In order to apply the amount of force to the ground needed your arms has to to swing bigger during your drive phase "hammering" at the ground, that's how you apply controlled force. Coming out of your drive phase your arm speed has to change keeping the same range of motion swinging pass your hips... (Former pro runner, now certified lvl 1 coach)
Bally do you have any recent coaching videos? Always looking to learn and the newest strength or conditioning video you have posted is like 5 years old. Thanks in advance.
This instructional video has taught me more about sprinting than any of my high school coaches have or anyone else as a matter of fact. Thank you Cody!
I was skeptical at first but this video teaching and illustration of the method behind this principle is a game-changer. We're all use to the ankling sprint drill/front leg shuffles but this video has led me to develop a new drill to progress it to this hammer-striking principle. Thanks for the research and video.
Thanks for having a scientific explanation on this movement been looking for a video on this for a long time now! As I’m currently focusing on this movement and strengthening my hamstring. Ran 11.21 at my first meet
I really appreciate this high quality information that you are giving us. I am having the exact same problem you are describing here, I push of the blocks and accelerate well but when I try to transition into upright sprinting , everyone gets ahead of me . I’m gonna try to learn this.
Greatest example is FLO JO..she definitely had a controlled technique. Complete balance in her form. Especially her arm swings, it's fascinating..not all the way up or back. Shoulders swings have alot to do with more drive forward. Can see it with Flo Jo. And having a strong core also is a must. I swear Flo Jo arm swings... it was as if she was chopping slicing through the air
Really good advice, I'll make sure I'm not striking straight down next time. Since I was small, I've always been the slowest sprinter of my friends, hope I won't be below average anymore.
Thanks for another fantastic instructional Cody, really helpful stuff and you’ve managed to articulate the whip the hip concept in a way I’ve finally understood from at least a theoretical perspective. Coincidentally, our national masters track and field championships start on Friday here in Melbourne, Australia - so fantastic timing. If you have any special advice for dinosaurs like me, 59 year old trying to break 13, I’d love to hear it. The programs are naturally geared toward young guys and the volume is way beyond me, so it’s tricky to find a progression that will build strength and speed but not lead to injury. Cheers, Mike
Hey Mike! Thanks for stopping by. I really like the 3 day rollover approach for masters athletes or those like myself who work full time plus train. Basically, every 10 days you want to hit an acceleration session, speed session, and speed endurance session. There’s no requirement on when to work or how much work to do, instead you base it on how you feel and only do what you feel you can safely recover from. In season, it might be something like 6-10x 15-30m for acceleration, 3-6x fly 20 or 30’s for speed, and 3x80-120 for speed endurance. My general approach is to train when I feel ready and motivated, and otherwise rest/recover. If you’re burnt out, don’t make it worse by forcing yourself to train. Instead, train when you’re motivated and it’ll end up being more fun and probably more effective.
Thx and I def did gain alot. I think I have been hammering the ground with loose, dorsiflexed ankles, expecting the stretch tomaintain stiffness. I will dorsiflex AND keep ankle stuff to claw ground. Had I not been working on this for a year I would NOT have been able to envision the whip, but now I can. Out of my sessions only 10% of runs achieve that whip feel-like a single leg dolphin kick back that just happens to swipe floor as you move forward. I noticed the ground strike does not feel heavy, ankles/knees feel less stressed and I feel like I am floating. Holy Grail lol. If my torso angle, hip tilt, dorsiflexion and feet pronation are of, it fails. It usually takes me most of session to get all those in line. OS now I know that whip is what end goal-I can adjust warmup and session goals to achieve that. Thank you
Maurice Greene is an absolute master at hitting the ground like a hammer, just watch him in front how his foot strike and you'll see what I mean. I want to share with you some of my personal experience. Last month I realized my biggest mistake and omission. I've always known that my ankles and calves are weak compared to other muscles, but I don't really understand what's going on. When I sprint after the first 10-15m I start to touch the ground with my heel and because of that a lot of energy is lost and because of that my speed endurance is never been good and to compensate this lost power I extend my arms from the elbow. Last month I started doing calf raises 4x15 with 1 minute rest between 2 times weak with 120kg. now I do it with 320 kg. and my sprinting technique immediately changed dramatically. Now I run higher, I have more endurance and I don't extend my arms from the elbow and my stride length has improved a lot. Once I start doing fast sections I'm sure the times will come and I know it and feel it.
EXCELLENT training video. What to some may be beating a dead horse, to me his presentation of a concept via two or more examples is more easily absorbed. He's taken a concept I was told (not taught) by a successful coach of "clawing the ground" and turned it into "whipping the hip" and "hammering the ground"...two principles that are more easily understood, envisioned, and attainable. Thank you from a very astute...track-and-field-wise...62 year-old starting a "comeback" to high-level USATF Masters competiton after being a collegiate distance runner and sprinter in the 70s.
This guy does know what he's doing . These are effective techniques. I lack the strength to do these fully but even a partial incorporation is helpful in my middle distances.
