The 40-yard dash is a key measure of speed and explosiveness, especially for quarterbacks. Improving your time requires a mix of technique, targeted drills, and strength training. Here’s what you need to know:
- Focus on the Start: Proper positioning and weight distribution (70% on the front leg) are critical for explosive acceleration.
- Master Acceleration: The first 10 yards are vital. Maintain a forward lean, quick steps, and strong arm swings.
- Drills That Work: Resistance sleds, hill sprints, and short sprint repetitions build power and refine mechanics.
- Strength Training: Squats, lunges, and core exercises enhance lower-body power and stability.
- Mobility Matters: Hip and ankle flexibility improve stride length and reduce injury risks.
- Track Progress: Use tools like laser timers to measure splits and set achievable goals.
Perfect Your 40 Yard Dash Technique Fast! | Stance and Start
40-Yard Dash Technique Basics
Getting the fundamentals right in the 40-yard dash is the key to shaving off valuable time. Even minor flaws in your mechanics can cost you tenths of a second, and the difference between a 4.8-second and a 4.6-second dash often lies in nailing the basics during the crucial opening moments.
Starting Position Setup
Your start is everything – it sets the tone for explosive acceleration. To maximize your launch power, aim to distribute about 70% of your weight onto your front leg.
For a standing start, focus on hinging at the hips. Lean forward with your hips pushed back, keep your back straight, and position your head and shoulders slightly ahead of the starting line. This forward lean is essential, as sprint coach Loren Landow explains: you’re "trading inches for angles". While this setup may sacrifice a tiny bit of distance, it allows for a better forward shin angle on your lead leg, which is crucial for acceleration.
Make sure your hips are positioned higher than your shoulders, and align your feet with your knees and hips. This alignment ensures that when you push off, your power translates directly into forward motion. Avoid lowering your center of mass too much – shift your weight forward so your shin angles over your toes, creating the ideal position for momentum.
Sprint coach Jonas Dodoo highlights the importance of activating your glutes during the start, emphasizing that "most of the effort is at the end of the push". Your glutes provide the traction and force needed to drive off your front leg powerfully. With your starting stance fine-tuned, you’re ready to channel that energy into the first 10 yards.
First 10 Yards: Acceleration Tips
Once you’ve nailed your start, the acceleration phase is all about maintaining proper mechanics. Keep a forward lean of about 40–50° until you hit the 20–25-yard mark. Aim for each foot to strike slightly behind your body, which helps convert your strength into forward momentum.
Arm movement plays a critical role here. Use a strong, backward arm swing to drive your acceleration forward. Imagine forcefully driving your arms back while keeping your traps and shoulders relaxed – tension in these areas can restrict your arm swing and reduce your overall speed.
Your first step should prioritize quickness over distance. Keep your chin tucked and your gaze down to minimize torso flexion, which helps maintain a streamlined position. As you accelerate, your body will naturally straighten, and your stride length will increase.
To achieve higher acceleration, focus on applying force in a forward direction rather than just downward. Maintaining an aggressive forward lean at toe-off ensures that your power is directed efficiently.
Avoid common mistakes like starting with a too-wide base or being overly upright. Keep your base narrow – about hip-width – and align your back knee with the instep of your front foot for optimal positioning.
Sprint Drills for Speed Development
Sprint drills are a game-changer when it comes to improving acceleration and top-end speed. They help you build explosive power and fine-tune your running mechanics. To get the most out of these drills, every repetition should be performed at maximum intensity with perfect form. Below, we break down two effective training methods to help you crush your 40-yard dash.
Resistance and Hill Sprint Training
Using resistance training methods like sled work and hill sprints can significantly enhance your speed and acceleration. Sled training focuses on building dynamic power, which translates to better explosive movements. Meanwhile, hill sprints create natural resistance, targeting the hip and knee extensors to improve your drive off the line.
For sled training, aim for loads between 30–50% of your bodyweight and perform 25-yard sprints. This method has been shown to increase sprint speed by up to 20%, with measurable gains of 5–5.7% in short-distance acceleration.
"The constraint imposed by a hill forces athletes to drive their knees apart and attack the ground aggressively with a stiff foot down and back to propel themselves up the hill." – Jace Delaney
Hill sprints, on the other hand, use gravity to create resistance. Choose inclines between 5° and 30°, depending on your strength level. Studies show that steeper gradients – like 5.2%, 8.8%, and 17.6% – can slow you down by about 8%, 13%, and 25%, respectively, compared to flat ground. This slower pace encourages proper sprint mechanics, especially during the acceleration phase. Hill sprints train you to push the ground away with force, projecting your hips upward rather than pulling yourself forward. For both sled and hill training, mix up the distances to simulate the critical first 10–20 yards of your 40-yard dash.
