Sprinting is a sport that heavily tests explosive power, so many sprinters have special explosive strength training programs. If ordinary people want to train their explosive power for sprinting, they should start with the basics, such as lifting dumbbells, sprinting, and squat exercises. For students, doing physical exercises assigned by their teacher during physical education class can also improve their sprinting explosiveness.
Sprinting demands high explosive power in the legs and hips. To improve sprinting ability, the first step is to increase the strength of these muscles. Generally, there are bleachers or steps around the track, which are perfect for basic exercises. You can do double-leg jumps up the steps or single-leg jumps. Bleacher steps usually have 7-8 steps in a row, so jumping up a set means jumping 7-8 times consecutively. It's recommended to do 4 sets of double-leg jumps and 3-4 sets for each leg daily.
The steps on track bleachers are usually about 20-30 centimeters high. More professional athletes train by jumping on higher steps. If you want to further enhance your explosive power, you can even find a waist-high single step and repeatedly jump up and down for training, but safety must be a priority.
Additionally, weighted step-ups (with a barbell in the gym) are another way to train the explosive power of the legs and hips. After completing the step-jumping training, the next step should be to perform continuous alternate-leg bounding drills on the track. Bounding exercises enhance leg explosiveness, arm swing power, and overall coordination. It's recommended to do 4 sets of 50m or 100m continuous bounding.
Explosive power training for sprinting can be divided into three stages on a 100-meter track. The 0 to 30-meter stage is the starting phase, where a crouched start should be used to achieve the fastest initial speed. The 30 to 50-meter stage is the acceleration phase, where you need to engage all parts of your body for an all-out sprint. The 50 to 100-meter stage is the speed maintenance phase, which primarily tests endurance.
