⚡️SSL #016 How To Unleash Your Inner “Bolt”

I often get asked, “will building muscle make me slow”?

My answer to that question is always the same.

Muscle weighs, and the more you weigh the stronger you have to become to maintain your mass-to-strength ratio.

If you don’t become stronger relative to the amount of weight you put on, then your mass-to-strength ratio (MSR) will decrease and so will your speed.

Considering Usain Bolt is taller and larger than most world-class sprinters this requires him to be even stronger in order to maintain a high mass-to-strength ratio.

According to Dr. Peter Weyand, Usain Bolt applies up to 5x his body weight into the ground.

In comparison, World Champion hurdler David Oliver applies 4 - 4.5x his body weight into the ground according to Dr. Peter Weyand’s lab.

Bolt’s Mass to Strength Ratio is definitely off the charts, even relative to other world-class sprinters.

Takeaway Question:

When you’re lifting are you making sure to maximize your strength relative to adding muscle mass?

#3 Bolt’s Unfair 20cm Weapon

There have been several studies that show the real reason why Usain Bolt smashes records like they’re glass is that he is lethal at the end of the race.

First, he reaches higher top speeds than everyone else, then he holds a lot of that speed in the last 20 meters of a 100m race.

According to the Journal of Human Kinetics, “Bolt's 20 cm longer stride shows benefit in the latter part of the race”.

Usain Bolt has said in interviews that once he passed an athlete in 60-80 meters, he knows the race is his and it seems his longer stride length is probably why.

It’s hard to compete with a guy who hits a higher top speed than you, and then his legs allow him to maintain that top speed than you.

That’s likely another unfair advantage that helped Usain Bolt completely dominate on the track.

#4 How An Normal Athlete Can Unleash Their “Bolt”

To clarify, when I say “unfair advantage” I’m not implying that Usain Bolt did anything wrong. In fact, I actually believe he did everything right.

He discovered his natural god-given gifts and went 150% on optimizing them. A “normal” athlete cannot change their genetics but they can focus on maximizing them.

If you’re on the shorter range (under 6 feet) then double down on improving your start and acceleration. Heavy sleds, steep hills, broad jumps, and bounds are a few ways to do so.

If you’re on the taller range (6 feet or more) then double down on improving your top speed and speed maintenance. 30m flyes, wickets, pogos, depth jumps, and 150m tempo runs are a few ways to do so.

Along with maximizing your strengths, also find 1-2 weak points that are absolutely killing your speed.

For a taller sprinter that’s probably your transition phase.

For shorter sprinters, that’s probably your final 30 meters.

It’s possible there’s a technical fix you would make in a matter of weeks to significantly reduce this weak point.

For example, as I mentioned earlier Usain Bolt apparently was overstriding, and after shortening his stride he was able to solve this and improve his turnover.

Double down on strengths and find the biggest weak point that you can influence in the shortest amount of time.

(Hint: If you have Sprint Cheat Codes, you can use the “3,2,1 sequence” to find your biggest weak point. Then, using our flowchart you can find which exercise can solve that specific weak point.)

TL;DR

• In Usain Bolt’s case he’s reportedly 6’5 and has been called by Sports Illustrated as the “the tallest world-class sprinter in history”.
• In shortening his stride length, his turnover was no longer a big detriment on his speed, which meant he was able to use maximize his advantages and minimize his disadvantages.
• If you don’t become stronger relative the amount of weight you put on, then your mass to strength ratio (MSR) will decrease and so will your speed.
• First he reaches higher top speeds than everyone else, then he holds a lot of that speed in the last 20 meters of a 100m race.
• According to the Journal of Human Kinetics, “Bolt's 20 cm longer stride shows benefit in the latter part of the race”.
• If you’re on the shorter range (under 6 feet) then double down on improving your start and acceleration. Heavy sleds, steep hills, broad jumps, and bounds are a few ways to do so.
• If you’re on the taller range (6 feet or more) then double down on improving your top speed and speed maintaince. 30m flyes, wickets, pogos, depth jumps, 1and 50m tempo runs are a few ways to do so.
• Double down on strengths and find the biggest weak point that you can influence in a shortest amount of time.