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Exercises

Sprinter workout: track sessions and gym training for sprinters

Published October 24, 2026

A sprinter workout starts on the track: 15 to 20 minutes of drills such as skips and high knees, then a few short sprints at full speed with long rest (for example 6 x 30 meters with 2 to 3 minutes between), and then the gym. In the weight room, sprinters do one power move such as a hang clean or box jump, one heavy lift such as the back squat or trap bar deadlift for 3 to 5 reps, hamstring work with the Nordic curl and Romanian deadlift, and calf raises. Everything is done in low reps, fast, and 2 to 3 reps short of failure, so the lifting adds force without slowing the next sprint session.

  1. Hang Clean Traps, Glutes, Hamstrings
  2. Box Jump Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings
  3. Barbell Back Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  4. Trap Bar Deadlift Quads, Glutes
  5. Nordic Hamstring Curl Hamstrings
  6. Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  7. Hip Thrust Glutes
  8. Standing Calf Raise Calves

Power: jumps, cleans and sled pushes

Speed comes from force applied fast. These go first in a session, after your sprints or warm-up, in low reps with full rest, because they only work when you are fresh. Each rep should be your fastest.

Power, fast triple extension

Hang Clean

Traps, Glutes, Hamstrings

Starting the clean from the hips skips the slow pull off the floor and trains only the part sprinters want: an explosive snap of the ankles, knees and hips. It is the weight-room move closest to pushing out of the blocks.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding the bar at arm's length against your thighs, hands just outside your legs.
  2. Push your hips back and slide the bar down to just above your knees, back flat, shoulders over the bar.
  3. Jump: drive the hips forward, rise onto the balls of your feet and shrug, keeping your arms long until the bar is moving up.
  4. Pull your elbows around fast and receive the bar on the front of your shoulders in a quarter squat, then stand.

Cues

  • Hips back, then violent hips forward
  • Arms are ropes until the jump
  • Fast elbows

Common mistakes

  • Reverse-curling the bar up with the arms: the bar rises because your hips snap, so drill the jump with a light bar first.
  • Dropping into a deep squat to save heavy reps: pick a weight you can receive high and fast.

Swap for: Power Clean, Kettlebell Swing, Box Jump

Build a session with Hang Clean

Power, vertical push

Box Jump

Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings

A box jump trains the same quick, forceful push as the first steps of a sprint, and landing on the box spares your legs the hard impact of coming back to the floor. A few sets before lifting wake the legs up.

How to do it

  1. Face a sturdy box from a short step away, feet about hip-width.
  2. Drop into a quick quarter squat while your arms swing back.
  3. Swing your arms up and explode onto the box, arriving with both feet flat and knees soft.
  4. Stand fully, then step back down one foot at a time.

Cues

  • Max effort, not max box
  • Stick the arrival
  • Full reset between reps

Common mistakes

  • Choosing a box so tall that you tuck your knees to your chest to reach it: lower the box until you land in a shallow squat.
  • Doing them tired or in long sets: power work needs full rest, so keep reps low.

Swap for: Jump Squat, Single-Leg Box Jump, Lateral Box Jump

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Power, one-leg push

Single-Leg Box Jump

Quads, Glutes

Sprinting is a series of one-leg pushes, so jumping off one foot carries over more directly than two-foot jumps. It also exposes a weaker side quickly.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one foot facing a low box, the other foot just off the floor.
  2. Bend the standing knee and swing the arms back.
  3. Push off that leg and land on top of the box on the same foot, softly.
  4. Stand tall, step down, and repeat, then switch legs.

Cues

  • Low box, big intent
  • Push through the whole foot
  • Land soft on one foot

Common mistakes

  • Using the same box as for two-foot jumps: start much lower, mid-shin height is plenty.
  • Skipping the weaker side's extra attention: begin each set with the weaker leg.

Swap for: Box Jump, Single-Leg Jump, Step-Up

Build a session with Single-Leg Box Jump

Acceleration, horizontal drive

Sled Push

Quads, Glutes

Pushing a sled puts you in the same forward lean as the first 10 to 20 meters of a sprint and makes you drive the ground back hard with every step. It is the weight-room bridge between strength and acceleration.

How to do it

  1. Load the sled, grip the handles with your arms extended, and lean in until head, hips and rear foot line up.
  2. Drive one knee forward and push the ground back behind you with the other foot.
  3. Take short, powerful steps, keeping your hips low and your back flat.
  4. Push for the set distance or time, then rest fully.

