With track season just around the corner and winter break in full swing, we’ve got some straightforward workouts to help you perform your best. Let’s dive in and make sure you’re ready to conquer the track this season!

Stretches and Warm-up 

Inch Worms/Body Walkout + Push Up

Activating the core stabilizer muscles is important to support proper sprint positioning. Adding the push-up activates the stretch reflex ability at the shoulder joints, which is important as the force production from the upper body comes from the shoulders, while driving the elbows back.

Inch Worms/Body Walkout + Push Up

How to:

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Bending from your hips, reach for the ground and place your palms on the floor in front of your feet.
  3. Slowly shift your weight onto your hands while slightly bending your knees, and begin walking them forward until your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels, hands stacked below your shoulders (plank position).
  4.  Do a push-up, keeping the core engaged.
  5.  With the core still engaged, walk yourself back to a standing position, pushing back on your hands while bending your knees.
  6. Squeeze your glutes to get in the neutral spine position at the end of the range of movement.
  7.  Repeat.

Toe/Heel Walks

These exercises will improve your balance, ankle stiffness, and ability to maintain hip height and stretch reflex with each foot strike. In sprinting, the push off the ground does not happen until you get on the ball of your foot, so it is important to directly land in this position with each strike to reduce your time spent on the ground.

Toe/Heel Walks

How to: 

  1. From standing, raise heels off the ground.
  2. Walk forward on the balls of your feet (baseline of your toes) for 15 seconds.
  3.  Reestablish standing position and raise toes and balls of feet off the ground.
  4.  Walk back on your heels pulling your toes towards your shins, for 15 seconds.

A-March/A-Skip

A-skips offer a multitude of benefits that contribute to overall athletic performance and running proficiency. Engaging in A-skips helps develop powerful push-offs, enhancing the explosive force generated during each stride. This not only improves speed but also contributes to increased stride length.

A-skips

How to: 

  1. Establish a tall posture, keeping your hips and chest high and shoulders down and back.
  2. Begin marching—in place or moving forward—on the balls of your feet with your toe flexed up (dorsiflex position), knee up (aim to get to hip height), and elbows back, while hinging your arms from your shoulders.
  3.  Make sure the force from the hips is being applied down each step.
  4. Maintain ankle stiffness when landing for consistent hip height and power each step.
  5. When comfortable with this execution, advance to the A-Skip, using the same approach but adding a ballistic element.

Pogo Jumps or (use a Jump Rope if available)

Pogo jump

Pogo jumps serve as an excellent plyometric workout, enhancing the stretch-shortening cycle in the calves and Achilles. This accelerates muscle contraction, and the gained speed can be effectively transferred to your running performance.

How to: 

  1. Jump and land on the balls of your feet.
  2. Keep your toes in a dorsiflex position, pulled up towards your shin.
  3.  Use arms or rope for coordinated power.
  4. Achieve minimal time on the ground. (Remember: in sprinting the goal is for the foot to strike the ground with as much power and as little ground contact as possible.)

Running and Strength 

Sprint Intervals + Core Workout

The technique applied during the warm-up should be incorporated throughout the sprint intervals. Each sprint should be enough effort that you are unable to hold a conversation during the run periods. Take two minutes to complete the core workout immediately after each sprint interval. The time remaining after each core workout is your rest period between sprint intervals (for example: if you finish your core workout in 30 seconds, you have 90 seconds remaining to rest before running again).

Sprint Intervals

Core Workout Descriptions: 

Sprint Intervals + Upper Body Workout

The technique applied during the warm-up should be incorporated throughout the sprint intervals. Each sprint should be enough effort that you are unable to hold a conversation during the run periods. Take two minutes to complete the core workout immediately after each sprint interval. The time remaining after each core workout is your rest period between sprint intervals (for example: if you finish your core workout in 30 seconds, you have 90 seconds remaining to rest before running again).

Upper body workout

Upper Body Workout Descriptions:

Sprint Intervals + Lower Body Workout

The technique applied during the warm-up should be incorporated throughout the sprint intervals. Each sprint should be enough effort that you are unable to hold a conversation during the run periods. Take two minutes to complete the core workout immediately after each sprint interval. The time remaining after each core workout is your rest period between sprint intervals (for example: if you finish your core workout in 30 seconds, you have 90 seconds

remaining to rest before running again).

lower body workout

Lower Body Workout Descriptions:

Sprint Intervals + Explosive Power Workout

The technique applied during the warm-up should be incorporated throughout the sprint intervals. Each sprint should be enough effort that you are unable to hold a conversation during the run periods. Take two minutes to complete the core workout immediately after each sprint interval. The time remaining after each core workout is your rest period between sprint intervals (for example: if you finish your core workout in 30 seconds, you have 90 seconds

remaining to rest before running again).

explosive workout

Explosive Power Workout Descriptions:


From dynamic stretches to explosive power exercises, you’re now prepared for a stronger, faster track season. Consistency is crucial, so make these routines a regular part of your training. Whether it’s core stability, upper body strength, lower body endurance, or explosive power, each workout contributes to your success on the track. Have fun training!