Super great in helping me visualize. We do those dribbling drills but I never put the two together. Front side opening up and leg whip was just an exercise until now. Excellent
You get it. After watching this video I had to subscribe. I used to sprint back in the day. I would split my training into two phases. The first several weeks I focused on flexing the hips and bringing them up. Strength and power routines were done to accomplish this motion. Things like using a multi hip machine focusing on hip flexion, walking over hurdles, double leg jumping over hurdles,.. point was anything I could do to increase my strength and power to bring the hips up. It became very second nature to lift my knees after focusing on this movement. I would do this for about two months. Then the fun began. I would transition into focusing on "hammering". Just bring with such force the foot down to the ground and whipping the hamstring through. It was like I had an extra gear. I would regularly walk away from guys on the track at any distance, 100M, 200M 300M, 400M. I remember guys would ask me what am I doing to get that extra gear. All I would focus on was putting more energy down to the ground. My speed improved dramatically.
well explained. But doing it unconsciously is another thing. I also think this active hammer action is only possible if the opposite recovery leg actively starts a powerful hip flexion at the same moment. If the timing isn't on point one leg has to wait for the other wich kills most of the impulse. Furthermore a good hammer leg action is only possible if the recovery phase prior was also good. Mastering this cycle is so important. Most slow athletes try to push/feel the ground. This leads to a bad/slow leg recovery by killing the SSC in the hips. The result is a bad next stride.
@ATHLETE.X Hello Cody, I have watched several of your videos and I find all of them interesting. Of course sprinting is very complex, so many aspects are important, but I want to ask you your opinion about the efficiency of a few exerccies mentioned below: 1) double leg vertical jump from 1/4 squat position (with lets say 90 pounds) (2 reps at 100% explosivity per leg) followed by single leg jumps from 1/4 squat position (2 reps per leg) followed by a jump as if you wanted to dunk without any additional weight or with maximum 5-6 pounds medicine ball 2) attach an elastic loop band to your ankle, place the foot with the band around it exactly next to your other leg and push back as explosively as possible), the range of movement could be of about 60-70 cm, basically not more than your foot stays behind your center of gravity while you are sprinting. Another variant would be to push back a 5-6 pounds (or heavier??) medicine ball. I would suggest 2-3 sets of 4 reps for each leg. 3) single leg hip thrusts (in addition to single leg glute bridges) followed by single leg broad jump (possibly from a few steps acceleration) 4) single leg 1/2 romanian deadlift (with heavier load) followed by one step in romanian deadlift position and then a single leg jump from 1/2 romanian deadlift position with no more than 20 pounds. 2-3 sets of 4 reps per leg. Thank for an answer
Cody i was checking your programs and found that you wrote a week (microcycle) structure as follows: Mon: sprint Tue: lift Wed: off Thu: sprint Fri: lift Sat: endurance Sun: off Im guessing lifting part is mostly for lower body. How and where can i implement upper body sessions in a week, after endurance or the day when sprinting is?? Thanks, and much love from Croatia, Europe
Thanks for the informative lesson. I just want to comment that the music is distracting. I wonder who would miss it if it were gone and I wonder how others can tolerate it when trying to learn. Thanks again.
Great video, thanks Cody. I like how you've tried to break down how to make the 'hammer action' work in practice, and what can stop athletes from implementing it. I read some time ago about how this is a key aspect of technique that differentiates elite sprinters from others, but it's taken me a long time to make progress on it. Think I've finally getting there now, and my times are reflecting it. My experience is that you have to make progress on other fronts simultaneously or it won't really work, as you allude to in the video (i.e. hip pop, hamstring strength, ankle stiffness etc). Also I've become aware how important ground proprioception is in all this - there's so much precision required to maintain the right foot placement, and as you develop your technique I guess you have to keep re-learning this which takes time.
Chris Barnard at OvertimeAthletes has pretty good acceleration and top speed drills. I tried his youtube drills for acceleration and top speed and the results are very impressive. I went from 10 sec across a 77m grass field to 7 sec - no bs. Haven't made my mind up yet on Athlete.X - he's theories are sound but I haven't tried any practical application with results to prove.
Thanks for the tip about Overtime channel - I'll have a look at the drills. What I like about Athlete X is he breaks down an element of theory and combines it with a variety of footage (sprinting, relevant drills, resistance exercises) rather than pushing one overall training method in detail too much. This allows someone like me who is still a relative beginner to gradually work things out for myself and keep an open mind rather than over-commit to a single approach. I try to follow a range of sprinter youtube channels, though too often I favourite videos then never get round to watching them
Welcome bro. I do check Jarret Campisi and Destorm channels for sprint as well but OTA is top due to him giving free stuff (fully explained and demonstrated) for you to test for yourself to see the results. AthleteX is very sprint specific but you get almost no exercises given complete with sets & reps + exactly how to perform them for free. Any good youtube sprint channels you can recommend?
@@errolpaul8043 I'm subscribed to a few but I don't follow any closely. When I want to research a particular issue I'm more likely to look at whatever articles come up in a google search, then if I have time I'll search youtube as well to see what videos are most on point
Hey athlete.x I don’t know if you read comments or will see this , but I was wondering what you recommend to get your joints and muscles, especially shins and everything ready for full on sprint training coming back from a long period of inactivity. Thanks
Hello Cody, first of all impressive videos. I have never trained sprinting in my life but love to watch your videos as I love the bio-mechanics and science behind running. I have a question for you, I am 27 years old and was wondering if I am too late to improve my 100 meter sprint. Despite never training in anything regularly and with no prior track field experience, last November I did 2 x 100m races with official electronic timings of 12.28s and 12.26s. Would you think its possible for me to achieve a mid or even low 11s 100m sprint.
Thanks a lot for the comment & for watching! I think it’s perfectly reasonable to assume you can still get sprinting. Considering you ran low 12’s without training, you’re certainly capable of something in the 11 second range. I’d start with a couple days per week of capacity & tempo work (as discussed in my endurance video), paired with some basic strength & power work as discussed in my strength & power video from a couple months ago. Over time, you want to progress to faster reps, harder surfaces (such as from grass to track), and from running shoes to spikes. Also, lifts should progress toward more powerful and explosive lifts. 3-4 days of training each week total should get you started in a safe manner, and in due time you’ll see how you respond and can adjust training accordingly.
