An athlete who strikes the ground with power will propel farther and faster down a track than an athlete with less power. In order to gain speed, an athlete must first build strength and power in the weight room by integrating a combination of weightlifting movements and plyometric exercises into a training program. Committing to a weight training program in conjunction with developing mechanical efficiency will help an athlete gain speed.
Step 1
Develop a base of strength before training for power. Complete at least four weeks of general strength conditioning using heavy weights and lower repetitions. Power is force multiplied by velocity. A stronger athlete will generate greater force, increasing power and speed output.
Step 2
Perform four sets of three of four repetitions of power clean and snatches to increase power development. According to William E. Amonnette from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, an athlete can generate four to eight times more power using Olympic weightlifting than using other traditional exercises.
Step 3
Include four sets of three to four repetitions of weighted jump squats and medicine ball throws in your program. Ballistic resistance training forces muscles to produce a great amount of force in a short amount of time, recruiting muscle fibers as the athlete accelerates the weight.
Step 4
Add resistance bands or heavy chains to the barbell during lower body strength exercises to improve acceleration strength by prolonging the rate of maximal force exertion. The bands and chains add resistance to the final portion of the exercises, which trains acceleration by requiring a harder and faster muscular contraction to complete a repetition.
Step 5
Alternate a heavy lower body strength exercise using 70 to 90 percent of your one-repetition maximum with an explosive jump exercise. Complex training utilizes the principle of post activation potentiation, which allows for enhanced force and power output on an explosive movement.
Step 6
Perform five sets of three to four repetitions of plyometric exercises such a depth box jumps, double leg tuck jumps and stride jumps. Plyometric training creates an eccentric contraction followed immediately by a concentric contraction, requiring muscles to reach peak force in a short amount of time.
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