sucks.  Ok, maybe not all running...but running for a long time sure does.  So when it comes to finding the best way to burn fat, build muscle, and improve aerobic fitness by running; I'm all for efficiency.  This is exactly what sprints are - efficient.  This should really come as no surprise when you think about.  Our bodies are designed to sprint, not jog.  Millions of years ago do you think our ancestors jogged around at a mundane pace, trying to stay in their "target fat-burning heart rate range?"  Hell no.  They either conserved their eneregy and walked where they needed to get or they ran really, really fast to catch their dinner (or avoid being dinner).  Same goes for the animals that were doing the chasing / getting chased.  How many animals do you see just going for a jog to burn calories?

Runners vs Sprinters

Have you ever looked at the physique of the top Olympic sprinters (Think Usain Bolt)?  They are nothing short of amazing.  They carry a functional amount of muscle and a minimal amount of body fat.  Isn't this what we're all after?  In contrast, have you taken a good look at the competitors in any of the events longer than 800 meters?  They basically look like skeletons dressed in running shorts.

Also think about all of the people you have seen jogging on treadmills for hours and hours, day after day, and see no results.  Do you really want to be one of those people?

Which one of these physiques do you think is more functional?  Not to mention more desirable to the opposite sex...

Other Benefits of Sprinting

Save Your Joints

Still not convinced?  Well, what if I told you that in addition to the superior fat burning and muscle building benefits, sprinting is also better for your joints than jogging.  If you think about it from an evolutionary standpoint, this makes a lot of sense.  Like I said before, our bodies are built to either run really fast or to walk.  We have not evolved to jog around at a pace somewhere in between.  The culmination of pounding our feet for miles upon miles will eventually start to destroy your feet, your shins, and your knees.  We only get one body.  Why not keep it as healthy as possible?

Save Time

Think about how long it takes the average person to go for a 3 mile run (a relatively "short" run).  Even if they are in decent shape, you're still looking at around 24 minutes.  With intervals you can get an extremely effective workout done in less than 10 minutes!  And unlike long-distance running, the calorie / fat burning benefits of intervals don't stop as soon as the workout does.  Studies have shown that intense sprints can boost metabolism for up to 72 hours after after a workout.  This is due to your body repairing the muscle tissue that is broken down by sprinting.  Good luck getting those kind of benefits from a jog!  Oh, and by the way, that muscle getting repaired is how our bodies build new muscle.  Yet another benefit of sprinting.

Have Fun

Last, and maybe the most important, sprinting is a hell of a lot more fun!  Beyond just being ineffective, long-distance running is also one of the most boring forms of exercise I can think of.  Nothing makes you feel young again like just flat out running as fast as you can.  Getting your heart racing and gasping for break is exhilerating, and after a good bout of sprints you'll feel energized for hours.

Getting Started

So you're ready to give up your chronic cardio ways and start getting some real results but you're not sure where to start?  For someone who has never done them before (or at least not since grade school) sprints can be somewhat intimidating.  Not knowing just how far or how long they actually need to be sprinting.  Well good news, here are three great workouts to help get you started:

Be warned!  Sprints will take you out of your body's comfort zone.  Don't worry though, this is a good thing.

Incorporate Sprints into a 20 Minute Walk

• Start Walking.
• Every 3 minutes start running as hard as you can, for as long as you can before you start slowing down. 
• Just listen to your body, it will tell you when it's time to stop. 
• A general time limit is about 20 seconds. 
• After each sprint, just go back to walking normally until it's time for your next sprint. 
• This should be 6 sprints total, done at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, & 18 minutes.

Quick Field Sprints Workout

• Find yourself a good strech of grass to sprint on.  
• Start at one end of the field. 
• Run as fast as you can for 20 seconds.
• Stop once you reach 20 seconds. 
• Walk back to where you started. 
• As soon as you reach your starting point, turn around and sprint for another 20 seconds. 
• Try to make it as far as you did on the first sprint. 
• Repeat this for a total of 5 sprints. 
• Walk a cooldown, and take it to the house. 
• All said and done, this should take you less than 20 minutes.

Mark Sisson's Beach Sprints

If you start incorporating these workouts, start by doing them no more than twice a week with at least 1 day of rest in between.  Don't be afraid to tweak these workouts to fit your needs.

Wrap up

So there you go, sprints are more fun, more effective, burn more fat, build more muscle, and will give you more energy than plain ol' running.  The list of benefits goes on and on, and these are just some of the reasons that you should be doing sprints!  There is no age or weight limit for sprinting, and they certainly aren't just for guys. 

So have fun, and just remember, our bodies are made to run fast!

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