Another awesome video. It seems like there is benefit in doing certain technical exercises prior to sprint/technical drills , but most would be sprint training before the exercises. Curious to know what are a few good exercises that could be done prior to sprint drills without risking injury?
Hey Cody! Thanks for the video! Quick question, what is the best way to learn to keep your hips down in the start? I find that I tend to break my form in the start by bending at my hips when I try to keep a low angle in the start. How would you suggest to overcome this?
You have some training programs on your website. Which program would you do if you run the 100M, 200M and 400M for your High School team. They have my son running the 4x100 and 4x400 each meet and alternate between the 100M and 400m. He always runs the 200M. Need some guidance. Great video by the way! I will work with him pre-season next year and I would like one of your 8 week programs.
Very very very important you have strong hamstrings in the eccentric position like he said. I tried this last year at practice and I ran a lot faster for like a split second before I tore my hamstring. But I also had a strain at the time so I really shouldn't have been sprinting in the first place.
Your Channel is incredibly informative, i love it. I recently got into running (because of a test that im training for) which im really enjoying and this channel is perfect for it
I am a 12 year old and been this helped me greatly I have ran a 5k at my school last year and I was in twentieth place and this year after I watched this and more of your vids I came in Second place
This is one of my all-time favourite sprinting vids. But is Whip from the Hip contradict a Bounce / Pogo-Stick model right after ground contact? (But perhaps directed at an angle rather than primarily upward). I guess I’m asking if you think of the lift off from the ground more as a Push or a Bounce? Don’t hammers also bounce off the nail.
It’s probably worth doing some strengthening & activation work on internal rotators of the hip, doing internal rotation with both straight leg and bent leg variations. Also, I’d look to see if your external rotators are excessively tight, hitting them with a roller and some dynamic mobility work to get them to chill out. Lastly, how you cue movement might be exacerbating it. So if you’re trying to push your way down the track, you’ll likely exhibit more external rotation on the ground than if you tried to just punch the ground and get your foot back up into the air ASAP. Pushing leads to excessive ground contact times, and this external rotation could be your body’s way of trying to manufacture a push.
Hello, I was wondering what the relative risks of this technique would be with regards to hamstring health. I ask this because it seems like it would apply a lot of pulling force to the hamstrings on the downswing, and I know that if your hamstring contracts too violently while your leg is being extended, then it can lead to muscle tears. This is assuming that prerequisite strength (2 years for me) has been attained, and the hamstring is relatively strong.
It shpuld be safe if you streth warm up, and are use to sprinting quickly, try jogging and running before before lesrning how to really sprint at high speeds
Hamstring injuries occur when they are passive and the leg doesn't curl. The injury is caused by the longer leg swinging forward with more force which overloads the hamstring when it has to stop the leg's forward movement. When the hamstring is active and curls the leg, the leg is short and there is very little stress on the hamstring.
I'm an overweight runner and this video helped me increase my time in the 200 and 100 but everyone keeps telling me Im not getting my knee high enough when I'm sprinting and I have noticed it too. I'm always afraid of putting my knee higher because I feel like I will go slower. Could you please give me any advice?
Ive been trying to get a faster 100m and 200m so i can run a faster 400m which is my favorite race so i want to get much better at it. Do you have any tips you could give me to improve?
I’m certain it will help! Just start slow and easy with drills and incrementally bridge the gap toward doing it in your sprints. Safety is #1, especially when changing technique 💪🏽
Do you have any tips for improving 30m time for soccer?Im 15 and currently run a 4.3. I also have a track meet coming up in 3 weeks and wanna train for 100, is there any way I can somewhat lower my time(I’m not toooo fussed abt it)?
Avoid over-striding, which usually comes from firing too low or trying to stay low. When your leg is at peak hip flexion, launch the leg down & back through the air and once you feel the ground you should be initiating the next stride.
thank you great video. I am a sprinter but I still struggle with when to strike the ground and it doesnt seem to click for me. I tend to be dorsiflex before hitting the ground and either i slap the ground earlier before touching the ground (action of going into plantar flexion). Or when i don't do this, I try to stick with dorsiflex but then there is no propulsion from th ground at toes off. In both case I lack stride length and force output for my height and physic. I tend to lose too much energy and being inneficient while running. Basically, I don't understand how to hit the ground properly.
I’m 64 years old and my grandson challenged me to a foot race( sprint ) I used to be pretty fast in a short distance against anyone. But not anymore , can’t seem to get that top end push. Do you think it’s possible to get back that speed at my age?
If you trained and gradually increased the intensity over a number of months, you’d probably start to feel noticeably different. Running short sprints between 50-75% effort plus body weight circuit training would be a good place to start. Eventually you could progress toward faster sprints and lifting weights if you wanted to. The main issue is injury risk. Gotta be very disciplined with staying relaxed and also strengthening the whole body with an extra emphasis on hamstrings/hips/core/calves
Hi guys, I have watch this video but I don't really understand how he does it. Can I have a break down of the action like drills that would help me reach this sprinting form! Thanks!
Fr i be accelerate asf but cant maintain that speed i dont know why? I use to be able to start fast and even push to be faster but now is like i start fast but i end falling back like you said
Toño Jr you may be quad dominant and need to work your posterior chain in the weight room. ie hamstring and glute exercises. You may just not have enough speed endurance Or you may have a bad start, for example you stand up to early which allows you to accelerate faster but makes you enter maximum velocity too quickly causing you to slow down earlier.
5:50 These are all good points you're saying about the leg action but the arm action is just as important for speed optimization. Per the time stamp I put, the arm action needs to be fixed. The arm needs to be at 90 degrees never opening or closing.
