You can purchase a lot of equipment to increase your work capacity and recovery time, but one of the best ways to get into the best cardiovascular shape of your life is simply to sprint. It does not cost you anything and the benefits are countless. To get started on this 8-week conditioning program, you really only need two things:

1. Open space to sprint
2. Effort

First, let’s take a look at the benefits of sprinting.

• Sprinting helps the body to better tolerate the lactic accumulation that takes place during anaerobic activity.
• This allows the body to become less fatigued during intense exercise.
• Sprinting increases your energy storage capacity allowing you to train harder and longer.
• Sprinting improves your general aerobic conditioning, and it also allows you to work at a higher intensity for longer periods of time without fatigue.


Invicta FC fighter Shayna Bazler exploding to
max speed.

If you are an athlete, everything that you gain from sprinting is a positive: your body becomes more efficient, your work capacity increases, and your overall conditioning improves. So let’s take a look at how we would set up an 8-week sprinting program.

First we want to make sure that we are progressing, making the workout more challenging as we move along. Second, we want to add in variety and maximize the benefits of sprinting. Third, we want to make sure that we do not over train and start getting negative results.

This program can be used by itself or with your strength and power training.
I like to break my sprint/conditioning down into three different categories.

1. Max Effort Straight Ahead Speed
2. Max Effort Change of Direction
3. Volume

Each of these days will require different work to rest ratios to maximize sprinting benefits.

• On max effort days when you are running 20 yards or less yards, use a 1:1 work to rest ratio
• On max effort days when you are running 20-40 yards, use a 1:2 work to rest ratio
• On max effort days when you are running 40+ Yards, use a 1:3 work to rest ratio
• On volume day, I typically like to use a 1:1 because I like to force the body to work even when it is tired. This type of running is always done on the last training day of the week.

I will take each one of these categories and work on them on one specific day. The program is laid out as follows.

• All sprints will start from a sprinter’s stance, focusing on exploding out and getting to max speed as quickly as possible.
• Jump starts are from a standing position; jump into the air and land with your feet in a staggered position, explode out as soon as your feet touch the ground.
• Get-up sprints are started with your chest flat on the ground; get to your feet as fast as possible and explode out into your sprint.



UFC fighter Pat Barry at the start position for the pop sprint. Pat Barry’s
pop sprint explosion

Week 1

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

• 10 X 10 yard Sprints (Work to Rest 1:1)
• 6 X 100 yard Sprints (Work to Rest 1:3)
• 10 X 10 yard Sprints (Work to Rest 1:1)

Workout 2: Change of Direction

• 5 -10 -5 (40 Yard shuttle) (Work to Rest 1:2)
• 8 Reps - 1 minute break – 8 Reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 12 X 100 yard sprints (Work to Rest 1:1)

Week 2

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

• 10 X 10 yard sprints (1:1)
• 8 X 20 yard sprints (1:1)
• 6 X 40 yard sprints (1:2)
• 4 X 80 yard sprints (1:3)
• 2 X 100 yard sprints (1:3)
Workout 2: Change of Direction

• Box (sprint, bear crawl, back pedal, bear crawl) (1:2)
• 8 Reps - 1 minute break – 8 Reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 8 X 200 yard sprints (1:1)

Week 3

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

Jump Start

• 10 X 10 yard Sprints (1:1)

Jump Start

• 10 X 20 yard Sprints (1:1)
• 6 X 100 yard Sprints (1:3)
• 400 yard shuttle (20 back – 40 back – 60 back – 80 back)

Workout 2: Change of Direction

• T drill (30 yard shuffle) (sprint, shuffle, shuffle, pack pedal) (1:2)
• 8 reps - 1 minute break – 8 reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 14 X 100 yard sprints (1:1)

Week 4

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

Get Up Sprints

• 10 X 10 yard sprints (1:1)
• 9 X 20 yard sprints (1:1)
• 8 X 30 yard sprints (1:2)
• 4 X 200 yards sprints (1:3)

Workout 2: Change of Direction

• 60 yard shuttle (5 -10 -15) (1:3)
• 8 reps - 1 minute break – 8 reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 10 X 200 Yard Sprints (1:1)

Week 5

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

• 12 X 10 yard Sprints (1:1)
• 8 X 100 yard Sprints (1:3)
• 12 X 10 yard Sprints (1:1)

Workout 2: Change of Direction

• 5 -10 -5 (40 Yard shuttle) (1:2)
• 10 reps - 1 minute break – 10 reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 16 X 100 yard sprints (1:1)

Week 6

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

• 12 X 10 yard sprints (1:1)
• 10 X 20 yard sprints (1:1)
• 8 X 40 yard sprints (1:2)
• 6 X 80 yard sprints (1:3)
• 2 X 100 yard sprints (1:3)

Workout 2: Change of Direction

• Box (sprint, bear crawl, back pedal, bear crawl) (1:2)
• 10 reps - 1 minute break – 10 reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 12 X 200 yard sprints (1:1)

Week 7

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

Jump Start

• 12 X 10 yard Sprints (1:1)

Jump Start

• 12 X 20 yard Sprints (1:1)
• 8 X 100 yard Sprints (1:3)
• 400 yard shuttle (20 back – 40 back – 60 back – 80 back)

Workout 2: Change of Direction

• T drill (30 yard shuffle) (sprint, shuffle, shuffle, pack pedal) (1:2)
• 10 X reps - 1 minute break – 10 reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 18 X 100 yard sprints (1:1)

Week 8

Workout 1: Straight Ahead Speed

Get Up Sprints

• 12 – 10 yard sprints (1:1)
• 10 – 20 yard sprints (1:1)
• 9 – 30 yard sprints (1:2)
• 4 – 200 yards sprints (1:3)

Workout 2: Change of Direction

• 60 yard shuttle (5 -10 -15) (1:3)
• 10 reps - 1 minute break – 10 reps

Workout 3: Volume

• 14 – 200 yard sprints (1:3)

Horsepower Strength & Conditioning Change of Direction Diagrams

COD * 5-10-5 * 20 Yard Shuttle
5 yards 5 yards



• Sprint 5 yards, Sprint back to start, Sprint 10 yards, Sprint back to start, Sprint 5 yards, Sprint back to start.

COD Box Drill




• Start and Finish at the Star.
• Cones are all 10 Yards Apart.
• Sprint to first cone, Bear crawl to second cone, back pedal to third cone, Bear crawl to finish.

30 Yard T Drill




Create a T with 4 cones; all cones should be 5 yards apart. Start at the first cone, Sprint to the cone in the middle, shuffle right to far cone, shuffle all the way to the left, shuffle back to middle cone, back pedal through finish.

COD * 60 Yard Shuttle * 5-10-15




Sprint five yards and back, sprint 10 yards and back, and sprint 15 yards and back.