Pair these strength-building drills with short sprint repetitions to sharpen your reaction time and acceleration.
Short Sprint Repetitions
Short sprint repetitions are essential for developing explosive starts and refining sprint technique. These quick bursts also train the neuromuscular pathways needed for a powerful takeoff.
For acceleration-focused training, perform 10–20 sprints covering 11 to 33 yards (10–30 meters). Change up your starting positions – experiment with three-point, two-point, kneeling, or prone starts – to challenge different aspects of your acceleration. Rest for 1–3 minutes between sprints to ensure maximum effort during each attempt.
The results speak for themselves. In one study, an athlete shaved 0.3 seconds off her 30-meter (about 33-yard) sprint time in just over four weeks by incorporating resisted and overspeed sprint methods. Another athlete saw a 0.16-second improvement in seven weeks.
For top-end speed, add 4–10 fly runs of 11–22 yards (10–20 meters) to your routine. These drills help you transition smoothly from acceleration to maximum velocity. Take 3–5 minutes of rest between fly runs to maintain intensity.
Strength and Power Development
Pairing sprint drills with targeted strength training is the key to turning raw power into explosive speed. Building strong legs and a solid core lays the groundwork for better sprint performance. For quarterbacks aiming to improve their 40-yard dash time, leg and core strength are essential for generating the maximum force needed to power through each stride. This foundation plays a direct role in enhancing your start and acceleration phases.
Core Strength Exercises
Your core acts as the bridge, transferring power from your legs efficiently. Incorporate squat variations like back squats, front squats, and hex bar squats to build both strength and stability. Single-leg split squats are another great option to improve balance and strength in each leg individually.
Add heavy lunges using dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell to challenge your balance and stability through a full range of motion. Step-ups are also effective – focus on driving through your heel and fully extending your hip. This movement mimics the force generation needed for explosive starts. To target hamstring strength and flexibility, include Nordic hamstring curls. These not only help with injury prevention but also contribute to a stronger, more powerful leg drive.
For rotational strength, try medicine ball rotational throws and Russian twists. These exercises enhance the twisting motion critical for on-field performance while maintaining core stability, which is vital for efficient sprint mechanics.
Jump and Explosive Training
To connect strength with speed, plyometric exercises are essential. These drills train your muscles to stretch and contract quickly, reducing ground contact time and increasing stride power.
Single-leg broad jumps are excellent for building horizontal power while teaching you to land with control and balance. For ankle and knee stability – key for quick, repetitive foot strikes – include 90-degree ankle jumps in your routine. Max depth jumps, where you step off a platform and immediately jump upon landing, train your ability to absorb and redirect force efficiently.
To develop power in multiple directions, combine single-leg lateral jumps with vertical jumps. This approach improves both lateral agility and unilateral strength. Bounds, which focus on proper knee height and arm extension, and power skips, emphasizing back leg extension and arm coordination, help fine-tune rhythm and overall power through the kinetic chain. Advanced athletes can push their limits with single-leg tuck jumps or alternating lunges with jumps, both of which replicate the dynamic lower-body demands of sprinting.
For maximum results, combine plyometric exercises with sprint drills to sharpen your first-step explosiveness and improve acceleration.
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Mobility and Flexibility Training
Pairing your sprint drills with focused mobility exercises is a game-changer for improving acceleration and reducing injury risk. When your muscles and joints are properly prepared, they can unleash their full power. Mobility work optimizes your sprint mechanics by ensuring a full range of motion. Without this, limitations in areas like your hips or ankles force your body to compensate, slowing you down and increasing the likelihood of injury. Below are some key drills that target mobility and flexibility to help you warm up effectively and keep your joints functioning at their best.
"The joints are the points of motion in our body. So, any time we move, we don’t want a limitation because of a stiff joint… That is the goal of mobility work – to give your joints that freedom instead of having them be a source of restriction and to potentially prevent muscle strains and joint soreness." – Samantha Smith, MD, Yale Medicine primary care sports medicine specialist
When your hips lack mobility, your lower back and knees often bear the brunt, leading to overuse and strain. Similarly, stiff or immobile ankles struggle to absorb shock properly, which can stress your knees, shins, and feet. These compensation patterns don’t just slow you down – they can lead to injuries like runner’s knee, Achilles tendinopathy, or IT band syndrome.