Many (all?) top sprinters open and close the arm. Why give up additional force created by the contraction and extension at the elbow? th-cam.com/video/yhaxKsBzGfw/w-d-xo.html
@@greghodel5068 I saw your video. I believe many runners open and close their arms due to bad habits or possibly even arm fatigue. The start of the race in the video showed it too but optimum stridage Shouldn't happen in the drive phase. I would probably say the 200m will provide a better snapshot of proper arm action since the drive phase isn't such an important part of the race like it is in the 100m.
@@KiLLED5639 Thank you for your reply. I dont think the fastest sprinters are going to have bad technique or fatigue in the 100 m. None of the runners in the video maintain 90 degrees at any point during the race. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about running and the fixed elbow angle is one of them (for up to 200 m.). There is no other sport that requires longer than a 100 yr sprint. Therefore the fixed elbow should not be used in any other sport. What do you think?
The backward motion is mainly there to match the speed of the ground under you so that the foot isn't crashing forward at ground contact. Matching the ground speed allows the vertical force to be applied without braking too much. Also I think some athletes do better with more horizontal or more vertical cues, so there's some people who should probably avoid thinking about the horizontal movement, whereas for others it can help a lot.
How to pull faster in the middle.... Plz make a video of workouts for pulling fast in thee middle and at the end.... Bcoz many of them good at starting but lose their pull ... Plzzz make a video how to accelerate at middle faster...
I’m doing 100m, 200m, and 400m events and this was by far the best advice I’ve gotten.
Thanks I hope it helps you!
Me too
I am seven and I can run 100 m in 15 seconds 400 m in one minute.
@@markysharky1238 that's pretty good dude
@@markysharky1238 nice bro
Realest advice I’ve ever gotten. This man knows what he’s talking about
Keith Omane-agyei well yeah because it’s gets your form good
God bless you, Jesus Christ loves you! I would love to share the gospel of Jesus Christ if you if you would like💗😊😘
THE GOAT God bless you, Jesus Christ loves you! I would love to share the gospel of Jesus Christ if you if you would like💗😊😘
@Keith Omane-agyei no
In order to apply the amount of force to the ground needed your arms has to to swing bigger during your drive phase "hammering" at the ground, that's how you apply controlled force. Coming out of your drive phase your arm speed has to change keeping the same range of motion swinging pass your hips... (Former pro runner, now certified lvl 1 coach)
Hey Bally thanks for sharing. That makes a lot of sense.
Bally do you have any recent coaching videos? Always looking to learn and the newest strength or conditioning video you have posted is like 5 years old. Thanks in advance.
@@matthewfrancis9237 Just now seing this, those vids were more so for my reference and not so much of a teaching aspect.
@@vybzsport So are you supposed to whip your hip through out the whole race?
This instructional video has taught me more about sprinting than any of my high school coaches have or anyone else as a matter of fact. Thank you Cody!
Totally agree…more in 12 minutes than any track coaches …combined.
Okay but why tf am I still slow af in my dream?! 🤣
lol
Fax I literally can’t move in a dream😂
Im so glad I'm not the only one dreaming about this.
I’m a beast in my dreams. Leaping buildings with ease.
I always get chased in my dreams and I CANT FEEL MY LEGS THE SECOND THE CHASE STARTS
I took more notes than I would for any homework on this.
Cam Cookies can you send them to me ? instagram maybe @y__a_h ty if you do :D
@@tyronickel8195 did he send it to you?
@@suwe1472 nope
watching humans or animals sprint at full speed in slow motion has something beautiful about it
i love looking at it
I was skeptical at first but this video teaching and illustration of the method behind this principle is a game-changer. We're all use to the ankling sprint drill/front leg shuffles but this video has led me to develop a new drill to progress it to this hammer-striking principle. Thanks for the research and video.
Still the best advice on training sprinting I have found thus far. Worked for me last summer. Will continue to follow this sort of plan and strategy..
Thanks for having a scientific explanation on this movement been looking for a video on this for a long time now! As I’m currently focusing on this movement and strengthening my hamstring. Ran 11.21 at my first meet
I really appreciate this high quality information that you are giving us. I am having the exact same problem you are describing here, I push of the blocks and accelerate well but when I try to transition into upright sprinting , everyone gets ahead of me . I’m gonna try to learn this.
Greatest example is FLO JO..she definitely had a controlled technique. Complete balance in her form. Especially her arm swings, it's fascinating..not all the way up or back. Shoulders swings have alot to do with more drive forward. Can see it with Flo Jo. And having a strong core also is a must. I swear Flo Jo arm swings... it was as if she was chopping slicing through the air
Yeah. Plus, she ran like a guy. So did Marion Jones, Carmelita Jeter. Front side mechanics works.
Ok
Really good advice, I'll make sure I'm not striking straight down next time.
Since I was small, I've always been the slowest sprinter of my friends, hope I won't be below average anymore.
Thanks for another fantastic instructional Cody, really helpful stuff and you’ve managed to articulate the whip the hip concept in a way I’ve finally understood from at least a theoretical perspective. Coincidentally, our national masters track and field championships start on Friday here in Melbourne, Australia - so fantastic timing. If you have any special advice for dinosaurs like me, 59 year old trying to break 13, I’d love to hear it. The programs are naturally geared toward young guys and the volume is way beyond me, so it’s tricky to find a progression that will build strength and speed but not lead to injury. Cheers, Mike
Hey Mike! Thanks for stopping by.
I really like the 3 day rollover approach for masters athletes or those like myself who work full time plus train.
