If you find yourself out-sprinted at the end of your local 5K run, not able to get open on the football field or run down when you get a fast break on the basketball court, you can benefit from including some speed development exercises into your training routine. Speed training exercises build the strength, balance, power and form needed to run at fast speeds. The number of speed training exercises available that don't require and specialized equipment means you can start speed training for free.
L Hops
To perform this exercise, all you need is a table or other surface that comes up to about the same height. In the National Strength and Conditioning Association Performance Training Journal, Juan Gonzalez and Danielle Gaitan recommend this exercise because it builds leg strength on each leg individually--and when you run, that is how your legs work. To perform this exercise, place one foot on top of your table so that your raised leg extends straight. Bend your supporting leg to lower your body then quickly straighten your leg to explosively propel your body upward. Land and repeat for a total of six to eight reps. Perform three to four sets on each leg.
Quick Foot Step-ups
Another exercise Gonzalez and Gaitan include in their speed training routine are quick foot step-ups. This exercise teaches your body's neuromuscular system to execute muscular movements at a rapid pace. Find a stair or a low bench. For 30 seconds, step up onto and down from the step as quickly as possible. With each step, move your arms in a running motion.
Tuck Jumps
Plyometrics condition your muscles to generate force quickly--and quicker engagement means increased power and speed. Certified strength and conditioning coach Kyle Brown writes in the National Strength and Conditioning Performance Training Journal that you can train for speed with plyometric tuck jumps. To properly execute this speed training exercise, squat until your knees bend at a 90-degree angle and then with maximum speed, extend your legs and jump. Tuck your knees to your chest at the top of the jump and then straighten before landing. Brown says to maximize this exercise's effectiveness you need to focus on jumping again as soon as you land--minimizing your foot contact time with the ground.
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