Within the realm of monitor and subject, few names carry as a lot weight as Lance Brauman. Because the founding father of Pure Athletics and the coach behind among the quickest sprinters in U.S. historical past, Brauman’s philosophy has reshaped what it means to practice for velocity within the fashionable period. His affect stretches from previous champions like Tyson Homosexual to present world chief Noah Lyles, the quickest American within the 200-meter dash.
Brauman’s roots hint again to his days as a highschool lengthy jumper, but it surely was teaching that finally claimed him—one thing he attributes to household. “In case your father was a development employee, I’d be in development. Mine was a monitor coach,” he as soon as mentioned. That lineage led him to LSU, the place he started his teaching profession as an assistant below Dennis Shaver.
His subsequent cease was Barton Group School, the place he turned head coach and turned the small Kansas faculty right into a nationwide powerhouse. Whereas there, Brauman coached future Olympic and World Champions, together with Derrick Brew, Veronica Campbell-Brown, and Tyson Homosexual. After a number of NJCAA nationwide titles, he was employed by the College of Arkansas, the place he continued his success with athletes like Homosexual and Wallace Spearmon.
In 2007, Lance Brauman launched Pure Athletics in Clermont, Florida—a coaching floor that might grow to be a worldwide sprinting hub. His roster contains Olympic gold medalists and World Champions. Noah Lyles, the present 200m American document holder (19.31), trains below Brauman, as does two-time Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo. The outcomes converse for themselves: constant podium finishes, world-leading occasions, and championship pedigree.
Lance Brauman
Teaching Philosophy: Precision and Efficiency
Lance Brauman locations main emphasis on top-end velocity. “It doesn’t matter how proficient a starter you may have if he can’t end,” he explains. He makes use of technical drills just like the “A” skip to show vertical leg drive and cut back inefficient overextension. His philosophy is structured however adaptable—coaching choices are dictated by efficiency metrics, not assumptions.
He additionally emphasizes not over-coaching. “Set clear expectations, then alter based mostly on what the athlete reveals you,” he advises. It’s a practical, athlete-first method that builds each belief and outcomes.
Energy Coaching: The Science of Pace
Understanding that sprinting is a operate of drive utility, Brauman integrates weight coaching into his routine. He highlights the equation:
Drive = Mass × Acceleration
By growing an athlete’s drive output, Brauman enhances their capability to speed up and preserve excessive speeds, a precept evident within the performances of his protégés. His program incorporates explosive compound lifts—comparable to cleans, squats, and sled pushes—to construct floor drive manufacturing and decrease time spent on the bottom throughout every stride.
Brauman occasions power blocks strategically all through the coaching season, complementing dash mechanics whereas creating the facility and elasticity wanted for elite velocity. For him, the burden room isn’t a separate factor—it’s a part of the dash equation.
lancebrauman/Instagram
Recommendation for Athletes and Coaches
When requested what athletes can do to get quicker, Brauman retains it easy: “Observe folks getting outcomes.” He advises sprinters to grasp the fundamentals—kind, drills, and restoration—and tune out distractions.
FORM: In accordance with Brauman, one of the vital widespread errors he sees is extreme bottom mechanics—athletes letting their foot swing too far behind them throughout their stride. This slows down floor contact time and reduces stride effectivity. To right this, he emphasizes front-side mechanics and correct posture drills, utilizing wall drills, wicket runs, and sled marches to bolster upright positioning and a quick, direct foot strike below the hips.
DRILLS: His go-to dash drills embrace the “A” skip, excessive knees, bounding, and wall switches—all designed to bolster rhythm, posture, and activation of key sprinting muscle tissue. He implements these drills persistently in warm-ups and technical periods, progressively layering complexity based mostly on every athlete’s developmental stage.
RECOVERY: Brauman believes restoration is simply as necessary because the exercise itself. His athletes bear common delicate tissue work, chilly water immersion, and structured restoration runs to handle fatigue. He additionally emphasizes sleep and individualized relaxation blocks based mostly on athlete readiness and cargo.
DYNAMIC VS RIGID TRAINING: Brauman defines dynamic coaching as a system that evolves with the athlete. He adapts programming based mostly on how they reply to stimulus—adjusting quantity, depth, or technical focus weekly. Inflexible coaching, in his view, locks athletes into cycles that will not match their bodily or psychological state. His methodology stays versatile however intentional, with clear aims which are measured and refined over time.
For coaches, his recommendation is equally clear: Don’t overcomplicate. Let efficiency lead. Set objectives, however don’t let ego intrude with changes. Coaching needs to be dynamic, not inflexible.
Lance Brauman might not at all times search the highlight, however his athletes usually stay in it. His teaching has produced nationwide information, Olympic medals, and world titles. However greater than that, his affect has redefined how velocity is taught, measured, and mastered in American monitor and subject. The dash renaissance is right here—and Brauman’s fingerprints are throughout it.
