Your goal? Breakneck speed.
How? The most efficient way possible, by getting stronger.
Speed Development: How Speed Kills
On the playing field, those who win the first steps win the match-up. These days ladder drills, endless speed mechanics, and endless resisted sprinting drills are the primary method of speed development. These are great. But to develop blazing speed you must be strong as well.
Why?
You run faster by applying more force into the ground. Shin angles, joint stacking, and optimizing strides are great, but reinforce these mechanics in warm-ups and low volume speed work.
Barbell Basics
When it comes to building a strength foundation, KISS. Keep it simple stupid.
Basic barbell exercises are all you need for strength. Sprinting requires triple extension (hip, knee, and ankle), overcoming vertical and horizontal forces, and developing rhythm and timing.
The following exercises have tremendous transfer to speed development.
1. Squat
Both back squats and front squats are fantastic strength builders. Build stronger legs, apply more force into the ground, and move faster. It’s that simple.
2. Power cleans
During the Clean, speed is transferred between the bar and the bod through triple extension of the hip, knee, and ankle. This trains explosive power similar to that of acceleration, as large amounts of force in a very short period of time are required. Additionally, the power clean requires rythm and timing, two underrated aspects of sprinting success.
3. Barbell Hip Thrust
Barbell hip thrusts develop insane hip extension strength. Strong hip extension and powerful glutes directly transfers to the extension patterns in sprinting.
4. Barbell Lunge
Single leg exercises require strength with added mobility and stability while minimizing muscle imbalances. Sprinting requires dynamic single leg stability, and total body strength. Lunges fit the bill for speed development.
5. Deadlift
Deadlifts are great for total body strength development. Specifically, the glutes, hamstrings, erectors, and traps are forced to work together and overcome a large resistance. Deadlifts are one of the best total body strength exercises for sprint speed carry over.
It’s a Wrap on Speed Development
Building explosive strength is essential to train like an athlete. Strength provides the foundation to develop all other athletic qualities. When the foundation is set, strength and speed specific drills will provide a lethal combination for maximal speed development.
Keep training simple. Adding more and complicating things doesn’t necessary mean results, it just means a greater time requirement.
Get strong, practice perfect mechanics with a low volume, and see massive gains in speed development.