Training For Speed

True speed training it’s not as easy as it may seem, because at its core, speed is skill, and you need smart training to acquire that skill. There are many cases where athletes reach the point of exhaustion by training with their coaches. At this point the sprint reduces to a jog which eventually translates into a walk.

The coach is probably under the impression that by exhausting his/her athletes, they have gained more, but in reality, the athlete becomes even slower. Greater running volumes increase endurance instead of speed.

The question then remains as to what workout really generates more speed. Here are 4 exercises that are guaranteed to make a difference in the speed of any athlete.

How to increase stride frequency:

1. The Quick High-Knees Exercise – 2 x 20-yards

Maintain speed by placing high knees. Your speed of movement should increase and your ground contact time should decrease as you move forward. Alternate between walking and running in increments of five yards till the 20 yard mark is attained.

2. The Quick Steps Exercise- 2 x 20-yards

Lift your feet at a height of your ankles and begin moving in place. As the five yard mark comes closer, increase the frequency of such steps as you move along. Repeat the above step for more times until you have successfully reached 20 yards.

3. Combination of the two

Combine the two previous exercises into one 40 yard sprint. Start with the quick steps and switch to high knees after 20 yards. You need to remember that stride frequency is what you should be gunning for.


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