Speed training and conditioning is not a one size fits all process. The type of training and conditioning you use will depend upon several different factors, such as the sport and position you play. So, before you begin your speed training and conditioning, take a critical look at the "speed needs" for your particular sport. Do you sprint short distances, as in tennis and basketball, or longer sprints, as in track? Is there a starting gun where all athletes start at the same time, or is the fast reaction to an event such as a rebound coupled with quick acceleration required?
Build Strength
One of the first steps in speed training is to build strength--particularly in your lower body. Improved strength will improve your ability to produce what's called ground force. This ground force production is enhanced by developing strong legs that can push away from the ground with greater force. According to speed experts George Dintiman and Bob Ward in their book "Sports Speed," it's this type of increased horsepower that will improve your speed.
Leg presses, squats, lunges and leg curls are all effective ways to improve your lower body strength.
Sprint Technique
Noted speed coaches Lee E. Brown and Vance A. Ferrigno state in their book "Training for Speed, Agility and Quickness" that proper sprint mechanics improve your chances of reaching your greatest speed production, and that the three keys to proper sprint mechanics are posture, arm action, and leg action.
According to Brown and Ferrigno, proper posture during acceleration entails maintaining a body lean--about 45 degrees--until you approach your maximum speed, and then the more erect posture of about 80 degrees. Your arm action helps keep your body in proper alignment during your sprint. Proper leg action requires a dorsi-flexed foot--toes up, a high knee action--thigh parallel to the ground, and your body weight on the balls of your feet, not the heels.
Flexibility
Increasing your flexibility helps increase your speed and helps to reduce your risk of injury. Do dynamic stretches before you train and slow static stretching afterward.
Benefits
The old sports adage goes "speed kills." What's meant by this is that on the field of play--no matter what field--the faster athlete is considered a "killer." You'd be hard pressed to find any major university's sports conditioning program that does not incorporate speed training for their athletes. Speed in just about any sport is an asset worth developing and having.
Misconceptions
One of the primary misconceptions when it comes to speed training is that by developing a fast 40-yard dash time, you improve your overall performance on the field or court. The truth is, depending upon the sport you play, nothing could be further from the truth. For example, if you play a sport that places a premium on short, quick bursts of speed--tennis, volleyball and even basketball--you never sprint 40 continuous yards during a game. If you're this type of athlete, acceleration--being able to produce speed quickly--is much more functional for you than a fast 40-yard dash. So, depending upon the sport you play, don't place all, or even any, of your emphasis on a fast 40, but instead, on the type of speed you'll actually need for your sport.
References
- "Sports Speed"; George Dintiman and Bob Ward; 2003
- "Training for Speed, Agility and Quickness"; Lee E. Brown, and Vince A. Ferrigno; 2005
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