04/14/2019
Strength Training and Speed Development
Every athlete is looking to improve their speed and explosiveness on the field. Unfortunately, there is an ample amount of misinformation that athletes have to sort through.
Here are the TOP 5 SPEED DEVELOPMENT need to knows If you want to take your speed to the next level, it is very important that you spend time developing each one of these following areas:
1. Relative Strength - Relative Strength, in simplest terms, is how strong an individual is in relationship to their body weight. A simple example involves a 140 lb. athlete whose initial back squat is 140 lbs. With consistent training, they improve their back squat to 210-280 lbs, (1.5 to 2x his/her bodyweight) with a minimal increase in bodyweight, there is a very high chance the athlete will now run faster and jump higher. Another avenue to improve relative strength is by improving body composition (losing weight) through optimal eating habits. Common areas of weakness are Quads ( 1st 10 yards) and Hams & Glutes ( called the afterburners) for top end speed.
2. Sprint Mechanics – An athlete’s sprint technique is a common area of weakness. Regularly work arm swing mechanics as well as acceleration and max velocity mechanics is crucial to improving game speed.
3. Mobility/Flexibility - Many athletes in today's age suffer from sitting too much and constantly being on their phones, tablets, and/or video games. The total time spent in poor posture needs to be addressed by participating in mobility and stability improving exercises and movements that maximize posture and improve structural balance. These exercises help improve stride length as well as force production. Common areas of poor mobility are at the hip, ankle, and shoulder. ��
4. Force Development - As an athlete’s general strength begins to improve to levels of 1.5 to 2x bodyweight in the back squat, the focus can start to shift to improving rate of force development. The four main training strategies we use to develop rate of force development are plyometrics, Olympic lifts, medicine ball throws.
5. High Velocity Sprinting and Agility – Playing faster starts with the maximization of your ability on the field learned through consistent training and practice. You must learn to practice fast, train fast in order to play fast!
There are no quick fixes. Consistency and hard work in all 5 areas over time will prove to give you the best long lasting results.
SoarFit Performance offers two programs help to our athletes become fast and more explosive. The first is our Strength Training program to maximize sports performance. In this program, we work on all 5 areas listed above, which improves relative and maximal strength and speed. Our second program Speed and Agility training includes everything listed above except weight training. This training session is geared towards athletes who already resistance train or our younger athletes ages 9-15 who can improve relative and maximal strength by body weight exercise.
Have questions please contact us at [email protected]
