Strength Tip Of The Day…
Speed: Rapidity of movement or action. The act of moving rapidly.
Speed is a component of performance that is essential for the success of all of your athletic endeavors. There is an old saying that strength punishes, but speed kills! This is very true my friend and the point is that it is necessary if you expect to get the most out of your strength and conditioning program in order to leave your competition in the dust!
Speed In=Speed Out…
Plain and simple the only way to develop speed is to train with speed. Now having said that the element of speed has many faces. There are different types of speed that one can develop when looking at a training program that is geared towards athleticism. So what are the different types of speed? The different types of speed involve linear speed, lateral speed, acceleration, and deceleration. I clear these up a bit further HERE.
Now when it comes to training speed you’ve got to get the body used to producing power through the usual ingredients of plyometrics, sprinting, and speed strength drills. This is probably no mystery to you, however the manner in which these parameters can be set will determine the outcome and level of your speed development. For instance, if we start with an agility ladder we want to make certain that our running mechanics are sound with both the upper and lower body area in order to maximize force production during the act of sprinting.
The arms and legs must be set in motion so that all wasted motion is eliminated and that the movements during sprinting are as efficient as possible. Leg drive should be trained to get the foot to and from the ground as quickly as possible and this is accomplished by speeding up the SSC (Stretch Shortening Cycle). During the act of performing some basic linear high knee sprints on an agility ladder your legs should resemble in motion like pistons inside of Shelby Mustang Cobra! Here’s a little video I put together recently with me hammering out some linear high knee sprints on the agility ladder. Note the up and down movement of my feet and legs.
So ‘ole Coach BR still has the skills! 🙂 Now this drill is rather intense right out of the gates, but as you progress this drill can be further intensified by adding an additional load or resistance for greater force production. The simple addition of a loaded vest or resistance bands would accomplish this in a hurry. No pun intended. Of course there are other things that influence the development of athleticism and speed my friend, but we’ll have to touch on those in another blogisode.
If you need additional help with some strategy and innovation within your own strength or speed program then make sure you get yourself a copy of my Brandon Richey’s Better Than Steroids ebook right here.
If you currently are engaged in a speed program or are thinking about starting feel free to leave your questions and comments in the comment box below this article. Remember that most anybody can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend.
