How to get fit fast with sprinting sessions

Are you in search of a training technique that could help you lose fat and reveal those long lost abdominal muscles? Do you want to develop muscle and improve your cardio-vascular capabilities? Are you instantly put off my complex, gym-intensive regimes that require hours of your time?

Look no further: I present, for your eyes only... sprint training.

Personally, I regard sprinting as the most effective minute-by-minute workout of my entire regime. Learning how to incorporate sprints into your program is simple, and its benefits are manifold. Specifically, sprinting can help you in the following four areas:

1. Fat-Loss. Sprint training causes a massive spike in the metabolism, which leads to accelerated fat loss. The effect is noticeable: you don't have to do many sprinting sessions to notice the results.

2. Improved fitness. As you'd expect, sprinting sessions make you better at running quickly. Crucially, they also improve your general fitness levels. When placed under the extreme stress of sprinting, the body is forced to adapt and improve. It learns to use fat for fuel, and shows a marked increase in its ability to store glycogen in the muscle, providing you with better equipment for the next time you take on a physical challenge - whether it be sprinting, weightlifting, or endurance based.

3. Build Muscle Mass. Sprinting stimulates fast twitch muscle fibres, which can lead to muscle growth and increased muscularity given proper rest and adequate caloric intake. I often encourage my clients to trade heavy gym-based sessions for sprint workouts. It keeps training varied, offers muscle-building potential, and takes less time.

4. Great for hormones. In men, sprinting can help boost testosterone ,which makes for a more anabolic environment, facilitating muscle growth and, by proxy, fat loss. It also leads to increased libido.

How to craft your sprinting regime

Sprint training is not to be underestimated. Without care and forethought, it can really take a toll on the body. Preparation - as ever with workout regimes - is absolutely key.

Here's four rules to bear in mind:

1. Pre-condition your body

In terms of exercise, sprinting is extreme. Your muscles are asked to work at full capacity, which inevitably increases the risk of mishap and injury, so you'll want to go into each session as prepared for the challenge ahead as possible.

Whilst the sprint is a total body exercise, I recommend a few weeks of significant focus on your hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves and core in order to prepare them for sprint sessions. Incorporate major lifts like squats, deadlifts and lunges into your workout routine, and learn how to fully stretch the same muscle groups. This will keep the muscles firing, and keep them in good, supple shape.

2. Start with low volume

When you begin sprint training, try to stop before your body reaches exhaustion. Too much too soon will stress your muscles, and impair their ability to recover.

Sprinting at 70-80% of your actual maximum exertion is also a wise idea for the same reasons.

3. Take it outside

Sure, you can sprint on a treadmill - but where's the fun in that? Sprinting on a track offers a break from the gym environment - not to mention that it feels really cool!

4. Warm up, work out, cool down

As with any vigorous workout, take care to make sure you have warmed up thoroughly before sprinting. Do practice laps around the track and some dynamic stretches before going full tilt. Likewise, remember to cool down at the end of your workout - otherwise you'll ache terribly the next day.

In the video below, we've demonstrated some of the sprint drills you can do. Keep them short, swift, and varied - it's gruelling work, but its enjoyable, and the fitness payoffs are fantastic.

Scott Laidler is a film industry personal trainer from London. Visit Scott at www.scottlaidler.com for online personal training and free fitness resource