Maximize Your Sprinting Speed: The Importance of Proper Arm Action

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Are you looking to boost your sprinting speed and efficiency? In this video, Coach Harnden covers the importance of proper arm action during sprinting and how it can impact your performance. You'll learn about the optimal position for your arms based on your individual strength level, as well as why extending your arms past your body during the swing phase can actually slow you down.
Proper arm strike and movement can help reduce ground contact time and improve your overall speed. By mastering these techniques, you can take your sprinting to the next level and leave your competition in the dust.
Athlete insight section features olympian Warren Fraser talking about how developing patience leads to developing better technique.
0:00 Introduction
0:13 ARM ACTION SPRINTING TECHNIQUE
1:26 ISSUES WITH FULL ARM EXTENSION
2:36 ATHLETE INSIGHT PATIENCE & DEVELOPING TECHNIQUE

[@musaj1346]

this is my first year doing track but imma be a great one day

[@leah1561]

you can make it your first great year and show the coaches you have potential.

[@isaiahomarihill8736]

Keep pushing, I’ll see you

[@siddhantroy9066]

fuck yeah pop off this year my guy

[@binayakbarman4966]

Not greater than me for sure😉

[@rithirithika1947]

@@leah1561 ppp

[@maxabah7904]

I am trying to better my sprint technique and one issue I identified was with the full-arm extension. I am pretty fast but I am getting to an age (teen years) where people are gaining on me so this really helped me identify what to work on as I try to get faster. I am a footballer and something I realized is a lot of footballers don't have great sprinting technique so I am just trying to get any type of edge I can.

[@tanishkasaxena13]

I was the slowest sprinter among my friends now I the FASTEST....Thank You Love from India

[@OutperformOfficial]

Awesome Tanishka!

[@akashpratapsinghrathore2716]

I'm also from India......how you become fast??

[@lukarankovic3970]

I will mention you once when I go to the Olympics!

[@OutperformOfficial]

Heck yeah Luka!

[@Aj2030]

I may beat you to it ;-) sprint 100m Kenya

[@lukarankovic3970]

See you soon! 100m Serbia

[@quaxky326]

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[@macleishroy8732]

Am also here , 100m 200m 4x100m sprints great Britain 😎

[@rosanocavichioli4908]

Show ! Fantástico! Vejo que voltaram com força.

[@martinez7899]

Greetings from Venezuela Your videos are my good explain things that don't explain the coaches 👍👍

[@kathleenadams7589]

I’m using this for football thank you

[@navneetkaur9416]

Thank you for making video's for us!

[@OutperformOfficial]

Glad you like them!

[@adarshmahato7751]

Thank you sir

[@lkmens9281]

Can you make a video about workouts for sprinters while teaching techniques

[@OutperformOfficial]

We're developing a complete sprinting master class that has detailed workouts and technique that should be available in November. We'll also be posting more sprint videos to YT in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

[@Ashish-pn7zl]

Can you guys make a series on how begginers will start sprinting?

[@abhinavjayakrishna4592]

Because of you i won the state meet

[@OutperformOfficial]

Wow, that is awesome, congratulations!

[@LEOFADS]

Great video

[@OutperformOfficial]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jayshaw7178]

Wish I could train with you guys

[@user-vk5ws3jl1l]

After learning the basics, at some point you got to develop your own style. What works for one athlete doesnt necessary works for all. Correcting my arms made the same speed on the mill feel slower for me. I learn as a go, its important to keep going.

[@ashishsalunkhe578]

First coach who has not his tummy talking

[@kten9005]

can i buy some thing to become a sprinter?? because i cant find a good coach nearby.

[@youngguysprinter3822]

Thanx

[@OutperformOfficial]

👍

[@kylehorne6614]

Thanks for this. Although, if you go frame by frame on your athletes, doesn't his arm fully extend mid cycle? I see it is 90 degrees at beginning and end, but the middle is fully extended. Is that ok in your eyes?

