Why Mixing Up Your Sprint Workouts May Boost Speed & Agility More Than Repetition
If you have been trying to approve your speed and agility, but your same sprint workout doesn't seem to be making a difference, then listen up.
New research1 shows repetition of sprint workouts—same distance, same rest, same straight line—are not the most effective way to make progress. Varying your sprints could actually build more speed and agility than sticking to a repetitive routine.
What the research found
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis compared two approaches to sprint training in team-sport athletes: linear repeated sprint training (LRST), where athletes repeat the same sprint distance and pattern, and non-linear repeated sprint training (NLRST), where sprint distances, directions, and rest periods are deliberately varied from session to session. Researchers pooled data from 13 studies involving 253 athletes to see which style delivered better results.
The analysis looked at several measures of athletic performance: short sprint time, change of direction ability, aerobic fitness, ability to maintain speed across multiple sprints, and counter movement jump, a measure of explosive jumping power.
Across the board, non-linear training came out ahead for most outcomes. Athletes who trained with varied sprint patterns saw better improvements in short sprint speed, change of direction, and aerobic fitness compared to those who trained with a fixed, repetitive pattern. The advantage of non-linear training was particularly strong when it came to improving the ability to maintain speed across multiple sprints, a skill important for many athletes.
The one place repetition still wins
Variety in sprint training didn't win across every category. When it came to counter movement jump, which is essentially translates to explosive vertical power, linear training had the edge. Athletes doing the same sprint pattern repeatedly saw better jump performance gains, especially in longer, higher-volume programs.
This makes sense when considering what each training style demands. Repeating the same sprint pattern allows your muscles to hone a very specific movement that may have more carry over to explosive power. On the other hand, constantly changing things up appears to build more adaptable, transferable speed and agility.
What this means for your training
If your goal is to get faster, more agile, and better at changing direction quickly (useful for most sports, plus everyday activities like pickup basketball, tennis, or chasing down a toddler) mixing up your sprint workouts appears to be the smarter bet. If explosive jumping power is your priority, sticking with a more consistent, repeated sprint pattern may serve you better.
It's also worth noting that these benefits were most pronounced in athletes who were already trained, and in programs with a higher volume of sprint sessions. Most of the participants in the study were soccer players, and the samples were predominantly male. So, while the findings are promising, they may not translate perfectly to every sport or to female athletes. However, they still show a pattern of how sprint training affects different athletic faculties, meaning it's worth testing out even if you're not a male soccer player.
How to build sprint variety into your workouts
If you want to see how adding more variation to your sprint sessions can improve your speed and agility, here are some ways to get started:
- Change your distances. Instead of running the same 40-yard sprint every time, mix in shorter bursts (10-20 yards) and longer ones (60-100 yards) within the same session or across the week.
- Add direction changes. Incorporate shuttle runs, zigzag patterns, or sprints that require you to cut and pivot, rather than only running in a straight line.
- Vary your rest periods. Instead of resting the same amount of time between every sprint, alternate between shorter and longer recovery windows to challenge your body differently.
- Rotate your training surfaces or setups. Try sprinting on turf, track, or trails, or incorporate resisted sprints (like sled pushes) into the mix.
The takeaway
It may have been drilled into your brain that repeating the same sprint over and over is going to help improve your running, but this research shows that isn't necessarily the best strategy for building speed and agility. Mixing up your distances, directions, and rest periods may be the more effective training approach, while sticking to a consistent pattern still has its place if explosive power is your main goal.
Matching your training style to your specific goal is the real key to getting the results you want.
