Home
| Work & Business
| Postsecondary Education
| Training
| Speed Training Tips
Speed Training Tips
by Stephanie Splater
-
Overview
Winning a race or competition often can come down to a fraction of a second, making speed training essential for any athlete. While genetics play a role in how naturally fast you are, training for speed helps you excel beyond sport-specific skills. A well-rounded approach to speed training will give you a competitive edge and also energize your workouts.
-
Warm Up For Success
Prepare your muscles for speed with a warm-up that increases blood flow, heart rate and develops muscle elasticity. Include light jogging and dynamic movements such as toe and heel walks, skips with arm circles, lunges and leg swings. Save the majority of static stretches for part of your cool-down.
-
The Type of Speed You Need
How fast you need to accelerate in your sport or fitness activity is important in determining the course of a speed training program. For example, a baseball player or a sprinter begins motion from a stationary position. For these sports, the ability to generate a burst of power immediately is vital and can be improved by practicing reaction time. A soccer player or distance runner already is in motion when starting a sprint, making top speed a gradual increase of power. This type of starting speed can be improved by practicing full sprints with a rolling or jogging start.
-
Learn How to Move
Improve your running mechanics with sprint drills designed to increase muscle memory. The more efficient you are with movement, the faster you will be. Always keep your elbows in at your side, rotate relaxed hands up to the face and back down to the hip during these drills. High knees, leg extensions and high skips are drills that mimic the sprint motion and will translate into speed during competition. Explosive sprint drills should not be performed before a full warm-up.
-
Train For Speed With Speed
To run faster, train faster. Keep interval distances short so your training translates into speed production. Endurance athletes spend the majority of their training focusing on aerobic exercise, whereas speed and power athletes work within the anaerobic system. To increase overall speed, sprint ladders and intervals for no more than 200 meters, with close to full recovery. This will enhance competition speed.
-
Lift Weights For Strength and Power
Design your weightlifting routines to include large muscle groups. Do squats, leg presses, power cleans and dead lifts. Focus on a program with higher weights (65 percent to 85 percent of a one-rep max) and lower repetitions (six to eight lifts per set) for increased speed and acceleration production. Muscle fatigue is likely during this type of lifting program, so allow for more rest in between sets to be able to complete the workout.
