Most sprint drills isolate parts of the sprint cycle. A-skips, butt...
Fred Duncan@Fred__Duncan
118 views
Jan 04, 2026
~2 min read
Advertisement
1
Most sprint drills isolate parts of the sprint cycle.
A-skips, butt kick, etc
Each emphasizes something…posture, knee lift, rhythm, ground contact, but rarely do they start to link multiple pieces together.
That’s where the single leg cycle fits in.
A-skips, butt kick, etc
Each emphasizes something…posture, knee lift, rhythm, ground contact, but rarely do they start to link multiple pieces together.
That’s where the single leg cycle fits in.
0:21
2
At higher speeds, sprinting is less about simply producing more force and more about expressing force under extremely short time constraints, which requires rapid limb repositioning and preparation for ground contact.
3
Research on elite sprint mechanics consistently shows that faster athletes demonstrate very high angular velocities at the hip and knee during late swing, along with a rapid transition from recovery into stance.
In other words, they don’t waste time in the air…the
In other words, they don’t waste time in the air…the
4
swing leg is moving fast and arriving in position to apply force efficiently.
This single leg cycling drill starts to rehearse several of those elements at once
limb recovery speed
coordination of the swing and support phases
timing the transition from air to ground
This single leg cycling drill starts to rehearse several of those elements at once
limb recovery speed
coordination of the swing and support phases
timing the transition from air to ground
5
rhythm under increasing limb velocity
As athletes move faster, they tend to feel this drill more because the demands begin to resemble the temporal constraints of faster running. The limb has to move quickly, smoothly, and with intent.
As athletes move faster, they tend to feel this drill more because the demands begin to resemble the temporal constraints of faster running. The limb has to move quickly, smoothly, and with intent.
6
That said, drills always provide indirect transfer to sprinting. Not direct.
Direct transfer only happens when you can closely match the bioenergetic demands, the biodynamic structure, and the motor pattern of the actual task. For max velocity sprinting, the only way to
Direct transfer only happens when you can closely match the bioenergetic demands, the biodynamic structure, and the motor pattern of the actual task. For max velocity sprinting, the only way to
7
do that is to sprint at fast speeds.
So this isn’t a replacement for sprinting.
It’s a preparation tool.
A teaching tool.
A way to introduce athletes to higher limb velocities.
So this isn’t a replacement for sprinting.
It’s a preparation tool.
A teaching tool.
A way to introduce athletes to higher limb velocities.
8
This is exactly how we use drills…to prepare the body/tissue and create a feeling for the athlete.
If you want to see how all of this is tied together, sprinting, lifting, jumping, plyometrics, and fitness, that’s what Speed Kills is built around. It’s my most
If you want to see how all of this is tied together, sprinting, lifting, jumping, plyometrics, and fitness, that’s what Speed Kills is built around. It’s my most
9
complete resource on how speed is actually developed.
And if you’re looking for something more hybrid, StrengthxSpeed just dropped this week, an eight-week program designed to help you get stronger, build muscle, move better, and start training speed intentionally.
And if you’re looking for something more hybrid, StrengthxSpeed just dropped this week, an eight-week program designed to help you get stronger, build muscle, move better, and start training speed intentionally.