Improper Speed Training Got Me My First Varsity Letter

I was a freshman in high school looking to make an impression on our high school track team. I was a good long jumper and sprinter for my grade, but I needed to be more to have an impact for our varsity team as a freshman. In track, if you go to a pretty big invitational the team usually is allowed to take the top 2 for each individual event. I was the third best long jumper and high jumper. So I had the opportunity to score points at our dual meets during the week, but on the weekends it was a no-go unless it was a relay meet. Relay meets could have two or three jumpers allowed depending on how the meet was designed.

Early in our season, we had a relay meet at Watkins Memorial and I was allowed to go as the third jumper. Our number 2 jumper was a sophomore. Pretty built guy and had these huge tree trunks for legs. Really big quads. We were warming up, doing some build-ups when it happened. Our #2 guy pulled his hamstring doing some build up sprints. Pulled it bad. He was done for the rest of the season. He tried to comeback, but just re-injured it.

Thus, I got my opportunity to score enough points in meets to earn my first varsity letter as a freshman. I was pretty stoked. Not many freshman get to earn a letter.

Now, if our #2 jumper had learned to balance his strength training in his legs, he might not have pulled his hamstring and I might not have lettered. See, I mentioned that he had some big quads. His quads were probably a heck of a lot stronger than his hamstrings. Thus, when he was getting to top speed his quads were powering away, while his hammies were struggling to keep up until one popped. If he had added some hamstring work to his strength program that might not have happened.

Leg curls, romanian deadlifts, and one of my favorite exercises, the glute ham machine, will really help develop those hamstrings and keep you from pulling them. I have a great video you can watch on Youtube showing you this glute ham machine. Click here to check out that video and do the exercise if you get the opportunity.

I have another story I'll talk about later this week that relates to this subject. Until then, remember to hit those hamstrings as well in your leg program, if you want to get faster.