1. Unlock Athleticism

If you want to be fast, you’ve got to sprint fast in training. Sprinting builds speed and acceleration, which translates to explosive performance on the field, track, and even the mat. Whether it’s driving through a tackle, exploding off the line, or launching into an opponent to finish a throw, speed matters.

I’m sure you’ve seen the Power Athlete merch that says, “Speed Kills” or the Power Athlete Speed program by the same name.

Not every sport requires max velocity, but regardless of the exact demands, sprinting facilitates your ability to move fast and achieve positive outcomes. In sport, you need an edge, especially when it counts, sprinting is that edge.

2. Carry More Muscle. Stay Lean.

As an NFL player, my secret to staying lean was sprinting. It allowed me to keep a low amount of body fat while carrying a high amount of muscle. It also gave me more room to eat without messing up my physique, thanks to EPOC—Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. Intense sprints lit up your metabolism and keep it elevated for hours after you’ve left the track or field.

If you’re looking to stay lean while maintaining a high amount of muscle, sprinting is your cheat code. It’s well established that athletes who sprint carry more muscle and have a more complete package than those who don’t.

3. Go Muscles. Not Show Muscles.

Sprinting isn’t cardio. Sprinting is max effort. Aerobic work, or cardio, is done in a Zone 2 heart rate range at around 70% of your max heart rate. Sprinting, on the other hand, pushes you to high heart rates, where you’re moving at max speed and intensity. This translates to stronger hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves. Sprinting requires and recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers, resulting in greater power and size.

The Olympics in Paris were a great example of this—sprinters are just built differently. They look the part because they sprint and move fast.

Not only does sprinting directly stimulate muscle growth, but it also triggers hormonal changes that increase testosterone, boost protein synthesis, and aid in recovery.

The result? More muscle. More strength. More coordination.

4. Stay Strong as You Age

Sprinting helps preserve muscle and strength as you age. Fast-twitch fibers tend to atrophy with age, but high-speed sprint training keeps them active. The strength and coordination required to sprint depend on stronger muscles and stronger bones. Sprinting places great forces on your skeletal structure, helping fight off osteoporosis and keeping you agile as you age.

Balance and coordination contribute to greater muscle through muscular activation—these things fade with time but can be fortified through sprinting.

Keep yourself in the game of life by sprinting.

5. Increase Energy Systems

Sprinting isn’t just a “leg” workout; it requires a full-body effort, taxing a well-developed energy system and pushing it to its limits. An increase in VO2 max is a hedge against aging. Your lungs get better at processing oxygen, making you more efficient in everything you choose to do. The more you sprint, the better you get at delivering oxygen to your muscles, resulting in greater output.

In conclusion, if you want to keep muscle, stay strong, and fight off Father Time, you have to include sprinting in your training. If you’ve been following a training program that doesn’t include sprinting, you can start slow with hill sprints or sled pushes. If you’re following one of my programs that prioritizes sprinting, like Field Strong and HAMR, you’re ahead of the curve and on track to be more jacked than the bro on the pec-deck at Globo Gym. And if you’re not already on board, now’s the time to check out our Training Programs to find the one that’s right for you and start sprinting your way to superior performance.

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