Cues

  • Lean from the ankles
  • Push the ground behind you
  • Short, punchy steps

Common mistakes

  • Loading the sled so heavy you crawl: the steps should still look like sprinting, just slow.
  • Bending at the hips with a rounded back: keep one straight line from head to heel.

Swap for: Sled Pull, Lateral Sled Drag, Treadmill Run

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Maximal strength: squat, deadlift and hip thrust

Stronger legs push harder into the track. Sprinters lift heavy for 2 to 5 reps and stop 2 or 3 reps short of failure, which builds force without the fatigue that would slow down tomorrow's sprints.

Maximal strength, both legs

Barbell Back Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

The heavier you can squat, the more force you can put into the ground each step. Sprinters squat heavy for a few reps and stop well short of failure, building strength without the extra muscle and fatigue of high reps.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar across your upper back, below the bony top of your neck, and grip it a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Walk it out of the rack, stance about shoulder-width, and brace your trunk.
  3. Sit down until your thighs are at least parallel, chest up, knees tracking over your toes.
  4. Drive up as fast as you can while keeping the same back angle.

Cues

  • Brace before you descend
  • Knees out over the toes
  • Stand up fast

Common mistakes

  • Grinding slow reps to failure: end the set when a rep slows down noticeably.
  • Hips shooting up first out of the bottom: lead with your chest so the hips and shoulders rise together.

Swap for: Front Squat, Trap Bar Deadlift, Leg Press

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Maximal strength, hips and legs

Trap Bar Deadlift

Quads, Glutes

The trap bar lets you pull heavy with an upright torso, closer to a jump than a straight-bar deadlift, and it is easy to move quickly. Many sprinters use it as their main heavy lift instead of the squat.

How to do it

  1. Stand inside the bar, feet under your hips, and grab the handles in the middle.
  2. Sit your hips down until your arms hang straight with your back flat and chest up.
  3. Push the floor away hard and stand up fast, hips and shoulders rising together.
  4. Lower under control, hips back first.

Cues

  • Push, don't pull
  • Hips and shoulders rise together
  • Fast up, controlled down

Common mistakes

  • Jerking the bar with bent arms: straighten the arms and take the slack out first.
  • Turning it into a stiff-legged pull: bend your knees enough that your legs do half the work.

Swap for: Barbell Deadlift, Barbell Back Squat, Hip Thrust

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Hip extension, glutes

Hip Thrust

Glutes

Glutes drive your hip back on every stride, and the hip thrust loads them hardest at full hip extension, the position you push from at top speed. It costs little recovery for how heavy it can be loaded.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your shoulder blades against a bench, a padded bar over your hip crease, feet planted about hip-width.
  2. Tuck your chin and brace your ribs down.
  3. Drive through your heels until your hips are level with your knees and shoulders, and squeeze your glutes hard.
  4. Lower your hips toward the floor without letting them rest, and repeat.

Cues

  • Ribs down, chin tucked
  • Shins vertical at the top
  • Squeeze, don't arch

Common mistakes

  • Finishing with an arched lower back: the hips stop at a straight line from shoulders to knees.
  • Feet too far out so the hamstrings cramp: walk them in until the shins are vertical at the top.

Swap for: Glute Bridge, Dumbbell Hip Thrust, Single-Leg Hip Thrust

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Single-leg strength

Every stride is a one-leg push, so one single-leg exercise a session keeps both sides equally strong.

Single-leg strength

Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

A step-up is a slow single-leg push with the knee high, the same shape as a sprint stride, and it shows any strength gap between your legs. Dumbbells keep it simple to load.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell at each side and face a bench or box about knee height.
  2. Set your whole working foot on top.
  3. Stand up onto the box by pushing through that foot, without pushing off the floor with the back leg.
  4. Lower slowly back to the floor with the same leg still on the box, finish your reps, then switch.

Cues

  • Top leg does all the work
  • Stand tall at the top
  • Slow lowering

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing off the trailing foot: lift its toes so it cannot help.
  • Using a box so high your hip sits below your knee: knee height is enough.

Swap for: Bulgarian Split Squat, Barbell Step-Up, Reverse Lunge

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Hamstrings: the sprinter's priority

The hamstrings work at the knee and the hip at top speed, so train both: the Nordic curl at the knee and the Romanian deadlift at the hip. Both are done with low reps and slow lowering.

