Leg speed workouts can dramatically improve leg strength, balance and coordination. Building leg speed is normally done by athletes required by their sport to run fast, move quickly or jump high. According to the American Council on Exercise, sprints are one of the best ways to improve leg speed.
Sprint Workout
On top of speed, sprinting is a dynamic way to increase leg strength and power. To perform a standard sprinting workout, find an area such as a park or football field with relatively level ground. The area that you sprint across should be a minimum of 40 yards long with no obstructions. Begin by running at about 50 percent of a full sprint to get the muscles ready for the intensity the sprints will require. Do about five run-throughs back and forth, gradually increasing speed each time. After this warm-up, sprint 10 times down the field. Run each sprint as fast as you can. Walk or jog back to recover and rest as needed. The important part of sprinting is being able to run as fast as you can, so constant movement is not an issue. Rest just enough to catch your breath, then sprint again.
Agility Workout
The American College of Sports Medicine says agility workouts are great for leg speed because they challenge the angle and stability of your leg muscles. While basic running requires one general forward movement, agility drills require you to perform different movements that activate different angles of each muscle in the leg. To perform a basic agility workout, find a clear and open field or street for side steps, backward runs and zig-zag drills. Do each phase three times.
Side steps require you to move down the length of the field sideways. Start by leading with the right side of your body and side stepping as fast as you can. Return using your left side to complete one phase. Move on to the backward run. Turn your back so it's facing downfield and run as fast as you can backward to the other end. Turn around and again run down the field backward to complete the phase. For the zig-zag pattern, imagine running the lines of a giant "W" pattern down the field. Start from one end of the W, then diagonally run up the field, turning the corners as fast as you can without slowing down. Return back down the field in the same pattern for one phase.
Jumping Workout
Jumping workouts incorporate a plyometric element to your leg speed and help by forcing the muscles to fire off as quick as possible, eventually building a tremendous amount of power in the legs for speed. Try a combination of squat jumps and high knee skips.
To perform squat jumps, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down by bringing your butt as close to the ground as possible. Thrust back upward by standing back up with your legs and jumping at the top of the movement. Repeat for about a minute. To perform high knee skips, skip forward down the field while driving one knee as high as you can into the air, alternating with each skip. Do these all the way down field. Return in a similar fashion. Try to complete each of these drills three times each.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "American Council on Exercise Personal Trainers Manual"; Cedric X. Bryant; 2003
Member Comments