Basically, every 10 days you want to hit an acceleration session, speed session, and speed endurance session. There’s no requirement on when to work or how much work to do, instead you base it on how you feel and only do what you feel you can safely recover from.
In season, it might be something like 6-10x 15-30m for acceleration, 3-6x fly 20 or 30’s for speed, and 3x80-120 for speed endurance.
My general approach is to train when I feel ready and motivated, and otherwise rest/recover. If you’re burnt out, don’t make it worse by forcing yourself to train. Instead, train when you’re motivated and it’ll end up being more fun and probably more effective.
Great content. This is one of the best explanations of proper sprinting technique that I’ve heard.
Yeah this guy is a genius. Should have 1M subscribers. By far the best sprinting info on TH-cam.
Appreciate that a lot man. Thanks for watching!
Clear, direct, no b.s. advice or chitchat. Thanks!
Thx and I def did gain alot. I think I have been hammering the ground with loose, dorsiflexed ankles, expecting the stretch tomaintain stiffness. I will dorsiflex AND keep ankle stuff to claw ground. Had I not been working on this for a year I would NOT have been able to envision the whip, but now I can. Out of my sessions only 10% of runs achieve that whip feel-like a single leg dolphin kick back that just happens to swipe floor as you move forward. I noticed the ground strike does not feel heavy, ankles/knees feel less stressed and I feel like I am floating. Holy Grail lol. If my torso angle, hip tilt, dorsiflexion and feet pronation are of, it fails. It usually takes me most of session to get all those in line. OS now I know that whip is what end goal-I can adjust warmup and session goals to achieve that. Thank you
Good video but cmon
Athletex
Athleanx
🤔
What I was thinking 😭
Funny, I thought Jeff had hired another trainer at first.
He’s smart because people will type in athletex when they are searching for athleanx and his videos will get found more
Same thing bro
If you check his channel about page you can see he created the channel in 2014. I dont know if you can change names or if he has.
Maurice Greene is an absolute master at hitting the ground like a hammer, just watch him in front how his foot strike and you'll see what I mean. I want to share with you some of my personal experience. Last month I realized my biggest mistake and omission. I've always known that my ankles and calves are weak compared to other muscles, but I don't really understand what's going on. When I sprint after the first 10-15m I start to touch the ground with my heel and because of that a lot of energy is lost and because of that my speed endurance is never been good and to compensate this lost power I extend my arms from the elbow. Last month I started doing calf raises 4x15 with 1 minute rest between 2 times weak with 120kg. now I do it with 320 kg. and my sprinting technique immediately changed dramatically. Now I run higher, I have more endurance and I don't extend my arms from the elbow and my stride length has improved a lot. Once I start doing fast sections I'm sure the times will come and I know it and feel it.
I'm gonna apply this to the back stretch of my 400m
Same
EXCELLENT training video. What to some may be beating a dead horse, to me his presentation of a concept via two or more examples is more easily absorbed. He's taken a concept I was told (not taught) by a successful coach of "clawing the ground" and turned it into "whipping the hip" and "hammering the ground"...two principles that are more easily understood, envisioned, and attainable. Thank you from a very astute...track-and-field-wise...62 year-old starting a "comeback" to high-level USATF Masters competiton after being a collegiate distance runner and sprinter in the 70s.
This guy does know what he's doing . These are effective techniques. I lack the strength to do these fully but even a partial incorporation is helpful in my middle distances.
Super great in helping me visualize. We do those dribbling drills but I never put the two together. Front side opening up and leg whip was just an exercise until now. Excellent
I respect this guy he works hard on sprinting and coaching
Thanks I have football try outs tommorow and im trying out for tight end
You get it. After watching this video I had to subscribe. I used to sprint back in the day. I would split my training into two phases. The first several weeks I focused on flexing the hips and bringing them up. Strength and power routines were done to accomplish this motion. Things like using a multi hip machine focusing on hip flexion, walking over hurdles, double leg jumping over hurdles,.. point was anything I could do to increase my strength and power to bring the hips up. It became very second nature to lift my knees after focusing on this movement. I would do this for about two months. Then the fun began. I would transition into focusing on "hammering". Just bring with such force the foot down to the ground and whipping the hamstring through. It was like I had an extra gear. I would regularly walk away from guys on the track at any distance, 100M, 200M 300M, 400M. I remember guys would ask me what am I doing to get that extra gear. All I would focus on was putting more energy down to the ground. My speed improved dramatically.
well explained. But doing it unconsciously is another thing.
I also think this active hammer action is only possible if the opposite recovery leg actively starts a powerful hip flexion at the same moment. If the timing isn't on point one leg has to wait for the other wich kills most of the impulse.
Furthermore a good hammer leg action is only possible if the recovery phase prior was also good. Mastering this cycle is so important.
Most slow athletes try to push/feel the ground. This leads to a bad/slow leg recovery by killing the SSC in the hips. The result is a bad next stride.
Good post, I am slow and I'm really trying to feel ground
If only I saw your videos when I was a teenager... You rock!
Donovan baileys 1996 gold medal win is a great example of this. The guy was literally stomping the ground
Yeah it is! Talk about smashing the track hahah
Lol I run like that, i swear it makes me exert more force
He has asymmetric stride length, so does Bolt. A lot of sprinters do.
Amazing video!!Not a sprinter but technique videos like these always help me in my sport!
Best sprinting video of humanity really. Id only emphasise that acceleration phase is something apart from it, that leads you to it
@ATHLETE.X Hello Cody,
I have watched several of your videos and I find all of them interesting.
