08/05/2026
I’ve shaved 0.11s off my accel 20 over the last 6 months (originally a PB I set back in 2023)—even surprising myself. Here’s what I’ve done differently.
1. Less strength work. I really only deliver a strength stimulus to my legs with one exercise each week (back squat). I still hit some power cleans, but less volume, and just get a taste of some hamstring work (six sets total from three exercises vs. nine previously). I no longer do heavy single leg strength twice per week and instead focus on some lumbopelvic function with double step ups.
2. Less jumps and plyometrics. I no longer do much jump work in my strength sessions, rather I use this time to address structure rather than double dipping on neural stimulus. I still hit my extensive plyos, drilling and bounds on my speed days, but this is consolidated rather than dispersed across my training week.
3. No more resisted sprints. This is probably the biggest one. I’ve always done a lot of resisted sprint work (see 4-2-2-4) protocol, but I’ve gone away from this and instead just spend that energy on additional free sprint acceleration work.
4. Red shoes and more caffeine. Enough said.
I’m not saying everyone should do this. All the things I did previously developed the structure, nervous system and technique that have allowed me to improve. What it has shown me is how sensitive speed expression is to fatigue and how much heavy and slow strength work may have negative transfer when delivered in high volumes.
For the record—I always time my sprints from back foot toe off (start) to torso breaking plane of finish line. This is my preferred method as it is highly consistent and can be administered with nothing more than a camera (no expensive or clunky timing equipment required).
