Crush the First 10 One of Benjamin’s favorite drills is the 10-meter blowout. “Just sprint as fast as you can for 10 meters,” he says. “But do it while being mechanically sound.” Keep your chest slightly forward and your core tight, and focus on aggressively driving your knees high with each stride. Do 5 sets, resting 90 seconds between each. Learn to love bounding To forge explosive strength, hone balance, and build the stabilizer muscles around his knees, ankles, and hips, Benjamin does bounding drills. “Start with both feet on the ground, then jump forward and then hop on one leg. Then explode off that one leg onto the other leg, then explode again off that leg and land.” You’re taking exaggerated sprint strides and forcing yourself to control each landing and takeoff on one foot. The 3 bounds equal 1 set; do 5 sets, with 90 seconds between each. Breathe Easy to go faster Yes, sprinting is intense and explosive, but if you want to get faster, you must be “in a relaxed state before you compete,” Benjamin says. That’s why he practices the 4-7-8 breathing method recommended by Andrew Weil, M.D. First he blows out all the air in his lungs, then he inhales through his nose for 4 seconds. He holds his breath for 7 seconds, then, through pursed lips, blows out that breath for 8 seconds.