[@OutperformOfficial]

Hi Kyle, good observation. Short answer is yes. The most important element is that the arm is close to 90° in the back to shorten the lever when moving forward. The angles will be a bit different from athlete to athlete and even throughout the race. During the start the angles are bigger to help with acceleration and tend to shorten during the max velocity phase. Being fluid and not tight, driving back with the elbow to generate power and not swinging a fully extended arm forward are the primary goals.

[@kylehorne6614]

@@OutperformOfficial Got it - makes sense. Thank you!

[@uclagymnastx-ing]

@@OutperformOfficial Joel Smith, an NCAA Division 1 strength coach, also points out how the arm swing doesn't maintain a 90 degree bend throughout, and discourages the seated arm swing drill that we commonly do in gymnastics. I had to rethink how I was teaching young gymnasts sprinting mechanics. When I watched Usain Bolt race other top sprinters in slow motion, their arms indeed straighten out through the bottom by the hip, and go back to 90 degree bend (or greater) in the front and back.

[@jameswittmann1608]

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[@koreisnik9096]

Nice video! Can you make video about 200m technique if you did not make yet?

[@OutperformOfficial]

Thanks! Hopefully we'll be filming 200m videos next year once things start opening up.

[@mossiahcreatordesigner.5366]

Shoes change! Orange/ black!

[@bobbymcgee1179]

What's the song in the beginning? It's 🔥🔥🔥

[@ericklein435]

This is great but don't you think his arm angle changes throughout the action. Even as it's slowed down you kinda see 100 in the back and more like 80 in the front. Kinda what I was looking for in terms of an example. Am I wrong in seeing/thinking this?

[@OutperformOfficial]

You are correct. All athletes will vary a bit in their technique, even throughout the sprint. 90 is a good starting point. The key takeaway is making sure the arm action is fast and linear and doesn't slow down the lower body.

[@fj3571]

At the beginning you say that one may not be strong enough to maintain the short lever arm. What muscles is this controlled by and how do you develop them?

[@OutperformOfficial]

Functional strength is what is important here i.e. you might be able to bench 315 lbs but that strength won't necessarily carry over to the track. Whole body exercises like power cleans, snatches, med ball work etc. that require explosiveness are key. You also have to focus on deep core and stability work. Upper body strength is also important for the short lever so weighted pull ups, push presses etc. will all help.

[@fj3571]

@@OutperformOfficial thanks

[@Drawil00]

what if the athlete has poor range of movement in shoulder? During the posterior waving with the arm reaching the full extension

[@Messup7654]

You need to stretch the shoulder joint then and strengthen it when it’s flexibly enough

[@Greg-rj5wi]

Hi outperform I want to know should you attack down edt extend your arm behind quickly. or push in rhythm with the legs, which means gently?

[@OutperformOfficial]

It's best to focus on rhythm and coordination between your arms and legs. A smooth, rhythmic arm action that complements your leg movement is key, rather than forcefully extending your arms. This synchronization helps maintain balance and efficiency in your stride.

[@kuldeepsinghbhati433]

Sir iam from india (rajasthan) please sir increse runing speed exercise and workout

[@quaxky326]

0:43 I took that personally :(

[@Hamza_aur]

Coach thoughts on engaging/flexing the lat when sprinting? For stability and keeping arm “locked in place”. Kinda like a lat spread.

[@OutperformOfficial]

Interesting, I think for most athletes that might translate into unnecessary upper body tension however it might work for some athletes?

[@Hamza_aur]

I agree, I think it helps with keeping shoulders stacked and straight.

[@denniperez8028]

How do u swing your arms during the first 3 steps? Forwards and backwards, forwards or just backwards?

[@OutperformOfficial]

Arms should always move with the legs so forwards and backwards.

[@chinocoffee9565]

Doesn't first step need straighter back arm to provide more power due to longer leverage?

[@OutperformOfficial]

Straighter arm in back results in a slower movement to the front with less power. Slower arms = slower legs. However athletes that develop less power can use a wide arm sweep if needed.