Of course sprinting is very complex, so many aspects are important, but I want to ask you your opinion about the efficiency of a few exerccies mentioned below:
1) double leg vertical jump from 1/4 squat position (with lets say 90 pounds) (2 reps at 100% explosivity per leg) followed by single leg jumps from 1/4 squat position (2 reps per leg) followed by a jump as if you wanted to dunk without any additional weight or with maximum 5-6 pounds medicine ball
2) attach an elastic loop band to your ankle, place the foot with the band around it exactly next to your other leg and push back as explosively as possible), the range of movement could be of about 60-70 cm, basically not more than your foot stays behind your center of gravity while you are sprinting. Another variant would be to push back a 5-6 pounds (or heavier??) medicine ball. I would suggest 2-3 sets of 4 reps for each leg.
3) single leg hip thrusts (in addition to single leg glute bridges) followed by single leg broad jump (possibly from a few steps acceleration)
4) single leg 1/2 romanian deadlift (with heavier load) followed by one step in romanian deadlift position and then a single leg jump from 1/2 romanian deadlift position with no more than 20 pounds. 2-3 sets of 4 reps per leg.
Thank for an answer
Cody i was checking your programs and found that you wrote a week (microcycle) structure as follows:
Mon: sprint
Tue: lift
Wed: off
Thu: sprint
Fri: lift
Sat: endurance
Sun: off
Im guessing lifting part is mostly for lower body. How and where can i implement upper body sessions in a week, after endurance or the day when sprinting is??
Thanks, and much love from Croatia, Europe
Matej Tandaric I usually do it on one off day and on the endurance day. It may be bad but personally I like doing upper body and this works for me.
@@mostunique5941 thanks man, appreciate it very much
Can't you just add pressing and rows on the lifting days?
Thanks for the informative lesson. I just want to comment that the music is distracting. I wonder who would miss it if it were gone and I wonder how others can tolerate it when trying to learn. Thanks again.
Popping the thighs up/hammering the ground is great, better than knee up
Great video thank you
Great video, thanks Cody. I like how you've tried to break down how to make the 'hammer action' work in practice, and what can stop athletes from implementing it. I read some time ago about how this is a key aspect of technique that differentiates elite sprinters from others, but it's taken me a long time to make progress on it. Think I've finally getting there now, and my times are reflecting it. My experience is that you have to make progress on other fronts simultaneously or it won't really work, as you allude to in the video (i.e. hip pop, hamstring strength, ankle stiffness etc). Also I've become aware how important ground proprioception is in all this - there's so much precision required to maintain the right foot placement, and as you develop your technique I guess you have to keep re-learning this which takes time.
Chris Barnard at OvertimeAthletes has pretty good acceleration and top speed drills. I tried his youtube drills for acceleration and top speed and the results are very impressive. I went from 10 sec across a 77m grass field to 7 sec - no bs. Haven't made my mind up yet on Athlete.X - he's theories are sound but I haven't tried any practical application with results to prove.
Thanks for the tip about Overtime channel - I'll have a look at the drills. What I like about Athlete X is he breaks down an element of theory and combines it with a variety of footage (sprinting, relevant drills, resistance exercises) rather than pushing one overall training method in detail too much. This allows someone like me who is still a relative beginner to gradually work things out for myself and keep an open mind rather than over-commit to a single approach. I try to follow a range of sprinter youtube channels, though too often I favourite videos then never get round to watching them
Welcome bro. I do check Jarret Campisi and Destorm channels for sprint as well but OTA is top due to him giving free stuff (fully explained and demonstrated) for you to test for yourself to see the results. AthleteX is very sprint specific but you get almost no exercises given complete with sets & reps + exactly how to perform them for free. Any good youtube sprint channels you can recommend?
@@errolpaul8043 I'm subscribed to a few but I don't follow any closely. When I want to research a particular issue I'm more likely to look at whatever articles come up in a google search, then if I have time I'll search youtube as well to see what videos are most on point
Chris PT - OK thanks.
Is there any drills for this technique
im an 110m hurdler and 100m sprinter and gotta say that technique really helped me! Ty :)
So you just pushed the leg back down when the knee came up?
Great video bro, I'm a mid distance runner, but I will do these drills, thanks!!!!
Hey athlete.x I don’t know if you read comments or will see this , but I was wondering what you recommend to get your joints and muscles, especially shins and everything ready for full on sprint training coming back from a long period of inactivity. Thanks
Does anyone else watch these before school athletics carnivals?!? 🤣😂🤣
Ye I just want to beat this kid who’s competitive and thinks he’s the best
@@jamesco987 lol!
@@jamesco987 hwo did it go?
What in the blue hell is an athletic carnival?🤣😂🤣
Im a male gymnast and struggle to run fast and this video is all I ever needed.
Always been helpful since starting my coaching journey I tent to use this information towards my training program and technique to improve on.
Yo could you do a video for team sport training covering football, soccer (football) and basketball
Hello Cody, first of all impressive videos. I have never trained sprinting in my life but love to watch your videos as I love the bio-mechanics and science behind running.
I have a question for you, I am 27 years old and was wondering if I am too late to improve my 100 meter sprint. Despite never training in anything regularly and with no prior track field experience, last November I did 2 x 100m races with official electronic timings of 12.28s and 12.26s. Would you think its possible for me to achieve a mid or even low 11s 100m sprint.
Thanks a lot for the comment & for watching!
I think it’s perfectly reasonable to assume you can still get sprinting. Considering you ran low 12’s without training, you’re certainly capable of something in the 11 second range.
I’d start with a couple days per week of capacity & tempo work (as discussed in my endurance video), paired with some basic strength & power work as discussed in my strength & power video from a couple months ago.
Over time, you want to progress to faster reps, harder surfaces (such as from grass to track), and from running shoes to spikes. Also, lifts should progress toward more powerful and explosive lifts.
