How to shuttle to develop speed and dexterity and avoid injury

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Many are familiar with the exercise since school days. But this does not mean that now it will be as easy.

What is shuttle running

Shuttle running is a type of running in which you quickly cover a short distance, usually about 10-50 meters, and then suddenly turn 180 ° and run in the opposite direction. And so several times.

Vladislav Norkin CSKA basketball team coach

The main difference between the "shuttle" and regular running in a straight line is the constant change of direction. Here the athlete must develop maximum speed, brake quickly, change direction and accelerate in exactly the opposite direction.

Many people have been familiar with this exercise since school days, since shuttle running tests are widely used to assess aerobic endurance - the ability to work at low intensity for a long time.

A fast shuttle sprint, like the American Strength and Conditioning Association 5-10-5 Test, is also used to test athletes' agility and power.

Why do the shuttle run

Shuttle running is very different from regular running in a straight line - both in terms of the load on the body and in the context of the skills that it develops.

Artyom Kuftyrev Master of Sports in track and field athletics, marathon runner, founder of the running school

Frequent changes in direction of movement are accompanied by an eccentric muscle regime, which significantly injures the muscle fibers. Therefore, fatigue builds up very quickly in shuttle running. In addition, you have to develop the starting speed several times, which is very energy-intensive and requires high-power efforts.

The combination of these factors makes shuttle running a very effective exercise for team and contact sports - football, basketball, tennis, boxing and others. In addition, it is present in the standards of the TRP and most law enforcement agencies.

CSKA basketball coach Vladislav Norkin explains that shuttle running is a base for basketball players, as there are many directional changes, braking and acceleration in this sport.

Vladislav himself regularly uses this exercise in the training of his players, usually in the process of pre-season training and in the long breaks between games.

Vladislav Norkin

Shuttle run develops starting speed, maximum speed over a short distance, braking and direction changes. Also, the shuttle is good at pumping speed-power endurance - the ability to develop maximum explosive power over a long period of time.

Thus, doing a shuttle run will teach you how to quickly run a short distance, quickly turn around and run in any other direction, work this way for a long time without exhaling or injuring your leg muscles.

Who doesn't need a shuttle run

If your sport or professional activity does not include very short sprints with sudden changes in direction, shuttle running does not make sense. Is that to prepare for the delivery of standards.

Vladislav Norkin

I do not see the point in using a different type of shuttle running for sprinters, since they have a different goal - a good powerful start and the development of maximum speed in a straight line.

The same can be said for amateur runners. If there is no goal to develop those abilities that I described earlier, then you do not have an urgent need for a "shuttle".

In addition, shuttle running is a rather traumatic exercise. Vladislav Norkin says that during a quick start and an abrupt stop with a change in direction, you can injure the muscles of the back of the thigh, Achilles tendons, ankle and knee joints.

People who are just starting to engage in jogging or team sports should approach this exercise with extreme caution. Without preliminary preparation, the risk of injury increases greatly.

How to prepare for your shuttle run

A warm-up is necessary before any workout, but when it comes to shuttle running, things get even more serious.

Vladislav Norkin

Every explosive workout needs to be taken seriously. It is not enough to twist your neck and ankle here. It is imperative to carry out a dynamic warm-up, prepare yourself for running, and only after that start training.

To begin with, do joint gymnastics: tilts and turns of the head and body, rotation in all joints 8-10 times in each direction. Then do a dynamic stretch. Choose 5-6 lower-body exercises from the article below and do each one for 30 seconds.

Vladislav Norkin is advised to include swinging legs forward, to the sides and back in the warm-up, as this movement will help prepare the hip flexors and extensors, as well as the adductor muscles.

After stretching in place, do the specific running exercises from the video below:

• overlap of the lower leg;
• raising the hip;
• straight legs;
• "Reindeer" running;
• "bike";
• lunges;
• mincing run;
• jumping out on one leg;
• jumping out on straight legs.

Perform one set of these exercises at a distance of 20-40 meters and you can move on to shuttle running.

How to properly shuttle run

How to take the starting position

Stand in front of the starting line, place the jogging leg slightly in front and transfer your body weight to it, and lift the heel behind the standing leg off the floor.

Bend the body with a straight back, bend your arms at the elbows and keep close to the body. Move the arm opposite to the jogging leg slightly forward.

From this position, you will start.

How to unfold

To learn how to turn without wasting time, first try a slow, short distance run with a sharp 180 ° turn at the end of the leg.

Run at a relaxed pace. One step before the line, rotate the foot into a right angle in the direction of the pivot.

Turn around and place your other foot in line to stop the rotation completely. Do not straighten up before starting to move in the opposite direction.

After the turn, push off the floor with your bent leg. In this case, the toe of the jogging foot should point in the direction where you are going to run.

Always turn over one shoulder, of the same name with the jogging leg. If at the start there is your left leg in front, you will take a stopping step from it and turn around on it.

Follow 4-6 of these lines.

When you have mastered a sharp turn after a slow run, try doing the same with a fast one. Take the starting position, run the segment at a speed close to maximum, and at the end, brake sharply and turn around, as in the previous exercise.

Run four of these without interruption, then rest for 90 seconds and repeat 2-3 more times.

How to choose your runs

There are many shuttle running options and the choice depends a lot on your goals and fitness level.

For beginners

Artyom Kuftyrev advises starting with the school standard, gradually increasing the number of cycles:

• Week 1.3 × 10 meters. Repeat the exercise 4-5 times, resting two minutes between sets.
• Week 2.5 × 10 meters. Do 4-5 series with a break of 2-2.5 minutes of rest between them.
• Week 3.7 × 10 meters. Perform 4 series with a break of two minutes in between.

Over time, you can increase the number of cycles, but do not decrease the rest between sets.

Artyom Kuftyrev

Rest between repetitions should be long enough - 90 seconds or more - to restore heart rate and stores of creatine phosphate, which is the main fuel for this type of work. Perform each rep with full dedication and maximum speed. And keep track of the run time of the series to track progress.

You can try other shuttle running options as you progress.

For advanced

Vladislav Norkin spoke about two types of shuttle running that he uses in his training.

Running 40 seconds

You mark 28 meters (the length of the basketball court), clock 40 seconds, and shuttle, counting the number of cycles. Vladislav says that during this time his students manage to overcome 7, 5-8 sites. If you decide to do more than one series of this exercise, remember to time your rest time.

Suicide runs

To try this variation, make the first mark at 9 meters (first penalty line on the basketball court), and then three more every 5 meters (center field, far penalty line, and opposite front line). Thus, the farthest will be at a distance of 28 meters from you.

First, run to the first mark and go back, then to the second and back, to the third and back, to the fourth and back. Then repeat from the beginning.

Do this timed run, for example in a 30/90 format, where you shuttle sprints for 30 seconds and rest for 90 seconds.

When and how often to shuttle

Since shuttle running is an explosive and high-speed movement, Artyom Kuftyrev advises to perform it in a "fresh" state - at the beginning of training.

Vladislav Norkin says that he most often uses shuttle running in warm-up, after running exercises, for final preparation for training and activation of the central nervous system.

In terms of training frequency, do not shuttle jogging every day.

Vladislav Norkin

Daily shuttles at maximum speed will do nothing good. Explosive work every day will not make you faster or harder. Rather, you will simply be injured due to fatigue and will not be able to continue training.

Do the shuttle run 1-3 times a week, with at least one rest day between the two sessions, to allow your muscles and nervous system to recover.