How do I get a better start off for track.?

Squats, Deadlifts, and Power Cleans- The only way to have an explosive start is to use explosive lifts in the weightroom. 3-4 sets of 5-8 reps.

Stretching- you have to flexible to be explosive and to avoid injury

For the first 15 meters, keep your chin touching your chest. That will make you keep a low center of gravity and pull more power out of your legs.

Strong shoulders are a must- Military press

While in the blocks, you should be uncomfortable, so much so that you basically fall out of the blocks. Keep your hands a little further than shoulder width apart and lean forward as far as you can without toppling over. Focus your eyes on the track about 3 feet in front of you, precisely where you want your foot to land on your explosive first step.

After your drive phase (25-40 meters) relax your arms and focus on your turnover (you want your feet to be in contact with the ground for as little time as possible before moving into the next stride).

Finish hard- DO NOT quit even a step before the finish line. That's what makes a champion.

Oh, and for a middle school athlete, 29 seconds in the 200 is right on pace. You'll notice as you grow older, the kids running the low 23's or 24's now have already peaked in most cases, and will rarely ever improve upon these times. At your age, your body is still learning how to move and your muscles are still growing. If you continue to work hard you will see yourself begin to fly by the kids that are fastest now. Determination is your biggest asset. Train hard and the results will come.

Ask your coaches how to come out of blocks.... i ran about a 11.7 last year and then i learnd to come out of blocks really well and it droped it to about an 11 flat but i also worked on endurence and being able to keep a solid pase the whole way (100 meter dash)

When learning to use starting blocks, it is important that you remember one fundamental thing: blocks are used to put you in position to accelerate, not to get you to full speed in the first few steps. Young athletes have a tendency to try to get to full speed as quickly as possible once the gun goes off. You can tell this is happening when an athlete pops straight up, becoming vertical with the ground, within their first few steps.

First, if you pop straight up as soon as the gun goes off due to your inability to exert proper levels of force, you are more likely to fall behind right away and sprint mechanics tend to deteriorate instantly. Second, because you do not have the strength levels to properly apply force to the blocks, you will learn to start with bad form. Once you get stronger, you will have to unlearn your bad habits and relearn proper mechanics.

You may not need to know how to get out of the blocks in your 1st year as getting a good start is a direct result of force application and shin angles with the track.

The more horizontal force you can apply out of the blocks, the more capable you are of creating the low shin angles with the track that are required for a competitive start. As you are in middle school, young, physically weak and inexperienced, you do not have the physical strength to get a good start and are only harm yourself by trying to do something you are not ready to do.

I suggest starting you learn a standing start and then progressing to a three-point stance while developing speed, strength and power levels through general strength exercises, speed and weight training, as well as low level plyometrics.

When you do start to learn the blocks, here is the short version of proper positioning.

The toes and/or the ball of the foot should be in contact with the track and the heels should be planted against the pedals of the block. Your thumbs should be directly under your shoulders. This maximizes the distance of the shoulders from the ground. The shoulders should be directly over or slightly behind the hands. This will keep the hips from moving forward and upward on the set command. The quick side, (rear) knee should be in contact with the ground. Putting both knees down puts the shoulders ahead of the hands which increases the strength demand as well as creates an imbalance. (To determine your quick side vs. your power side, fold your arms in front of you. The hand that is tucked under your bicep/armpit is your quick side arm. If your left hand is tucked under, your left leg is your quick leg and should be placed in the back block).

Also remember

Sprinting is a highly technical activity that demands high levels of concentration. That being said, going into a preset routine helps to clear your mind and puts your body on auto-pilot. When it comes to block starts, many sprinters suffer from paralysis by analysis, trying to cover a long mental checklist of block issues immediately before the race, you are dooming yourself to make many of the mistakes you are trying to avoid. Having a routine that you practice consistently allows your body to use muscle memory so that you can focus on one starting cue.Establishing a routine does not have to be a complicated process. It just has to be a consistent one. preset the neuromuscular system get your body ready to explode out of the blocks by pre-loading elastic energy in the Achilles and knees that help you to create force and overcome inertia at the start,keeping loose and getting into a rhythm, Do not go immediately into your blocks you will be hunched in the blocks, waiting up to a minute for the other runners to settle in. The whole time your legs will be tightening up and your chances for an explosive start will decrease by the second.

your fastest 200 meter was only 29 sec thats horrible i'm in middle school and an 8th grade girl my fastest time was like 21 sec or less here is some advice work out and you probably do have a good start of you just get a little tired almost at the en d of the race and don't keep your speed up

start track

hey im in middle school too...and i runt he 100-200-and 400 and 4X100 relay....when u turn ur corner stay low for about 10 steps then gradully stand up straighter it shed 2 seconds off mine no joke....and use blocks if ur aloud...it helps!

My husband teaches plyometrics and everyone he has had has dropped their time by a few (or a lot) seconds... so do plyometric workouts. They really do work, and will also help you jump higher etc. Other than that just lots of practice and hard work and sweat! :)