General Warm-Up Drills:

Forward Lunge - Begin in a standing position, toes behind the line and hands clasped behind the head.  Talking as long of a step as possible, lunge out with either leg.  Keeping your eyes up and chest tall, drop down until the back leg's knee is slightly off the ground.  From this bottom position, rise up and lunge out as far as possible with the opposite leg.  Alternate in this fashion until you have reached the designated distance.

       

Movement Shuffle - Begin this drill standing sideways to the line with your right foot behind the line.  Drop down into a squat position and move laterally by taking a lead step with the right foot and then a recovery step with the left foot.  Be sure to stay low for the entire designated distance.  Repeat the drill in the opposite direction moving laterally to the left.  If you do this exercise appropriately you will feel a slight burn in your legs.  That is not a sign of doing anything wrong, it just means your legs did some work.

Marching A's - Begin in a standing position with your toes behind the line.  Start this drill by bringing one leg up so that your knee is parallel with your hip.  Walk in an alternating pattern, right knee up/left knee up/right knee up/etc for the designated distance.  During this drill it is important to stand tall throughout.  When you bring your right leg up, swing your left arm forward and allow you elbow to bend so your hand ends up level with your chin.  The opposite will happen when you bring your left leg up - your right hand should be level with your chin.

   

Butt Kicks - Begin in a standing position with your toes behind the line.  Start this drill by aggressively swinging your heel behind your body towards your buttocks.  Alternate this movement pattern between your right and left legs for the designated distance.  Movement speed should increase with this drill so try to move through the range of motion as quickly as possible while maintaining control.

   

High Knee Carioca - Begin by standing sideways with your right foot behind the line.  Step laterally with the right leg, perform a high knee cross-over step with the left leg, take a recovery step with the right leg, and then a rear cross-behind step with the left leg.  Repeat the drill in the opposite direction moving laterally to the left.

       

Backward Run - Begin this drill in the standing position with your back facing the direction you will be moving and your heels behind the line.  Perform the running motion but in a backwards position.  Kick the heel of your leg leg up and reach back as if stepping backward.  Reach out as far as possible with each step alternating between right and left legs.  Perform this drill for the designated distance.

           

Accelerate - Begin in the standing position or sprinters start with your feel or hand behind the line.  you will begin running at a slower pace and accelerate throughout the designated distance.  Continually run faster until you reach about 75% of your maximal running speed.  Once you achieve this pace, hold it until you finish.