[@notyouraveragejoe2777]

What workouts should I do to keep my arms 90 in drive phase

[@OutperformOfficial]

There aren't really any specific workouts, you could do a seated drill for ~30 seconds where you focus on arm movement. The best way to develop good arm action is through all of the drills (i.e. focus on the arms and make sure they are correct during A-Skips, accelerations etc.). The goal is for the technique to become automatic which is accomplished through reps.

[@notyouraveragejoe2777]

@@OutperformOfficial thank you

[@notyouraveragejoe2777]

@@OutperformOfficial do plyometrics increase power output

[@gtrance3567]

I have a child in soccer who has always sprinted with his left elbow way out, and pumping side to side. I cannot get him to correct the form. Any ideas?

[@OutperformOfficial]

The best approach to solving technique issues like arm movement, posture etc. is through drills that train the nervous system vs having the athlete consciously try and correct it. As soon as they get into a game situation athletes revert to subconscious movement patterns. There are static arm movement drills you can do. A Skips and A Marches (starting with arms overhead can actually help). We just released a new course for soccer players that has tons of great drills for that type of issue kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKq9m5Zmg7yIe8U

[@gtrance3567]

Thank you’

[@prathameshbasurtekar1918]

In which centre this video shots?

[@OutperformOfficial]

University of Tennessee

[@Thakur-vlog-009]

❤️😍

[@tshelby8210]

Anybody please help me i have a physical event in 1 month and i have to run 100 mtrs under 14 sec and right now my time is 15 sc please help me to improve this

[@KF-nr2th]

My Online Physical Educational Class Teacher showed us this video Lol

[@OutperformOfficial]

Sounds like a good teacher!

[@mostlysanetrader]

We should practise in shorts right ??

[@OutperformOfficial]

whatever you feel comfortable with, for top speed work and competition yes

[@RJ_TheeGreat]

I've been told that arm strength isn't needed to run the 100m and 200m. Why do some coaches believe this and some don't?

[@OutperformOfficial]

I can't speak to why some coaches don't think that arm strength is important for sprinting because it certainly is. Look at world class sprinters and notice their arms, they look a lot different than say 1500 meter runners. Sprinting is a power event that utilizes the entire body.

[@immnico]

@@OutperformOfficial shoulders are more important than arms in my opinion

[@OutperformOfficial]

@@immnico Remember that the body works as a system. If you have strong shoulders and weak arms you'll have issues, the opposite is also true. Great sprinters are balanced.

[@immnico]

@@OutperformOfficial you are right but If I had to I would pick stronger shoulders over stronger arms

[@nicolecoutinho528]

@@immnico and I truly agree with you ... shoulder over arms

[@omaribishop5409]

why didnt I come earlier?😭😭😭

[@MohdHashmiBaloch]

(मो. हाशमी बलूच पठान) सुपर

[@rebel7850]

mannequin challenge on point

[@OutperformOfficial]

haha

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💪💪👍💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@youngguysprinter3822]

But shouldn't we pump our arms

[@OutperformOfficial]

Absolutely! Check out this video on arm action kzbin.info/www/bejne/anPFl6ivq9Bgmck

[@mikegatawa7958]

Why don't you join athletics?

[@AnkitYadav-he9un]

100m workout

[@samet.tasknn]

Please Turkish translate

[@edwisongogo6326]

WTF

[@y3m146]

Jesus is coming, Read the Word of God to know more

[@kastriot8675]

Jesus (peace be upon him) is not God. He didnt know when the Hour is, only the father does. There are many more verses in your own Bible that prove that Jesus (peace be upon him) was merely a prophet of God

[@crazylongjumper95]

Sprinting is all about hard workouts aimed to developing strength and a proper technique, and being patience. Stop.

[@OutperformOfficial]

I would add listening to your body (knowing when to go hard and when to recover) and most importantly enjoying the process and sport.

[@Gachajynxie_jade]

I hate sports 🙄😵

[@TheArpitathantri]

Then go study

[@prajaktapatil4476]

Thanks sir

[@OutperformOfficial]

Welcome!