Why “Less Is More”

Coach Dave
Oct 21
3 min read

Sprinting in your 30s, 40s, and beyond presents a unique challenge. You’ve got the competitive drive, the experience, and often the discipline you lacked when you were younger — but your body doesn’t bounce back quite the same way. The trick isn’t trying to train like you used to. It’s learning to train smarter.

For masters sprinters, the winning formula isn’t more training. It’s better training.

What Changes as You Age

Ageing doesn’t automatically mean slowing down, but a few key systems do change:

Energy systems become less efficient at fuelling short, explosive efforts.
Hormonal shifts reduce recovery speed and make muscle maintenance harder.
Muscle loss, particularly of fast-twitch fibres, can affect speed and power.
Neuromuscular coordination — your brain-to-muscle communication — may decline slightly, affecting stride efficiency.

The good news? With the right training approach, these changes can be slowed or even reversed. The focus just needs to shift from doing more to doing what matters most.

Training Smart: Quality Over Quantity

For younger sprinters, working occasionally at high volume can build capacity and resilience. But for masters athletes, that same approach often leads to fatigue, stagnation, or injury. The “less is more” philosophy means dialing down the total workload while maintaining intensity and precision.

Key principles include:

Lower volume: Fewer total reps and possibly fewer training days.
Higher quality: Max-effort sprints, strength work, and mobility sessions with purpose.
More recovery: Giving your body time to absorb and adapt to the work.

It’s all about focusing on what truly drives performance.

What to Prioritise in Training

Sprint Work Structure sprint sessions around distinct phases:
- Acceleration (up to 30m): explosive starts, resisted sprints, and short efforts.
- Max Speed (next 25–50 m): flying sprints or overspeed work (carefully prescribed).
- Speed Endurance (final 20–30 m): high intensity longer reps with full recovery to build fatigue resistance.
Strength TrainingStrength is your foundation for speed. Focus on compound lifts — squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, and Olympic-style movements. Prioritise power over volume, with longer rests and a focus on intent. Maintaining muscle mass and force output is key for sustaining speed.
Plyometrics and CoordinationLight, reactive jumps and bounds keep the stretch-shortening cycle sharp, improving ground contact times and elasticity. Combined with sprint drills and mobility work, they help you move efficiently and stay injury-free.
Mobility and TechniqueDon’t skip warm-ups (though skipping in warm-ups is awesome). Dynamic mobility, activation drills, and technical sprints keep joints healthy and movement crisp. The goal is to move well before moving fast.

Recovery: The Hidden Advantage

Masters athletes don’t recover slower — they just need more time to recover fully. Recovery is where adaptation happens, and it deserves as much planning as your workouts.

Schedule lighter tempo or recovery sessions between sprint days.
Use soft-tissue work, stretching, or pool sessions to stay loose.
Prioritise sleep — 7–9 hours nightly, with short naps when possible.
Eat for recovery: plenty of high-quality protein, balanced carbs, and hydration.

Think of recovery as training for your next session. The better you recover, the better you perform.

If you remember nothing else - remember this…

Staying fast as a masters athlete isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about being precise. Lower the volume, lift with intent, sprint with purpose, and recover like it’s your job. The result? You’ll stay quicker, stronger, and healthier for longer.

When it comes to sprinting after 30 less really is more.