If you're an athlete, running faster should be a
MAJOR goal of your training...

...yet I find one of the most "undertrained" aspects of sprint
traning that is the movement of returning your leg back in
front of your body for the next stride...hip flexion, in other words.

Hip flexion gets a bad rap, though, as people (athletes included)
have gotten so concerned about not overworking the hip flexors
when performing abdominal training. The hip flexors get
neglected to large extent.

But if you want to run faster, neglecting your hip flexors
is a HUGE mistake.

That's where THIS exercise comes into play...Explosive Band Knee-Ups.

You see, one of the biggest factors in running speed is the ability to get
your leg back in front of you as quickly and explosively as possible.

This exercise, in addition to training the abs, hits the hip flexors with
explosive training, which is VERY effective for improving leg speed.

You'll need a good set of training bands to do this one (click here
to see my recommended online store, if you want to get some).


How To Do Explosive Band Knee-Ups:

To perform this exercise, you'll need two bands. I like to use
reasonably thick bands to get a really powerful movement.

Attach one band to something low and behind you while
attaching the other band to something higher up and in front
of you.

I use a cable cross-over machine (not attaching to the cables
but using the frame of the machine). I attach the low band to
one upright and the high band to the cross-beam on the other end.

Step inside the band with your right leg then pull the band up
so that it's just above your left knee.





Grab the band with boths hands. Now, with an explosive
movement, drive your knee up as high as you can while
bringing your arms down as hard as you can.





Do this as FAST and as powerfully as you can for 8 to
10 reps. You should just barely touch the floor with your
left foot before popping back up into the next rep.

When your explosiveness starts to fade, switch the low
band to the other knee and repeat.

To keep things balanced, on the next set, start with your RIGHT
knee and finish with your left. Perform 4 to 6 sets of this
movement, at the start of your abdominal training (explosive
exercises should always be trained FIRST).

Bottom Line:

Training this exercise regularly can have a BIG impact on your
running speed.

It's easy to set up and perform and won't cut into your recovery
ability hardly at all...yet, it's potential for increasing your leg
speed and, therefore, your running speed, makes it a GREAT
exercise to include in your training.

If you're an athlete or sprinter and you give this one a try, let me
know how you like it and if it helped you improve! I'm always
interested in feedback!

---

Sprint training is a GREAT way to get lean
while keeping muscle mass and strength.

But there's a lot more to it than just running as fast as you can...

When you know how to use a technique called "manipulated
rest periods" properly, you'll be able to train effectively and
lose fat with sprints without injury or exhaustion.

How to train (and get lean) like a sprinter without killing yourself...

Enjoy!