Curtis Williams knows a bit about speed. The Performix House trainer and Training C.A.M.P. owner’s first job was, oh, NFL wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. So he relished creating an innovative 30-day plan to fire up your 5Ks. The secret? Less running, more transforming your physique into a velocity machine.
“This workout is total body, but I prioritized explosive exercises for the lower half, particularly hips, hamstrings, and glutes,” Williams explains. “The stronger those muscles are, the faster you’ll be. There’s also core work, because being more stable through your trunk enables you to run more efficiently.”
Williams recommends hitting the routine twice a week (say, Monday and Thursday), running the following days (Tuesday and Friday), and recovering on other days.
Go for two to three miles on both weekly jaunts, but finish the second with eight to 10 hill sprints (five to 10 seconds). “They’re awesome for building speed,” Williams says. “Start with 75 to 85% of max effort, with 45 to 60 seconds of rest.”
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Williams’s Speed-Boosting Workout
DIRECTIONS: Complete all sets of each phase (A, B, C, D) before moving on to the next. Rest 15 to 20 seconds between sets.
The Warmup
Split-Stance Kneeling Adductor Stretch: 1 set, 5 reps per side
Leg Raise to Spider-Man Step*: 1 set, 5 reps per side
Groiner Lunge Hip Stretch With Arm Raise: 1 set, 5 reps per side
Pike to T-Pushup: 1 set, 10 reps
*PICTURED ABOVE: From a plank position, raise one leg off the floor and then step it forward so it’s next to your hand. Bring it back and repeat on other side.
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
PRIMARY
Suitecase Swing + Curl to Squat: 4 sets, 10 reps
Plyo Lunge*: 4 sets, 8 reps per side
*PICTURED ABOVE: Get down into a lunge position, with same-side hand as back leg on the floor. Explode up so you leave the ground. Do all reps on one side, then switch legs.
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
SECONDARY
Bulgarian Split Squat*: 2-3 sets, 10 reps per side
Glute Bridge + Chest Press: 2-3 sets, 12 reps
*PICTURED ABOVE: Hold a dumbbell at shoulder height and another at your side. Place the same-side leg of the up dumbbell onto a box or bench. Move forward a foot and then squat down. At the top of the squat, press the shoulder-loaded dumbbell overhead.
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
AUXILIARY
Dumbbell Stepup to Romanian Deadlift: 1-2 reps, 10 reps per side
Stability-Ball-Elevated, Single-Leg Mountain Climber: 3 sets, 10 reps per side
Staggered-Stance Landmine Rotation* (previous image): 3 sets, 10 reps per side
Kettlebell Banded Antirotational**: 3 sets, 30 sec. per side
*PICTURED ABOVE: Put a barbell into a landmine sleeve and load with light weight. Grab with both hands in a split stance. Rotate the bar to one side and then to the other. That’s 1 rep. **PICTURED BELOW: Hold the end of an anchored band, with a kettlebell dangling in the middle, with both hands. Move hands up and down to bounce the bell. Don’t let it take you out of position.
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Williams’s Speed-Boosting Tips
Need a lift? Williams swears by energy-boosting Performix SST. “Like the program, it gradually brings you to that high level,” he says. “You’re able to train longer and harder and make every workout count.” Consume with six to eight ounces of water, 30 minutes before training. Give the program a go and get ready to fly.
Nutrition suggestions: You’re going to need more calories within your diet because now you’re adding on this whole different component to your training. I would try more carbs earlier in the day, so that you have more energy. And when strength training, you always want to incorporate enough protein in your diet.
Running form and technique: Just because you’re trying to build speed doesn’t mean you have to go full speed. Running is about being relaxed. The more relaxed you are when you run, the more efficient you can be, because if you’re too uptight, then you’re going to restrict your movement and you’re actually going to be working harder, not smarter.
Avoiding injury: People need to be more in tune to what their body is saying versus what they feel they’re obligated to do from a program standpoint. If you’re feeling exhausted, you have to adjust certain things. You have to be realistic and honest to what your body is telling you. Overtraining is a key cause of getting injured. So if you should do two reps instead of three, listen to that. That’s going to prevent you from getting injured.
And just be sure to incorporate recovery: icing, massages, all those things that you have to do aside from the work itself. Because the training is ultimately breaking your body down; so you have to do those things to restore your body, to make sure you’re running safely and efficiently.
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Courtesy of Performix
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