Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Why Sprint?

Definite benefits by adding some sprints to your workout. It is about the easiest exercise to accomplish; quick, effective and cheap.

All you really need is a pair of shoes and a flat surface. If you opt to run on grass or sand you don`t even need footware. The ultimate minimalist workout.

Why do it though? For what end?


      Reduce Fat and Build Muscle - The HGH Connection

"Sprinting naturally increases human growth hormone. Human growth hormone increases muscle mass, thickens and adds flexibility to the skin,enhances the immune system, promotes weight loss through fat redistribution and loss, and increases stamina"



http://health-fitness-solutions.blogspot.ca/2007/05/dont-just-run-sprint.html


      Bang For Your Aerobic Buck - Work Harder Not Longer

"Evidence shows that short, high intensity sprint workouts improve aerobic capacity and endurance in about half the time of traditional endurance exercise."



http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/30sec_sprints.htm

     Strengthen The Body - Become the Great Oak

"Sprinting also increases the amount of impact training involved in a workout regimen. The high level of impact involved in sprinting increases bone strength and density. Impact exercises also aid the building of new muscle tissue around the bones and throughout the rest of the body"



http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/cardio/the-benefits-of-sprinting-and-speed-training.html

      Energize - Power Up The Mitochondria

 "Through sprinting, the body experiences a growth in the mitochondria, the part of each cell responsible for energy storage and the release of the energy from food consumption to the rest of the body, including the muscles."



http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/cardio/sprinting-a-powerful-physique-shaper.html



      Core Of The Workout - Get Spartan Abs

"The abs consist of the rectus abdominis, obliques and transverse abdominis.While you sprint, all of these muscles contract forcefully to help generate power...."



http://www.livestrong.com/article/531543-do-sprints-work-your-abs/


     Who Knew?

 "You get the biggest spike in calories burned when your body is forced to transition from a state of rest to a state of full-on activity..."

 "The overall intensity of the intervals you complete is more important than how many you do in any given workout."

 "You can burn 500 calories by running ten 100-yard sprints."

"When doing Interval training from Sprints of running/cycling your calorie(burn) won’t be as great in the actual session as say a long slow jog, but throughout the course of the day your calorie expenditure will be greatly increased as you will be using an anaerobic process to produce energy (the same process as weight training) which means your muscles uptake of oxygen increases allowing your body to burn fat all day long, while rebuilding the muscle."
 
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/sprint-it

http://zentofitness.com/why-we-should-all-be-sprinting/


   Ride Like You Stole It - Bicycle Sprints

A bicycle sprinter as defined by wikipedia.....

"Sprinters have a higher ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers than non-sprinters. Road cycling sprinters sometimes tend to have a larger build than the average road racing cyclist, combining the strength of their legs with their upper body to produce a short burst of speed necessary in a closely contested finish. Some sprinters have a high top speed but may take a longer distance to achieve it, while others can produce short and sharp accelerations..."



You can improve your cycling with bicycle sprints as well. Obviously a low traffic section of good road is required for safety reasons.

"The key is Speed Accelerations, or sets of three 15-second sprints at different resistance levels, which will help you develop the agility, power and technique necessary to ramp up your speed on any terrain. You'll be able to accelerate from a slow speed on a climb, from high speed on a descent and at the finish line--all in the same day."

http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/supercharge-your-sprint



Since any sprinting regimen involves intense efforts make sure to warm up sufficiently beforehand. If you are new to sprinting research proper techniques and build up your program incrementally. Lots of good stuff on Google and You Tube for your viewing pleasure.

Run/ride safe!

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