Now that you've developed lighter, more efficient running mechanics, it's time to increase your speed.Continue building on previous skills while implementing new elements.
This week focuses on translating your improved mechanics into faster running while introducing strength work that supports higher speeds.
After three weeks of building proper mechanics, you're ready to focus more directly on speed development. The foundation of light feet, proper body position, and efficient movement patterns you've established now allows you to safely increase intensity while maintaining good form.
This week marks an important transition in the program - from primarily developing technique to beginning to express that technique through increased speed. Think of the first three weeks as building the engine and transmission of a high-performance car; now it's time to start pressing the accelerator.
By now, you should be growing accustomed to the quicker cadence you've been developing through metronome training. Continue gradually increasing your cadence on these runs, we're targeting 175+ steps per minute - approaching the cadence used by elite athletes. If 175+ feels uncomfortably fast, don't worry - this adaptation takes time. Start at whatever cadence you can maintain with good form, and gradually increase by 2-3 beats per session.
Tips for improving your cadence:
This week introduces longer sprint distances - extending from 15m to 20m. This progression allows you to "open up" a bit more while challenging you to maintain proper technique at pace.
As sprints get longer, many athletes tend to revert to old habits. Focus on:
Remember to build intensity gradually across your session. Your first few sprints should be at lower intensities (70-80%) to reinforce proper technique before attempting near-maximal efforts.
The piston run drill introduces a more aggressive knee drive that directly translates to explosive acceleration. Named for the powerful up-and-down motion of engine pistons, this drill teaches your legs to generate force more rapidly through increased cadence and knee height.
Elite sprinters generate incredible force not just from pushing against the ground, but from how quickly and powerfully they can cycle their legs. The knee drive:
Many young athletes focus solely on pushing harder against the ground when trying to run faster. While ground force is important, the speed at which you can cycle your legs often makes a bigger difference in overall velocity.
Start with the drill in place, then gradually add forward movement at increasing speeds. This progression allows you to master the movement pattern before applying it to full running speed.
Your strength program now introduces external weights to increase the training stimulus. This progression is perfectly timed - your body has adapted to the initial bodyweight movements and is ready for greater challenges.
The weighted exercises target the same movement patterns you've been developing, but with added resistance to build more strength in your legs and core.
The goblet squat adds resistance to the basic squat pattern you've mastered. Hold a single dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands close to your chest, elbows pointing down. This front-loaded position helps reinforce proper squat mechanics while adding resistance to develop greater leg and core strength.
You'll now transition your glute bridges into weighted hip thrusts. Sit with your upper back against a bench or seat, place a dumbbell or light barbell across your hips (use a pad or folded towel for comfort), and drive through your heels to lift your hips. This targets your glutes and hamstrings more intensely building on the glute bridges from earlier in the program.
Push-ups can be challenging for many junior athletes, but there's a better approach than standard kneeling push-ups, which are often too easy and don't build the right strength patterns.
Instead, try the "half-half" push-up method:
This technique allows you to build strength in the crucial lowering (eccentric) phase first, which research shows is the most effective way to develop the strength needed for full push-ups. Focus on controlling the descent for 3-4 seconds to maximize strength development.
As you get stronger, try doing both the down AND up portions from your toes for 1-2 repetitions (and then half-half for the remainder of your set), gradually increasing the number of full reps until you can perform complete push-ups for all reps. This video provides more details on performing your push ups.
See the video library for specific technique guidance on each new exercise. As always, prioritize perfect form over heavier weights, and start very light, progressing the weights only very gradually - quality movement is still the most important thing here.
Check your workbook for the specific sets, reps, and intensities for all components this week. As always, record your observations about how your movement feels as you integrate these new elements.
Week 4 represents an important milestone in your development. You're now beginning to express the technical improvements you've made as increased performance. Many athletes notice a significant change in how running feels at this stage - movements that once required conscious focus now feel more automatic and second-nature.
Your nervous system is adopting these more efficient patterns as its default. As these patterns become ingrained, you'll be able to maintain them even under the stress of competition.