How to Train for Speed

We often get lost in the typical cone drill and ladder drill patterns when we think of speed
Training. Parents and athletes need to be more informed about what young athletes need to 
focus on getting faster. There is more structure to speed than it seems, so we will discuss what the keys
components are to get faster.

    As crazy as it might sound, speed training does not require complex movements or crazy drills.
Doing sprint training is one of the best ways to train on your speed for improvement. With a professional, you can break down the posture with those stride lengths and patterns while you sprint. Your biomechanics is highly key to how well your speed improves. Someone might already look like they’re moving fast but might also miss out on their potential when they don’t have better form. 

Simple plyometrics and power-based training are the next most important pieces in speed training. The athlete should always focus on how well they can recruit the motor neurons and muscle fibers to develop power. Movements that focus on hip drive, and knee drive such as box jumps, broad jumps, hanging power cleans, and plyo hops are just a few of what can be done in speed training. Those movements would help the body be accustomed to the necessities of sprinting.

Athletes must have strength in order to become faster. Strength is stability through full range of motion, mobility to get to full range of motion, and muscle mass for quick power production and to move load. Therefore, you must add strength training in the routine to attain speed improvement. When executed well, simple exercises such as lunges and splits are some of the best movements to have in your speed training because unilateral training focuses is like training on the fundamentals of how our body moves.

In all, if someone wants to get faster, they must understand the biomechanics and all the components at hand to improve. Doing sprints without strength training is pointless nor when you leave out power development over running.

​-Coach Andy Louis