3-4 days of training each week total should get you started in a safe manner, and in due time you’ll see how you respond and can adjust training accordingly.
Another awesome video. It seems like there is benefit in doing certain technical exercises prior to sprint/technical drills , but most would be sprint training before the exercises. Curious to know what are a few good exercises that could be done prior to sprint drills without risking injury?
Hey Cody!
Thanks for the video!
Quick question, what is the best way to learn to keep your hips down in the start? I find that I tend to break my form in the start by bending at my hips when I try to keep a low angle in the start.
How would you suggest to overcome this?
You have some training programs on your website. Which program would you do if you run the 100M, 200M and 400M for your High School team. They have my son running the 4x100 and 4x400 each meet and alternate between the 100M and 400m. He always runs the 200M. Need some guidance. Great video by the way! I will work with him pre-season next year and I would like one of your 8 week programs.
Very very very important you have strong hamstrings in the eccentric position like he said. I tried this last year at practice and I ran a lot faster for like a split second before I tore my hamstring. But I also had a strain at the time so I really shouldn't have been sprinting in the first place.
Does he mean, cycle the leg quick again? Or pull it down quickly to the ground? Maybe both
So incredibly helpful, super great screen presence
Your Channel is incredibly informative, i love it. I recently got into running (because of a test that im training for) which im really enjoying and this channel is perfect for it
I am a 12 year old and been this helped me greatly I have ran a 5k at my school last year and I was in twentieth place and this year after I watched this and more of your vids I came in Second place
What was your 5k time?
This is one of my all-time favourite sprinting vids. But is Whip from the Hip contradict a Bounce / Pogo-Stick model right after ground contact? (But perhaps directed at an angle rather than primarily upward). I guess I’m asking if you think of the lift off from the ground more as a Push or a Bounce? Don’t hammers also bounce off the nail.
Love this logical explanation.
I’m watching this since tomorrow I have my 200m dash at a track meet, I’m nervous since it’s my first time but I’m kinda excited
What was your time
@@williamsonzion8206 around 19 seconds
@@Smoothcrimnl oh damn i didn’t know you were a world record holder
Great stuff here! Thanks for all the videos Cody!!
Whenever I sprint I have duck feet and knees point outward, any tips to fix this? Thanks
Great video as always man very helpful!
It’s probably worth doing some strengthening & activation work on internal rotators of the hip, doing internal rotation with both straight leg and bent leg variations.
Also, I’d look to see if your external rotators are excessively tight, hitting them with a roller and some dynamic mobility work to get them to chill out.
Lastly, how you cue movement might be exacerbating it. So if you’re trying to push your way down the track, you’ll likely exhibit more external rotation on the ground than if you tried to just punch the ground and get your foot back up into the air ASAP. Pushing leads to excessive ground contact times, and this external rotation could be your body’s way of trying to manufacture a push.
ATHLETE.X thanks a lot man appreciate it very much I will try all of this!
B_Reynolds maybe you have some overpronation issues?
Found this to be very beneficial. Amazing tips and great way of explaining ground contact force
Hello, I was wondering what the relative risks of this technique would be with regards to hamstring health. I ask this because it seems like it would apply a lot of pulling force to the hamstrings on the downswing, and I know that if your hamstring contracts too violently while your leg is being extended, then it can lead to muscle tears. This is assuming that prerequisite strength (2 years for me) has been attained, and the hamstring is relatively strong.
It shpuld be safe if you streth warm up, and are use to sprinting quickly, try jogging and running before before lesrning how to really sprint at high speeds
Hamstring injuries occur when they are passive and the leg doesn't curl. The injury is caused by the longer leg swinging forward with more force which overloads the hamstring when it has to stop the leg's forward movement. When the hamstring is active and curls the leg, the leg is short and there is very little stress on the hamstring.
Do i need Intentionally to open up the leg on the front side
No, just let it happen naturally and make sure you’re doing strength work on the hamstrings so they can handle the movement.
I'm running the 4x100 at state this Friday and this helps a lot. Hopefully we'll be able to hit 42s
@@lysandrabw1672 thanks!
Another great video. I'll incorporate the Hammer and Whip idea next w/o. Are you coaching? Hope so!
I'm an overweight runner and this video helped me increase my time in the 200 and 100 but everyone keeps telling me Im not getting my knee high enough when I'm sprinting and I have noticed it too. I'm always afraid of putting my knee higher because I feel like I will go slower. Could you please give me any advice?
Great explanation! Thanks.
Ive been trying to get a faster 100m and 200m so i can run a faster 400m which is my favorite race so i want to get much better at it. Do you have any tips you could give me to improve?
Fidel Torres gotta get used to the lactate build up
Get a stronger base by training for longer distances such as 5 miles or 5k
The Interesting Informer that’s shit training for a sprinter lmao
The Interesting Informer how can aerobic exercise help him with anaerobic exercise???
the voice of reason. excellent
Currently i run a 11.06 will working on this concept of whipping the hip help me break 10
I’m certain it will help! Just start slow and easy with drills and incrementally bridge the gap toward doing it in your sprints. Safety is #1, especially when changing technique 💪🏽
You're going to break 10 seconds?
It will be hard to get under 10. You need a good coach if you are serious about it. A youtube video is not enough get you from 11 to 10.
U is fasty boi
12.6 today.
Imma try this method tommrow
Running Commentary while training video explains will make the video more lively
Had to subscribe for this one! thanks homie 🙏🏾
Do you have any tips for improving 30m time for soccer?Im 15 and currently run a 4.3. I also have a track meet coming up in 3 weeks and wanna train for 100, is there any way I can somewhat lower my time(I’m not toooo fussed abt it)?
