Coaches on various levels are trying to find the latest workouts to improve strength and speed in their athletes. Off-season football is the time of year when football players are going through a very strenuous workout to increase their strength and speed. This is also the time when athletes are being tested in their strength, speed, and agility.
One of the popular tests of speed for football players is the 40-yard dash. During my coaching career, I had the privilege of timing athletes in the 40-yard dash and shuttle run at the Army All Star Football Combine in San Antonio, Texas. During this combine, I noticed that several high school football players weren’t utilizing the proper technique in the 40-yard dash and their times were slower at the combine than when they were timed at their school. This encouraged me to write this article on the proper sprinting technique of the 40-yard dash in order to run a fast time.
The 40-yard dash is 120 feet and is a test of explosiveness and acceleration. This article will briefly touch on strength training exercises beneficial to increasing strength and power. There is a myth that if you aren’t born with the right genetics, you will never be fast. This is true to some extent, but genetics is a factor in everything. Learning the proper sprinting mechanics is a skill, and a skill can be learned.
There are two common starts used by athletes today in the 40-yard dash—the bunch start and the block start.
Bunch start
This start is called the bunch start because the athlete tries to get his body position as close to the line as possible thinking that this will improve his time. However, he’s mistaken. Athletes using the bunch start will find that they have placed their body in a poor position because the flexion in the hips and knees is too high. On the start of the race, their body will shoot upward, which causes the body to stand up straight. The bunch start eliminates leg power and triple extension in the hip, knee, and ankle, which is key for leg explosion out of the start.
Block start
This start is called the block start because the athlete positions himself too far behind the starting line, and in some cases, the back leg is one to two yards behind the line as if he were using the starting blocks. The athlete also has poor arm position because the arm is extended in the air. If you’re timing the 40-yard dash properly, once the arm moves, the clock will start. This will cost you valuable tenths of a second or even a second just trying to get out of the stance.
Proper start
1. The drive leg should be up front with the toes four to six inches from the starting line.
2. The rear leg (quick side) should be six inches apart from the drive leg.
3. The toes of the rear leg (quick side) should be aligned with the heels of the drive leg.
4. The back should be flat with the head down and the chin tucked.
5. The arm on the rear leg (quick side) should be down on the line resting its weight on the fingers.
6. The athlete’s arm should be bent at a 90-degree angle on his drive leg.
7. The hand should be opened.
8. The athlete should be on the balls of his feet.
9. The toes should be pointing in a straight line.
The first step
The first step of the 40-yard dash is very important. It shouldn’t be short and choppy or too long of a step. If the step is too long, the athlete could be reaching, and this will prevent the athlete from landing with the proper foot placement, which will prevent him from putting force into the ground.
1. Before taking the first step, the athlete should inhale and hold his breath. This will help the athlete generate more power and be more explosive out of the start.
2. The first step should be a long step with the quick leg (remember not to reach).
3. The drive leg should have a triple extension at the hip, knee, and ankle during the push off out of the stance.
4. The athlete should have a forceful arm drive.
5. The head and chin should be tucked and in a straight line with the torso with the eyes looking a few feet in front.
6. The athlete’s body should be at a forward lean displacing his center of gravity in the direction that he is sprinting.
Acceleration phase, 1–20 yards
1. The athlete must have long, powerful strides.
2. The athlete should have a full arm swing at 90–140 degrees.
3. The athlete should have proper foot contact. The foot should land directly under the hips. If the athlete’s foot lands too far in front of the athlete, it will decelerate the athlete.
4. When the foot makes contact with the ground, the athlete should tear away at the track while putting force into the ground.
5. The athlete should feel like he is falling down. His center of gravity should be over the base of support.
6. The athlete’s head should be down with his eyes looking out in front of him.
Transition phase, 20–40 yards
1. The athlete should transition his body by bringing up the head from the tucked to the up position.
2. Once the athlete transitions to the up position, he must maintain an erect torso and keep his hips in proper position.
3. The athlete should continue to use a full arm swing at 90–140 degrees.
4. The athlete’s shoulders should be down, and he should be relaxed.
5. Proper recovery leg mechanics should be used in the transition phase. The drive leg should be fully extended with an extension in the hips, knees, and ankle. The recovery leg will be shortened as it goes over the knee of the drive leg. This, in return, creates a shorter lever with the recovery leg landing under the hip. (Remember, if the athlete’s foot lands anywhere in front of the center of gravity, this will cause breaking forces and will decelerate the athlete.)
6. This is the portion of the race where the rate of force development takes place by increasing stride length and stride frequency. The athlete’s ankle should remain in a dorsiflexed position upon ground contact time.
7. Upon ground contact time with the foot, the athlete should drive the foot down under his hip and place force into the ground.
8. The athlete should concentrate on tearing away at the track by using a clawing motion and return the leg quickly to the recovery position utilizing the recovery mechanics.
9. The athlete should keep his eyes focused ahead and run all the way through. Coaches call this the conversational plane.
Tremendous strength in the gluteus, legs, and calves are keys to having a good time in the 40-yard dash. In order to achieve this strength, I recommend the following basic, explosive lifts. Please remember that your athlete should be in the power and strength phase of his training cycle prior to testing. Doing high reps and trying to put on muscle mass will not benefit the athlete prior to testing.
First day
Bench presses, 3 X 4
Push presses, 3 x 4
Push jerks, 3 X 4
Standing calve raises, 3 X 15 (toes inward, outward, and straight ahead)
Second day
Power cleans, 3 X 3
Back squats, 3 X 3
Pause squats, 3 X 4
Allow a few days of rest after doing these exercises before testing the 40-yard dash because it usually takes 48 hours for the athlete to feel the soreness (delayed onset muscle soreness). Though the push press, jerk, power clean, and snatch aren’t listed here, they are great exercises for triple extension in the hips, knee, and ankle.
Special thanks to coach Daniel Gutierrez for all of his extra help and assistance.