Sprinting is simple, it's running really fast and not stopping. Yet the modern person on average and even people of some level of athleticism can't run and certainly not sprint properly. Sprinting is just a more open, sharper version of running and by extension jogging. How does one even differentiate between these paces or stages of the human gait? There are noticeable differences in what parts of the body are more turned on and firing when looked across all three. Starting with jogging just in front of walking, the first major difference is the heel is no longer the first thing that is touching down on the ground first, rather the outer edge of the mid-foot and plate, and of course transferred out the great toe (or big toe). Most of the cyclical nature of the jog is done by the hamstrings pulling the feet back and up, and the feet automatically find there way to the ground with much intention of doing so or "thought". The Heart is pulling you through space and aiming to be light on the feet may be a good cue for helping find a good jog, after some time though you want to let the lower leg find it's perfect spring to match with your pace. The upper body is quite bundled, but not tight or tense. The Run. Running is considered differently depending on the person, one speed of running can be much different to other depending on their overall training and level, but it generally looks the same as others. While jogging can almost be considered flat foot running in that you land of the side/forefoot then quickly and gently into the heal running differs as you likely won't be touching down on the heal yet you could get very close and less surface area of the foot makes contact into the ground more forefoot and less side, likely a greater conscious push out and through the great toe. The cyclical nature of the run is now more of a combination of the hip-flexors pulling along with the hamstrings, yet more is asked of the hip-flexors as running causes for an increase in speed the automatic response is to create a longer stride, so the gaits circular motion is now split more to the front side and results in the body straightening up more, yet still with the heart leading the body, this is to balance the body accordingly. The arms are slightly extended more and the entire torso is rocking in opposite to the leading leg conserving momentum and keeping balance. The knees are coming up higher off the ground, and a noticeable difference in air intake is required. The Sprint. At it's peak it's sort of like a floating dagger in that when at high speeds the body lifts up completely out of the ground and loses lots of weight then immediately daggers into the ground on only the absolute fore-foot and straight out the great-toe. It's a rather light feeling coupled with immense power beneath you. The transition is made that majority of the lifting is done by the hip-flexors while the hamstrings are required to pull in a foot that is much further away from the body. Both are certainly significantly working, yet I will way that you won't sprint as well without learning light foot jogging and running. The feel of sprinting is just an evolution of the two. The arms are locked at 90-100* in opposite to the legs, yet the focus should be placed on reaching the leg out further and faster/harder. This is developed by practice of all three gaits. The heart still leads the sprint and focus can be issued to exiting out of the great-toe with much power flicking yourself across the lands. Having more mobile shoulders will also help generate additional torque for reaching the highest speeds something we'll get into now. Remember sprinting is a whole body movement everything is working.
How to sprint faster ? Now that this perspective is shown about the mechanics of sprinting and it's predecessors, what makes you go at higher speeds. Aside from practising the motion or technique the speed you generate could be boiled down three main elements. Power, Mobility, and Breathing. Power = Speed X Strength. Mobility = Strength X Flexibility. Breathing = In and Out the nose only deep in the body. The entire body must be trained to be a top sprinter no muscle untouched, Toe to Crown. Pure strength is slow and rather inflexible, and it has no be, more of the right kind of muscle must be packed in in a short range in order to complete the motion. Some strength (as measured by a pure lift) is lost when wanting more power, yet this doesn't mean you loose all strength. It's a rather hard thing to dice up as strength can be such a overbearing word, describing too much. Many athletes are both incredibly strong and powerful, take and Olympic lifter yeeting up 100's of kg with speed then squatting it over head, so much power and certainly lots of strength, but compared to a "power"lifter (should be called a strength lifter) they would not be able to lift in the same level as they do. It's merely a sacrifice of something for something else. A basket-ball dunker can generate so much faster power than the Olympic athlete, yet at the sacrifice of strength. Notice how I said "faster power" not more power, this is because it is a multiplication or mixture of Speed X Strength. Power is something that when trained with a focus of motion or skill creates it's own kind of lane if you will. Practising jumping will make your jumps more powerful. Yet training strength and speed will help the motion. The same here goes for mobility. Often the overlooked element in some. Pure flexibility can't be to strong, look to a contortionist. The body can elongate like a chewy yet they are rather weak through most of the body in comparison to say a martial artist, whom may have a high level of flexibility yet also high strength. The best way isn't a middle path 50% 50% it's maxing out each one to your fullest potential. Really you can't measure something like mobility on a linear axis or scale with both the combination of strength and flexibility. The strength lifter will always have the most strength. Yet with creating more flexibility through the leg muscles and hips you will begin to strengthen 'apparent' unused muscles far more aggressively like the abductors and abductors, which while used by all the one whom go after strengthening these through high ranges of motion will be overall more mobile. Think of mobility like a praying mantis incredibly strong through unusual or far rangers rather than a more linear fashion like a squat. Back to sprinting if you increase both of these which really is a lifetime of work and constant refinement and adjustment you will become the superior sprinter. And when sprinting at high speeds the breath through the nose will become more sharp and shorter as air is needed faster and you don't have time or breathe deep or slow, kind of like a boxer throwing combo after combo at some point new air is needed so quickly it goes to the upper chest rather than right down into the sacral.
A golden key: Like anything they are certain things that you can do in order to get an edge on competition. In the case of sprinting creating more power, mobility and balance especially in the foot is a massive game changer, as these literally are the instruments that you use to run on. Most people wear sub-optimal shoes and constrict the foot from doing what is was originally intended for. Wearing barefoot shoes all the time (when shoes are needed) for every aspect of your life is key here. Grounding is even better with no shoes on something like grass for instance. Yet when is comes to training your sprinting the thing you must do is run in barefoot style shoes it is an absolute must, the nuance and fine motor adjustments can't be felt nor could they even be performed in traditional "running" shoes with raised heals, tight toe boxes, and arch support. All three which are absolutely terrible for your foot, STAY AWAY !!! The foot is a perfectly designed instrument for long periods of running and high speed pursuits, do let it do it's thing and you will be rewarded. People with incredibly weak, soft and fragile feet result in knee and hips injuries or ailments. Even usain bolt wore poor shoes that constricted his foot, there is no reason for this. His record will be broken.
