Next Level Formula for Speed

Next Levels Formula for speed.



Maximizing speed potential can make a mediocre player good,
and a good player great. This is one of the most highly sought
after athletic qualities and for good reason. Speed is one of
the most devastating weapons an athlete can posses on the
field, court, or ice. We have had tremendous success developing
speed in our athletes by implementing the following formula.

1. Develop relative body strength to a high level
2. Mastering the basics of proper running mechanics
3. Improving the body’s Rate of Force development
4. Attaining appropriate body composition levels
5. Structure your speed sessions appropriately

Now let’s take a closer look at each variable of our speed
formula.


Develop relative body strength to a high level
Being strong relative to your body weight is the foundation
for almost every athletic quality. This will improve every
aspect of your game, especially your first step and 10-15 yd
acceleration. The more force you are capable of putting into
the ground the faster you are going to move. A good starting
point for lower body relative strength is a squat or dead lift
between 1.5 to 2.0 x body weight for males, and 1.25 to 1.5 x
body weight for females. More often than not, we see a steady
improvement on speed tests as our athletes approach these numbers.

Mastering the basics of proper running mechanics
Weight training alone will not be enough for most athletes. Being
proficient in proper running mechanics will enable the athlete to
apply their strength in the most efficient manner as they put
force into the ground. The more proficient you become the more
your strength transfers to the field. That being said, most
team sport athletes don’t have to be a mirror image of Usain Bolt
to maximize their speed potential. I have never seen Usain change
directions, contact a competitor, or have a stick or ball in his
hand. Put the majority of your focus on mastering the basics and
you will be surprised how far it will take you.

Improving the body’s Rate of Force development
Once a foundation of relative strength and proper running mechanics
has been established, it is important to train the body to wake up
its sprinting muscles by recruiting the appropriate motor units
quickly. The faster you can recruit a group of muscles the faster
you will accelerate, jump, and change directions. This can be
accomplished with a variety of exercises and drills including:
Olympic lifts, box jumps, position specific plyometrics, and
exercises done in the “power range.”

Attaining appropriate body composition levels.
To be blunt, fat people are not fast people. By attaining the
appropriate body fat percentage you won’t waste the force you are
putting into the ground by dragging around any extra baggage.
If you take A 200 lb. athlete at 14% body fat and a 200 lb. athlete
at 9% body fat, who can both squat 2x their body weight, I will bet
on 9% every time. Most male athletes involved in speed and power
sports should be in the single digits regarding body fat percentage
to maximize their speed. Just be sure to attain this through
appropriate nutritional strategies and energy system work. One of
the worst things an athlete can do to improve speed is trying
to drop body fat by doing excessive cardio workouts.

Structure your speed sessions appropriately
One of the most common mistakes athletes make is confusing speed
work with conditioning work. When developing speed you are trying
to teach your body to run at 100% of its capability. This is not
possible if the athlete is not completely recovered between sprints.
At Next Level we generally stick to a 1:12 to 1:30 work to rest ratio
during speed workouts. So if your sprint takes 5 seconds to complete,
be sure to rest 60 to 150 seconds. Keep in mind that even though you
are giving 100% effort you may only be running at 90% of your
capability when not fully recovered. This is not speed training!

Another important consideration in program design is the total
volume of your speed session. At Next Level we use a general
rule of thumb of keeping our total training volume for speed
development under 500 yards for the session. This includes
all drills except the warm up. So, if you performed 10 sets
of 10 yard sprints your training volume would be 100 yards.
Remember, speed work should be about high quality reps,
proper running mechanics, and high speeds. These all break
down quickly when exceeding the 500 yard mark.


Hopefully these tips will help you maximize your speed
development. By implementing the formula above, Next Level
athletes routinely drop .02 seconds off their 40 time in one
off-season. (more for females!) How much better would your
game be if you improved from a 4.8 second 40 to a 4.6?
If you are a local athlete who is interested in participating
in one of our speed development programs, contact us
at 303-237-3390.

Best of luck in your training endeavors.