How to make sprinting strides longer!?

Question

i take really dinky steps and its not as easy as it sounds for me just to take longer steps.

What exericses can i do and other things to help me

my time is dramatically getting worse by each competition

and i dont care if people say that you can only go a certain speed i want to be good sooo please help with my strides!!

Answer 1

Try these two exercises:

1. Single Leg Hop - Jump forwards, aiming for distance, five or six times on one leg. Switch to the other leg.

2. Skipping - Explode off the ground, skipping as high as possible and minimizing time on the ground. Keep your thigh parallel with the ground. Skip for a bout 30 yards.

These long jumping plyometric exercises will increase your stride and running speed.

Answer 2

The length of your stride is determined behind you, not in front.

Besides getting stronger so you push off with more power you can work on the dynamics of running.

A good warm up drill is to do long steps. Reach out while pushing off, step forward, making sure that your foot is below the knee, not in front of the knee.

Keep your arms active so that they are moving as they would when you are running.

This helps stretch out your muscles so you  are not restricted.

Walk for about 20 meters, 4 times.

You will notice that your stride gets longer, and you do not need as many steps to complete the 20 meters.

When running do not extend your foot in front of your body, this will slow you down, not help your speed.

Doing weights, plyometrics, and running stadium bleachers or stairs will improve your power.

Answer 3

You WANT small strides, the bigger the stide, the longer the body is in the air, and while you are in the air, you are SLOWING DOWN

Answer 4

stretches before to loosen up.

or like you were saying, just stretch your stride, but i think at a certain point though, your body can only go so far and then you might get slower b/c you're trying to reach too far.

for speed work on agility and making your feet move quicker and also lift your legs for sprinting such as squats to strengthen and improve burst of speed and explosions.

Answer 5

just make sure that you have a good ratio of stride length to stride frequency. everyone has a certain ratio that is best for them. just be sure that increasing your stride doesn't reduce the frequency of it. stretching also helps but don't overstretch... sprinters need someone "Springyness" to their step. overstretching loosens up the muscle too much. also landing your foot too far in front of your body reduces speed while placing unnecessary strain on your muscles leading to tears. so your foot should generally land under near  your body as you run. watch some videos on youtube and you'll see what i mean. even though they are sprinting fast... the fact that their feet land near to their body allows them to recover quickly to take the next step.

now for your stride try this:

Feet: dorsiflexed and you are running on the balls of your feet

Legs: think of your legs as a piston... with each step you are driving up and over the knee of the opposite leg. exaggerate this during practice but during the race just run... it will eventually become natural. limit backside mechanics meaning your legs should extend too far back while running. this will limit your speed.

*practice this walking before you start running: put your hands on your hips practice getting your foot over the knee of the opposite leg while still landing the foot under your center of gravity (no farther than 1-1.5 feet from your body)

use this form and you'll maximize the efficiency from your stride.

other tips:

remember that every action has an opposite reaction. what does this mean pertaining to track? the more powerful your steps (piston motion), the harder your pushing off the ground, the faster you are propelled. but remember to use the balls of your feet because running flat-footed with  power is a recipe for disaster.