Any Runner's or Sprinters On The Board?

[Raymond Bunch]

I just wanted to share with you all that I'm 41 years young. I always try to put in 5 miles three times a week along with other work out routines I spontaneously come up with to stay in shape. And yes, it does hurt afterwards

Anyhow, today after doing a series of exercises with my Marines, which consisted of only a 1 mile run (7 minute mile), lots of sit-ups and crunches, pull ups, and flipping a 300pnd tractor tire 40 times each, individually....we collectively decided to see how fast we were at the 40 yard dash.

Results...I did it in 5 seconds flat! To my surprise, theirs and probably yours now...This was at a race weight of 235 pounds. Needles to say, I'm feeling pretty good because 20+ years ago I ran the 40 in 4.8X weighing in at 180 pounds.

I'm hoping to get back in the 4.8x - 4.9x's within 1 month. Let the training begin!

BTW, I don't bull$hit, I will have video to prove it....

Ray

 

[3-5.0]

Thats cool,I'd like to see the vid,I'm 43 and can really appreciate what your doing. Sprinting is one of the few sports I can watch (in an olympic sense) theres just nowhere to really follow it unless you really look for it I guess.

40 is a football thing no?. There was a retired football guy -I can't remember his name who at 50yrs old several yrs ago- used to train with olympic sprinters and kept up with them. People just ain't aging like they used to.

 

[Raymond Bunch]

Thanks. I think most of my ability stems from being in the Marines going on 19 years now. We constantly do an array of things and collectively over time I'm sure it strengthens us overall mentally and physically. Pretty much like athletes who train day in and day out just to have that cutting edge to stay competitive. I have always pushed my marines to their limits, while doing it safely of course. It's pretty much mind over matter, as the human body can adapt to anything you can through at it with proper conditioning. Little do my marines know, is that they're the ones keeping me in shape today.

I don't really follow pro football at all. But, I do like college football, (Oklahoma Sooners). I watched some videos of pro football players on YOUTUBE last night and was amazed as to how fast they were. Some weighing 220+ pounds running 4.3-4.6 in the 40 yard relay. Just amazing! I'll try to look up the 50year old guy, sounds interesting.

 

[mtbraun]

Used to run a lot - 50-60 miles a week. All on hard surface and after a while my genetically compromised knees couldn't take it. Gave up the distance running and now use a combination of 4 days per week weight training and a couple days per week of running. Some times do two a days. The cardio might be an hour of basketball or even playing against my much more athletic 14 year old son. Chasing him around has proven to be some of the best training I've ever gone through. I'm actually much stronger overall than what I was when running a ton. The key is good nutrition and muscle confusion.

 

[bison]

Trying to measure a single run in the 40 yard dash with stop watch is inaccurate. Averaging several runs and rounding up is much better. In high school I averaged 5.1-5.2@150lbs. The best single time which I remember was 5.01 which isn't too accurate.About 4 years ago (31 years of age) with electronics I ran 4.63@230+. Typically adding .2 to peoples reported times seems to be fairly accurate. I am not a runner or a sprinter. It was all carryover from powerlifting.

 

[Raymond Bunch]

That's flying Bison, for a big heavy weight! Yeah, I can see where your coming from also as it could be a slight bit slower than we recorded. I'll try you recommendation and get multiple runs and see where I stand. Probably next week though. I'm to dang sore from pushing the envelope working out this week. Maybe this Friday, we'll see. Hey, I also watched a instructional video on YouTube that showed how to prepare for a 40 yard dash. It was very informative needless to say and I will apply some of the techniques I just learned from it.

 

[Raymond Bunch]

Used to run a lot - 50-60 miles a week. All on hard surface and after a while my genetically compromised knees couldn't take it. Gave up the distance running and now use a combination of 4 days per week weight training and a couple days per week of running. Some times do two a days. The cardio might be an hour of basketball or even playing against my much more athletic 14 year old son. Chasing him around has proven to be some of the best training I've ever gone through. I'm actually much stronger overall than what I was when running a ton. The key is good nutrition and muscle confusion.

That is a lot of miles to put in. I've personally never done quite that much even on my best days, maybe 30 -35 tops. Switching things up is very important. I also feel much stronger backing off from all the running I use to do. I do play softball, basketball and soccer when ever I get a chance too. Skateboarding has also help me out with balance and endurance believe it or not. My kids got me into it, along with their friends in our neighbor hood.

 

[bison]

Once you hone your sprinting technique you are better off trying to increase your strength. Just use the sprints to test your progress and work on stride. Box squats with 30-40% of the weight being the bands at the top of the lift and about 55% of your max squat (for me it was my next contest max fully equipped) on the box at parallel or slightly below parallel will increase your sprinting power a lot. Those will increase speed strength. Lots of glute ham raises, and heavy standing ab work will increase work capacity so you can get stronger a lot faster. Max effort lifting or at least to 90% should be used weekly with the exercise being rotated every week. Getting stronger in any lift that relies on the posterior muscles will transfer over to quicker sprints. It can take years of training for a seasoned athlete to knock a tenth or two off a 40 yard dash time. Doing bullchit exercises like triceps extensions, seated calf raises (do them standing with very heavy barbell weight), leg presses (unless used as a supplemental exercise with the feet high and wide so you are targeting the hamstrings), and sitting crunches wont do chit for increasing strength and sprinting speed. The 40 yard dash is a very anaerobic test that requires an athlete to have very good rate of force development. Big squatters and deadlifters typically have big vertical jumps and quick 40 yard times compared to other athletes. Dont be surprised if you are training hard to increase your sprinting speed and you start gaining weight and getting faster. The end result for your opponent on the field wouldnt be good.