Pre-Sprint Warm-Up Routine
A good warm-up does more than just get your heart pumping – it prepares your muscles and joints for the demands of sprinting. By increasing tissue temperature, you make your muscles more elastic and less prone to injury. Your warm-up should focus on the key muscle groups for sprinting: glutes, quads, calves, hamstrings, abductors, adductors, and core. Dynamic movements during warm-ups also prime your nervous system and improve joint mobility.
"Warming up allows you to feel good both during the run, because you’ve increased body temperature and activated targeted muscle groups, as well as after the run. Since your body was properly prepared, the recovery is better." – Jess Sims, Peloton Instructor
Start with leg swings – forward, backward, and side-to-side – using a stable surface for balance. Then, move to standing hip openers to loosen up your hips for the rotational movements that sprinting demands.
Add deep squat rotations to your routine. These involve dropping into a deep squat and rotating your torso side to side while keeping your feet firmly planted. This drill not only opens up your hips and ankles but also engages your thoracic spine.
Wrap up your warm-up with movement-specific drills. High knees elevate your heart rate and activate your core, while A-skips target your hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, core, and calves with a rhythm that mimics sprinting. End with jogging in place to reinforce proper running form.
Hip and Ankle Movement Drills
To truly maximize sprint performance, you’ll need to dedicate time to improving hip and ankle mobility. These two areas are the driving forces behind powerful strides. Enhancing their range of motion can improve stride length and eliminate restrictions that limit your speed.
"Each time your foot strikes the ground, your ankle plays a critical role in absorbing impact, transferring force, and preparing your body for the next stride." – Nicholas Hagen
For hip mobility, prioritize unilateral exercises like lunges, rear foot elevated split squats, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts (RDLs). These movements mimic the single-leg dynamics of sprinting while improving hip flexion, extension, and stability. Staggered stance exercises are also excellent for targeting the lower back, hip, and knee simultaneously, which directly supports your sprinting mechanics.
Ankle mobility requires focused drills to ensure full range of motion. Perform single-leg calf and foot raises, moving through complete dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. Add ankle circles to maintain mobility in all directions.
Don’t overlook the importance of your core in sprinting. Exercises like weighted planks, pull-ups, lying overhead presses, lying supermans, and good mornings strengthen your core’s ability to stabilize your body and support explosive movements. A strong core also helps maintain proper posture during sprints.
Set aside 5-10 minutes a day for mobility exercises such as hip flexor stretches, ankle circles, and joint rotations. Over time, this consistency not only improves performance but also reduces injury risk. Pair these with strengthening moves like lunges, glute bridges, and calf raises to build stability and power alongside your improved mobility.
Measuring Progress and Goal Setting
For quarterbacks, every fraction of a second shaved off your 40-yard dash can make a noticeable difference in agility and decision-making on the field. Tracking your 40-yard dash times is essential to identifying speed gains and measuring progress. Without consistent tracking, you’re essentially training in the dark. To improve speed effectively, quarterbacks need a structured approach to monitoring times and setting achievable goals.
Breaking the 40-yard dash into measurable phases is a game-changer. By focusing on specific segments and setting clear targets, you can identify your strengths and pinpoint areas that need improvement. This approach also keeps you motivated by giving you tangible milestones to aim for.
Time Tracking and Split Analysis
One important metric to track is your 10-yard split. Elite athletes aim for a split of 0.95 seconds and speeds approaching 21.5 mph. Additionally, many top performers complete the entire 40 yards in under 21 steps – often exactly 20. An optimal step breakdown might look like this: 4 steps for the first 5 yards, 7 steps for the first 10 yards, and 12 steps for 20 yards.
For accurate timing, consider upgrading from basic stopwatches to professional-grade equipment. Laser timing systems, like the Cronox series, provide precision down to 1/1000th of a second. Here’s a quick look at pricing for some popular options:
- Cronox 2.0: $366.29
- Wireless Cronox 3.0: $543.10
- Advanced Cronox 3.0+: $710.39
These systems allow for precise measurements, helping you analyze each run and fine-tune your training accordingly.
Track your progress weekly and adjust your workouts based on the data. For instance, if your 10-yard split is slower than expected, focus on improving your start and first-step explosiveness. If you’re losing time in the final 20 yards, concentrate on maintaining your top speed. Regular evaluations help you monitor improvement and address any physical limitations. Use these detailed metrics to set specific, targeted performance goals.
Performance Goal Planning
Once you have solid performance metrics, you can set specific time goals to guide your training. Use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). For example, instead of vaguely aiming to "get faster", set a goal like running a 4.9-second dash by March 15th.