Hamstring strength, lengthening

Nordic Hamstring Curl

Hamstrings

Hamstrings work hardest at top speed when they are being stretched as the leg swings forward. The Nordic curl trains them while they lengthen under heavy load, which is why sprint coaches program it so often.

How to do it

  1. Kneel on a pad with a partner holding your ankles firmly, body upright from knees to head.
  2. Cross your arms or hold your hands in front of your chest.
  3. Lean forward as slowly as you can, keeping hips straight, resisting with your hamstrings.
  4. Catch yourself with your hands when you can no longer hold, and push back up to the start.

Cues

  • Hips stay straight
  • Fight the fall the whole way
  • Push back up with your hands

Common mistakes

  • Bending at the hips to shorten the lever: keep a straight line from knees to shoulders.
  • Doing many reps: three to five slow, hard lowers per set are plenty.

Swap for: Glute Ham Raise, Lying Leg Curl, Romanian Deadlift

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Hamstring strength, hip hinge

Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

The Romanian deadlift loads the hamstrings in a long stretch through the hip, which complements the Nordic curl at the knee. Together they cover both jobs the hamstrings do in a sprint.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar at your hips with an overhand grip, knees slightly bent.
  2. Send your hips straight back, letting the bar track down your thighs with a flat back.
  3. Lower until your hamstrings are fully stretched, usually just past the knees.
  4. Squeeze your glutes and return to standing.

Cues

  • Bar on your legs
  • Same knee bend top to bottom
  • Feel the stretch

Common mistakes

  • Rounding to reach the shins: the hamstring stretch, not the floor, ends the rep.
  • Leaning back at the top: stand tall and stop.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Stiff-Leg Deadlift, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

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Calves, hip flexors and trunk

Calves turn short ground contacts into speed, and the hip flexors drive the knee forward. Both get little work from squats and deadlifts, so they get their own sets at the end of a session.

Lower leg, ankle stiffness

Standing Calf Raise

Calves

Your foot spends a fraction of a second on the ground at top speed, and stiff, strong calves turn that contact into speed. Raising from a deep stretch on a step builds that strength.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the balls of your feet on a step or platform, heels free, holding something for balance.
  2. Let your heels sink as low as they go.
  3. Rise onto your toes as high as you can and pause.
  4. Lower slowly to the full stretch again.

Cues

  • Full stretch at the bottom
  • Pause at the top
  • No bouncing

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing out of the bottom with short reps: pause a second in the stretch.
  • Rolling onto the outside of your feet: push through the big toe.

Swap for: Single-Leg Calf Raise, Smith Machine Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise

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Hip flexors, knee drive

Standing Cable Hip Flexion

Abs

The hip flexors pull your thigh forward on each stride, and they are rarely trained directly. A cable around the ankle loads the knee drive in the position you sprint in.

How to do it

  1. Attach an ankle strap to a low cable, put it on one ankle, and stand facing away from the machine.
  2. Hold the frame or a post for balance and stand tall.
  3. Drive the strapped knee forward and up until the thigh is level with your hip.
  4. Lower under control, finish the reps, then switch legs.

Cues

  • Tall posture, no leaning back
  • Knee up to hip height
  • Control the return

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to lift higher: stay upright and use less weight.
  • Swinging the leg: drive up, pause, and lower slowly.

Swap for: Hanging Knee Raise, Captain's Chair Knee Raise, Lying Knee Raise

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Trunk and hip flexors

Hanging Knee Raise

Abs

Hanging from a bar and lifting your knees trains the hip flexors and the lower abs together, the pair that keeps your pelvis from tipping forward when your legs move fast.

How to do it

  1. Grip a pull-up bar and hang with straight arms, legs together.
  2. Brace your abs and draw your knees up toward your chest.
  3. Curl your pelvis slightly at the top so your lower back rounds a little.
  4. Lower your legs slowly until they hang straight, without swinging.

Cues

  • Knees to chest
  • Curl the pelvis at the top
  • No swinging

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the legs up with momentum: pause at the bottom before each rep.
  • Stopping when the thighs reach parallel: curl a little further so the abs work.

Swap for: Captain's Chair Knee Raise, Hanging Leg Raise, Lying Knee Raise

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Off-season: two heavy days next to track sessions

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets33 a week
  • Per workout~50 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Standing Calf Raise, Pull-Up Bar, Plyo Box +4

You sprint three or four days a week in the off-season or general preparation phase, and you lift twice.