 

[3-5.0]

Bison,I wished I knew all that when I was a teen.(workin out the legs that is-unfortunately I came from the era where most people didn't do it) I could run pretty damn fast and never worked on it at all,I was more interested in biking which I thought was working my legs but did nothing. Now that I'm older I wished I would've taken a stab at Track n field-then again I'm a white guy how far could've I got? yeah. Would've been fun for high school and closer to banging a cheerleader lol.

Anyway the only thing I'd say is doing low low squats with heavy weight has blown out a few guys knees and are paying for it now. Lunges must be good for running?.

 

[mtbraun]

Doing bullchit exercises like triceps extensions, seated calf raises (do them standing with very heavy barbell weight), leg presses (unless used as a supplemental exercise with the feet high and wide so you are targeting the hamstrings), and sitting crunches wont do chit for increasing strength and sprinting speed.

Amen to that. Most people today only focus on beach lifts and exercises. The guy with 20 inch "pythons" is usually slow as hell and just as unexplosive. The squat (with its many variations) is the mother of all lifts.

 

[mtbraun]

Amen to that. Most people today only focus on beach lifts and exercises. The guy with 20 inch "pythons" is usually slow as hell and just as unexplosive. The squat (with its many variations) is the mother of all lifts.

Oh and these guys usually look like an inverted pear. All big up top with chicken legs.

 

[Reggie West]

Bison,I wished I knew all that when I was a teen.(workin out the legs that is-unfortunately I came from the era where most people didn't do it) I could run pretty damn fast and never worked on it at all,I was more interested in biking which I thought was working my legs but did nothing. Now that I'm older I wished I would've taken a stab at Track n field-then again I'm a white guy how far could've I got? yeah. Would've been fun for high school and closer to banging a cheerleader lol.

White guys can be fast too.

Ray those are good times no matter what and your age is icing on the cake. I was in a class of 40 people recently and it was a good feeling to be the oldest one there yet I was middle of the pack in running. I have noticed that now things hurt more and take longer to heal. That pisses me off

 

[bison]

Anyway the only thing I'd say is doing low low squats with heavy weight has blown out a few guys knees

Chances are if someone injures their knee squatting they had a pre existing injury or they have very poor squat form. I relied on wide stance squats where I sat backward instead of down to minimize shearing forces on the knee. Squatting this way works the hamstrings and hips very hard. Proper box squatting insures the correct depth and breaks up the eccentric concentric which will make you very powerful out of the hole. The band tension pulls you down faster than straight weight can so you get a faster stretch and as the cns will adapts to this you will become very powerful. You need to have very strong hamstrings and tremendous rate of force development to be a great sprinter.

 

[Raymond Bunch]

Ray those are good times no matter what and your age is icing on the cake. I was in a class of 40 people recently and it was a good feeling to be the oldest one there yet I was middle of the pack in running. I have noticed that now things hurt more and take longer to heal. That pisses me off

Thanks man. Like wise back to ya for hanging with all those young bucks.

Bison, sounds like you got a LOT of experience with lifting and streangth training in general. Thanks man for taking the time to educate us on this stuff. I know I'm behind the power curb on this now days. I personally stopped lifting 12 years ago, just stopped cold turkey. I now focus on super high reps, mostly light weight, and may max out once a week. I feel for my age that I'm pretty strong, but focus most of my attention on endurance. I may start my old work out routine again too. And implement some of the ideas you through out there.

 

[Rivical]

I used to be a good competitive distance runner. Realized it was too rough on the leg joints and switched to cycling. Didn't have time for that and became a dad. Naturally healed a damaged miniscus in my 40's and worked the rest back into shape. Yeah yeah, I did it, don't bother tellin me I couldn't! Recently have enjoyed rock climbing and am looking at that now. WOW, talk about some athletic necessities which can't be addressed adequately in a 'regular' workout! I'm fair already, and looking forward to taking on some faces!

 

[bison]

WOW, talk about some athletic necessities which can't be addressed adequately in a 'regular' workout!

Regular athletes do regular "work outs". Elite athletes and those wanting to be at that level "train" for it. A regular session to one is not the same as a regular one to another.

 

[Rivical]

Regular athletes do regular "work outs". Elite athletes and those wanting to be at that level "train" for it. A regular session to one is not the same as a regular one to another.

I certainly don't mean to be insulting! My observation is one that climbing is an asymetrical sport of a different style with some unusual requirements of the athlete. The need to keep off extra mass everywhere makes workouts for other disciplines something which isn't entirely beneficial. It would seem a multidisciplinary regimin, and even the different needs of strength make it somewhat unique.

 

[turbojitsu85]

I use to run a mile in 7min30sec never timed and kind of sprinting and was running 3-4 miles every other day. Then last October I dislocated my knee tearing my mcl, acl and medial meniscus. I had the surgery to repair everything in December and now I'm lucky to run a mile in 13min with 2 of those being warmup. I can't run any longer then that or it hurts to bad luckily it gets a little better every day.