Separate your goals into short-term and long-term objectives. Short-term goals (3–6 months) might include shaving 0.05 seconds off your 10-yard split or perfecting your starting stance. Long-term goals (2–4 years) could focus on reducing your overall dash time by 0.3–0.4 seconds. Even a two-tenths-of-a-second improvement can significantly impact your athletic potential.
Keep your goals realistic. If you currently run a 5.2-second dash, aiming for a 4.2-second time next season is likely too ambitious. Instead, aim for steady, incremental progress that pushes you without setting you up for failure.
Write your goals down to make them feel more concrete and meaningful. Treat it like a personal contract – place your goal somewhere you’ll see it often, like your bathroom mirror, car dashboard, or phone lock screen.
Phrase your goals in a positive way. For example, instead of saying what you won’t do, focus on what you will do:
"I will fire off the ball on the correct snap count 100% of my practice runs next season".
Break larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. If your aim is to cut 0.2 seconds off your time in six months, target an improvement of about 0.033 seconds per month. Regular tracking will help you stay on course and adjust your training as needed.
Finally, focus on what’s within your control – your technique, training consistency, and preparation. Set performance goals that highlight areas where you can make tangible improvements.
Conclusion
Improving your 40-yard dash time as a quarterback requires a well-rounded training plan that blends technique, targeted exercises, and consistent progress tracking. It all begins with nailing the basics – your start and technical fundamentals. These skills set the stage for improving acceleration and boosting overall performance.
The first 10 yards are the most critical for your time, making acceleration mechanics a top priority. Elite athletes focus on perfecting their stride length and frequency, ensuring these two elements work in harmony for maximum efficiency.
Your training should combine sprint drills, strength-building exercises, and mobility work into a single, cohesive program. These elements shouldn’t exist in isolation; they need to complement each other. For example, resistance training, hill sprints, and explosive jumps build the raw power needed for speed, while flexibility and mobility exercises help you use that power effectively. As a quarterback, incorporating drills that mimic game scenarios – like quick lateral movements and rapid direction changes – ensures your speed gains translate directly to in-game performance.
Tracking your progress consistently is what separates those who improve from those who stagnate. Tools like split-time recording, step count analysis, and video reviews can pinpoint areas for improvement. Even minor tweaks in technique, applied consistently, can lead to noticeable gains over time.
Don’t overlook the mental side of preparation. Visualization exercises can help you mentally rehearse a quick and technically sound 40-yard dash, which often translates into better physical execution. Combining this mental focus with your physical training solidifies your path to consistent improvement.
Ultimately, improving your 40-yard dash isn’t just about straight-line speed. It’s about building the explosive quickness and agility that enhance your ability to read defenses, evade pressure, and make game-changing plays. The techniques and strategies outlined here offer a clear path forward, but your dedication to regular practice and refinement will determine your success.
FAQs
What mistakes should I avoid when trying to improve my 40-yard dash time?
To shave time off your 40-yard dash, it’s essential to steer clear of common missteps that can slow you down. For instance, starting in the wrong stance – like being too upright – can seriously hinder your ability to accelerate right out of the gate. On top of that, issues with sprint mechanics, such as awkward arm movements, poor posture, or an underdeveloped drive phase, can hurt both your speed and efficiency.
If you’re a quarterback, there are specific pitfalls to watch out for. Mistakes like flawed running form, incorrect arm motion, or improper leg cycling often lead to sluggish and less effective sprints. The key to improvement lies in dialing in your technique – focus on nailing your stance, refining your form, and maintaining proper mechanics to see real gains in your time and performance on the field.
What’s the best way to include mobility and flexibility training in my sprint workouts?
To get the best results from your sprint workouts, it’s important to include mobility and flexibility exercises that focus on key areas like your hips, ankles, shoulders, and spine. Begin your warm-up with dynamic stretches like leg swings, arm circles, or walking lunges. These movements prepare your body for the powerful, explosive motions needed during sprints.
Outside of your sprint sessions, set aside time for activities like yoga or foam rolling. These can help improve your joint range of motion and lower the chance of injuries. Combining a solid warm-up routine with dedicated mobility work can help you lengthen your stride, improve explosiveness, and make your sprints more efficient overall.
What are the best tools or methods to track progress and set goals for improving my 40-yard dash time?
To monitor your 40-yard dash progress and set meaningful goals, you can rely on tools like wearable sensors, GPS trackers, or athlete monitoring systems such as Catapult. These devices offer precise data on sprint metrics like speed, acceleration, and split times, giving you a clear picture of your performance improvements over time.
It’s also a good idea to maintain a detailed training log. Record your times and key performance benchmarks regularly. This not only helps you spot patterns in your progress but also allows you to tweak your training plan to keep moving toward your targets.
