Top 10 Tips for IPPT Training“Shuttle Run”

1. Learn Dynamic Warm-upsBefore doing any type of exercise , it’s important to warm up your body to reduce risk of injury or avoid it altogether. It will also help you get ready to sprint your best.

1. Do skips for 50m2. High knees for 50m3. Butt kicks for 50m4. Backward runs for 50m5. Leg swings front and back 10 times

Butt kick exercisePhoto sourced from carpenters.org

2. Walking LungesThis exercise works your gluteal muscles, hamstrings and quadriceps in order to build your leg strength. For beginners, do 3 sets of 10 repetition. To make it more challenging, add dumbbells and do the bicep curl as you go!1. Stand upright with both feet together2. Step one leg forward while keeping your elbows close to your body3. Lower your hips toward the floor and bend both knees at 90-degree angles. The back

knee should never touch the ground (as shown above) and your front knee should be directly over the ankle

4. Push off with the front foot and stand back up again to starting position

Photo sourced from workoutlabs.com

3. Full Body ExercisesDoing full body exercises encourages more muscle building, burns more calories and even reduces the chances of overtraining. It ensures that you get more fitness benefits in a single workout and you’ll more likely do fewer reps and rest longer as needed in between each set.

1. Spiderman push-ups2. Burpees3. Abdominal toe touchers

Spiderman push-up and abdominal toe-toucherPhoto sourced from tribesports.com and looklikeanathlete.com

4. Sprint trainingDevelop your sprint power by sprinting at least twice per week and time them. Challenge yourself by doing the same distance faster each time. Then increase the distance accordingly. Be sure to rest for 1.5 to 3 minutes in between sets. This will ensure you give maximum strength every time.

5. Linear & Lateral SprintsLinear sprints are basic sprinting in a straight line.

1. Linear W-sprint: focuses on change of direction training with front/back pedalling2. Lateral W-slide: combines lateral movement and quick change of direction, maintains

proper push-pull lateral mechanics3. Lateral W-sprint: incorporates sprints within lateral w-slides mechanics4. Figure-8: focuses on change of direction training

Photos sourced from thebaseballzone.web101.hubspot.com and bodybuilding.com

6. Pro Agility DrillThis exercise is aimed to increase your overall speed. It trains you to be more flexible at the hip so that you can turn faster when running back and forth. This helps to decrease your timing. There are also various ways to make the drill stricter and more challenging so that you’ll be ready for the test.

Photo sourced from media.vcstar.com

7. Cone DrillsDoing cone drills will help to build leg strength and develop your core muscles. The 3-Cone is designed to improve speed, flexibility and body control as it involves multiple changes of direction in a small space. It is also called the L-Drill because of the shape of the cone layout.

Photo sourced from americanfootballmonthly.com

8. Plyometric exercisesPlyometrics, also known as jump training, is a technique sprinters would need to do to increase muscular power and explosiveness. Also, your joints will thank you when you’re older as the exercises would help to protect them.

Examples of plyometric exercises would include power skipping, tuck jumps, alternate leg bounding, box jumps and vertical depth jump. These are also great for practising for the other IPPT station, the Standing Broad Jump.

Photo sourced from coachjohannes.blogspot.com

9. Fast FootworkJumping (work for 30s, rest for 30s) or Hopping (work for 15s, rest for 15s)1. Draw or make a line on a floor (e.g. using a piece of tape)2. Jump/hop forward and back3. Criss-cross back and forth over the line4. Jump/hop sideways over and back5. Stand in a spot, jump/hop to the left, up, right and back (in a square)6. Make a mark and use it as the centre of the jump/hop to the spots around it

Photo sourced from ittf.com

10. Ladder DrillsThese ladder drill exercises help to increase quickness as well as train your footwork. They also combine hip rotation which is useful for shuttle run.

1. In-Out-Up2. 1-step 3. Side Step4. Hops & Run5. Crossover Run

Photo sourced from youthfootballonline.com

6. Side straddle hop7. Carioca8. In & Out9. Centipede10. River Dance