The off-season is when you can push the weights. Each day starts with a power move, then one heavy lift at 2 to 5 reps and 2 reps in reserve, then hamstrings and the smaller muscles. Lift on the same day as your sprint sessions, after them, so your easy days stay easy. Day A is 17 hard sets and day B is 16.

Day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hang Clean2 warm-up sets firstFast, crisp reps. 4 × 3 2 3 min
Barbell Back Squat2 warm-up sets first 4 × 3–5 2 3 min
Nordic Hamstring CurlLower as slowly as you can. 3 × 3–5 2 2 min
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 8–12 1 1 min
Hanging Knee Raise 3 × 8–12 2 1 min

Open Day A in the session builder

Day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Box JumpStep down every rep. 4 × 3 3 2 min
Trap Bar Deadlift2 warm-up sets first 4 × 3–5 2 3 min
Hip Thrust 3 × 6–8 2 2 min
Step-UpReps per leg. 3 × 6–8 2 90 s
Standing Cable Hip FlexionReps per leg. 2 × 10–12 2 1 min

Open Day B in the session builder

How to run it
Sprint first, lift second, with at least an hour between. Warm up the first lift with two or three lighter sets.
How to progress
Add 5 to 10 pounds to the main lifts when all sets reach the top of the range at 2 reps in reserve. Keep jumps and cleans the same weight and focus on speed.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Competition season: short sessions between meets

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentPlyo Box, Trap Bar, Standing Calf Raise, Pull-Up Bar

You race most weekends and still want to keep the strength you built in the off-season.

In season, sprints and meets come first. This session keeps every lift heavy enough to hold your strength but cuts volume to two or three sets and raises the reps in reserve to 3, so you walk out feeling springy rather than sore. Jumps stay in because they help you feel fast. The whole session is 11 hard sets.

In-Season
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Box Jump 3 × 3 3 2 min
Trap Bar Deadlift2 warm-up sets first 3 × 2–3 3 3 min
Nordic Hamstring Curl 2 × 3 3 2 min
Standing Calf Raise 2 × 8–10 2 1 min
Hanging Knee Raise 1 × 8–10 3 1 min
How to run it
Do it once or twice a week, at least two days before a race. On race weeks with a heat on Friday, drop to one session early in the week.
How to progress
Do not add weight in season. Keep the loads from the end of the off-season and move them fast.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

New to lifting: a field-sport athlete or beginner sprinter

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentPlyo Box, Sled, Dumbbells, Flat Bench +2

You want to get faster for track, football or soccer, but you have little time in a weight room.

Beginners get faster from almost any sensible strength work, so this plan picks the movements that are easy to learn and hard to get wrong: step-ups, Romanian deadlifts, sled pushes, single-leg jumps and calf raises. Reps are moderate and every set stops at 3 reps in reserve, so you learn the movement before you load it. The session is 15 hard sets.

Full Body
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Single-Leg Box JumpReps per leg. Low box. 3 × 3–4 3 90 s
Sled PushSeconds of pushing. 3 × 10–15 2 2 min
Step-UpReps per leg. 3 × 8–10 3 90 s
Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
How to run it
Do it twice a week on days without a hard sprint or practice. Start with two easy rounds of skips and high knees.
How to progress
Add a rep each week until you reach the top of every range, then add weight and drop back to the bottom. After six weeks, move to the off-season plan.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are the best gym workouts for sprinters?

A short session of one power move (hang clean, box jump or sled push), one heavy lift (back squat or trap bar deadlift) for 3 to 5 reps, hamstring work with Nordic curls and Romanian deadlifts, and calf raises. Low reps and full rest keep it about speed, not fatigue.

How many times a week should a sprinter train?

Most sprinters run three or four track sessions a week and lift two or three times, often on the same days as hard sprinting so the other days stay easy. In season, lifting drops to one or two short sessions.

What is a good workout program for a 100m sprinter?

Two track days for acceleration and top speed, one for speed endurance, and two gym days following the off-season plan on this page. The gym days pair heavy squats or deadlifts with jumps and hamstring work.

Should sprinters lift heavy?

Yes, for few reps. Heavy sets of 2 to 5 build the strength to push hard into the ground. The weight should still move fast, so stop the set when a rep slows down.

Do sprinters need to train upper body?

Some, because arm drive helps balance your stride. One or two upper-body exercises, such as rows and presses, on a lifting day are enough. The legs, hips and hamstrings get most of the time.