The first time usually I ask an athlete or one of my speed & agility students run backwards, they look at me with a lost wonder, but this is a drill commonly used by some of the fastest sprinters in the world.

Running backwards is an excellent way to increase speed and lower the risks of injury. To appropriately work towards 360° muscle memory and efficiency, the athlete should be encouraged to run as fast as possible backwards while maintaining all of the proper running fundamentals and control when running forwards.

Common sense comes into play as you should not start off with a full sprint. Warm up just like you would if you were running conventional sprints. Once warm, run 5-10 reps at a 40-60 foot distance backwards approximately twice a week in conjunction with your running or speed and agility program.

Running backwards reduces risk of hamstring pulls and places a unique stimulus on the hamstrings, which are key for running speed.

In a short period of time, you will start to notice a more agile, explosive athlete. In a future article, I will discuss how running down hill also adds to the opportunity to maximize the ability of increasing an individual’s speed.

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