Avoid over-striding, which usually comes from firing too low or trying to stay low. When your leg is at peak hip flexion, launch the leg down & back through the air and once you feel the ground you should be initiating the next stride.
do plyometrics
What's your best official time for the 60m or 100m?
Just subbed thank you I leave to boot camp next month this will help out a lot
This is some good information, I’ve been doing this while sprinting without even realizing it lol
What did you do? Was it like a cycle of your legs quickly back to your butt?
When i run, i jump more than run. I'm going pretty fast, but basically jumping
thank you great video.
I am a sprinter but I still struggle with when to strike the ground and it doesnt seem to click for me.
I tend to be dorsiflex before hitting the ground and either i slap the ground earlier before touching the ground (action of going into plantar flexion).
Or when i don't do this, I try to stick with dorsiflex but then there is no propulsion from th ground at toes off.
In both case I lack stride length and force output for my height and physic. I tend to lose too much energy and being inneficient while running.
Basically, I don't understand how to hit the ground properly.
The cops still got me
As I am closing to 40 than 30 now... perhaps I need to be more flexible like stretching hamstrings? My acceleration is still tops.
How should i pop the thigh forward. this cue is confunesing me
Flex the hip rapidly
I’m 64 years old and my grandson challenged me to a foot race( sprint ) I used to be pretty fast in a short distance against anyone. But not anymore , can’t seem to get that top end push. Do you think it’s possible to get back that speed at my age?
If you trained and gradually increased the intensity over a number of months, you’d probably start to feel noticeably different. Running short sprints between 50-75% effort plus body weight circuit training would be a good place to start. Eventually you could progress toward faster sprints and lifting weights if you wanted to.
The main issue is injury risk. Gotta be very disciplined with staying relaxed and also strengthening the whole body with an extra emphasis on hamstrings/hips/core/calves
@@ATHLETE.X Thanks for your reply.
I can’t run that fast and I’m still considering trying out for the high school track team during spring 😅
Is there any workouts for this ?
Thank God that I found this video 🙏
Boss best drill to HAMMER and punch the ground?
have u ever had acheelies tendonitis? and if so how did u cure it? thanks man.
"Sprinting is a series of takeoffs, not landings" - Rae Edwards
Bro this video is so good 🔥
This really helped thank you
Good morning athlete x very insightful tutorial
Yo Coby what’s your 100m personal best?
10.66
@@my2l pacey!!!!
@@my2l same as me! Except mine is 10 minutes!
Mine is 10.21
Fearless mine is 7.8 slowball
Hi guys, I have watch this video but I don't really understand how he does it. Can I have a break down of the action like drills that would help me reach this sprinting form! Thanks!
@Leo Perez Thanks for the reply, yes I will practice on my high knees butt kick and leg cycle motion which is for the ( hamstring pull it back down )!
I've noticed that I accelerate A lot faster than my opponents consistently, but start to fall back once I hit a wall early on, hopefully this helps
Your quads are over developed and stronger in relation to your glutes
I have terrible acceleration.
Fr i be accelerate asf but cant maintain that speed i dont know why?
I use to be able to start fast and even push to be faster but now is like i start fast but i end falling back like you said
Toño Jr you may be quad dominant and need to work your posterior chain in the weight room. ie hamstring and glute exercises.
You may just not have enough speed endurance
Or you may have a bad start, for example you stand up to early which allows you to accelerate faster but makes you enter maximum velocity too quickly causing you to slow down earlier.
Fr tho, I have the best start out of the blocks but have limited top speed
5:50 These are all good points you're saying about the leg action but the arm action is just as important for speed optimization. Per the time stamp I put, the arm action needs to be fixed. The arm needs to be at 90 degrees never opening or closing.
Many (all?) top sprinters open and close the arm. Why give up additional force created by the contraction and extension at the elbow? th-cam.com/video/yhaxKsBzGfw/w-d-xo.html
@@greghodel5068 I saw your video. I believe many runners open and close their arms due to bad habits or possibly even arm fatigue. The start of the race in the video showed it too but optimum stridage Shouldn't happen in the drive phase. I would probably say the 200m will provide a better snapshot of proper arm action since the drive phase isn't such an important part of the race like it is in the 100m.
@@KiLLED5639 Thank you for your reply. I dont think the fastest sprinters are going to have bad technique or fatigue in the 100 m. None of the runners in the video maintain 90 degrees at any point during the race. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about running and the fixed elbow angle is one of them (for up to 200 m.). There is no other sport that requires longer than a 100 yr sprint. Therefore the fixed elbow should not be used in any other sport. What do you think?
but isnt whipping the lower leg backwards the opposite of vertically hammering the leg as you say initially?
The backward motion is mainly there to match the speed of the ground under you so that the foot isn't crashing forward at ground contact. Matching the ground speed allows the vertical force to be applied without braking too much. Also I think some athletes do better with more horizontal or more vertical cues, so there's some people who should probably avoid thinking about the horizontal movement, whereas for others it can help a lot.
What sort of a power ratio should 100m or 200m be seeking between our hamstring and quads?
Great stuff , do you only talk about sprint , it would be great if you could venture in endurance runs.
hey mate awesome video keep it up but i just have 1 question what is your 100m and 200m times keep the awesome training vids i love them so much
I need 300 meter sprint training. Any advice?
How to pull faster in the middle.... Plz make a video of workouts for pulling fast in thee middle and at the end.... Bcoz many of them good at starting but lose their pull ... Plzzz make a video how to accelerate at middle faster...
I need help for my run up on long jump so thank you