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8 Things You Should Know About Speed Training

8 Things You Should Know About Speed TrainingBy James Herrick, Jr

One of the most critical aspects of any training program for an athlete is how they approach developing speed. There are many misconceptions out there that may be interfering with how to greatest approach improving this vital sport skill.

In an effort to cut through some of the confusion associated with getting faster, we present the following eight concepts to help clarify how to greatest approach building speed:

1. Distance Running Is Counterproductive to Developing Speed

Much like strength training involves using heavy weights to get strong, speed training involves moving quickly to get fast. You can bench press 100 lbs for a million repetitions, however it won't do much for you when its time to go for that 300 lb lift. Running a mile or more at a jogging pace is a superb way to get in better shape, however it will never make you faster.

In fact, it will actually make it more difficult. Your body constantly adapts to the stresses imposed on it, however it can only adapt to so much at once. Long-distance runs send the message that its time to focus on building lung capacity, strengthening the heart, etc. This takes away from your body's ability increase the rate at which muscles fire, and all of the other adaptations that make you faster.

Simply put, trying to do two things at once will only make you 1/2 as good at both. Unless conditioning work is an immediate need, it's greatest to limit the time spent on it while you are focused on building speed.

2. There Is A Lot More To Being Fast In Sports Than Lowering Your Sprint Times

Athletes in many sports, football players mostly, obsess over 40 yd dash times. Baseball players do the same for the 60, however there is a lot more to playing fast in sports than sprint times.

For all the hype around the top 40 times at the NFL combine, they actually include two short distance agility tests (L Drill and Pro-I) to assess draft picks. Although that is just one example in one sport, it signals the more universal reality that change of direction and first-step quickness are both more valued commodities in sports than the over-glorified skill of straight-ahead speed.

A quality speed development program combines sprint work with both cutting and reaction drills. To supplement this, athletes likely will also need to develop their balance, core strength, ability to absorb force, and flexibility, all of which can develop your ability to move better on the field.

3. It Requires Attention To Detail

Where should your toes point when sprinting? Which leg should you put your weight on when cutting? Where should you always take your first step to begin a sprint?

These all may seem like insignificant details, however they are some of the crucial elements that can make you a step or two faster than you already are. It is the finer points of running technique that should be your main focus while training. It can take months to add enough power to drop 0.2 of a second on an agility or sprint test, however you can get the same decrease (or better) in 10 minutes by fixing a flaw in your technique.

A trained coaching eye is an invaluable resource in developing great form, however athletes need to take responsibility as well. Once you are taught how to do things right, you should have a good feel for when a cut, first step. or other movement skill was done properly or not.

4. When Learning A New Skill, Begin By Practicing At Less Than Full Speed

Think back to when you first learned long division in (hopefully) elementary school. It likely was a tough concept to grasp in the beginning because there were so many concepts to combine all at the same time. Most of us had to take our time to get it right at first. Eventually, when the process became more automatic, we could speed up the skill to get it done faster.

Any time you are learning a new way to improve a technique related to speed, the greatest way to properly develop it is to train it at a pace which allows you to get a feel for what's happening first. Then, you can gradually add speed. Eventually, like that division, with practice you will make the new skill automatic and be able to ratchet up the pace until you have mastered the skill at top speed.

5. Each Skill Needs To Become Automatic Before It Really Helps In Games

Any improved movement skill you develop in your workouts will not help much during the heat of competition if you have to think of how you are supposed to move. All sports require athletes to focus on other things instead, like team strategy and awareness of what's going on around you.

After you master a more efficient technique during training, the next step is create a more random environment to perform it in.

Here'sa simple example of what that means. Let's say you have learned the proper first step technique for moving laterally (to the side). When your coach tells you to go left, gives you a few seconds to process the information, and then says "GO!", you have perfect technique and take off explosively. But then your coach takes away telling you which way to go beforehand, and now you have react quickly either left or right on their movement. Will you still be able to do everything perfectly, and just as fast, without thinking?

This is the random environment that defines sports, and it involves being ready to efficiently move left, right, forward, backward, and everywhere in between. After mastering all the details of movement training, the final step that will assist and help transfer these skills in game conditions is to work on them in unpredictable environments.

6. How To Add Resisted And Assisted Training

Resisted training uses simply adds more weight to your frame while running. Weight sleds, vests, and other objects are commonly used, along with uphill running. Assisted training pulls you at higher speeds using tubing, or downhill running to teach your arms and legs to turn over at faster speeds.

Both are valuable additions to building straight-ahead speed, however are often misused to the point that they become counterproductive.

For resisted drills, running should still be done at full speed. If you are using too much resistance it will cause you to move slower, and interfere with your technique. More is not always better, and it would be wise to start light and gradually build up over time.

For assisted drills, these exercises should not interfere with proper technique either. To have your arms flailing all over the place while performing a tubing-assisted run will not help you in games. It may apply when running from a burning building, however that likely isn't what you're training for. Moderation is the key here, as well. Start with light pulls, and strive to keep quality form while progressing to higher speeds.

7. Getting Stronger Can Help Build Speed

Speed comes from power, which can loosely be defined as strength generated quickly. Adding strength does transfer to moving faster, and some exercises are particularly helpful.

One-leg strength drills are often overlooked, however are great for building speed. You are always pushing off of one leg when running, and supporting your body on one leg requires strength and stability in many different muscles that do not get challenged in two leg drills, like squats and deadlifts. There are many variations of squats and lunges that you can perform to build one-leg strength.

This is not to say that all two-leg drills are useless, because Olympic-style lifts like cleans can build tremendous amounts of power. Plyometrics are also good to use, when performed properly. Two-leg exercises like these that help you absorb force will get you off the ground quicker with every stride. One-leg versions of these drills can be problematic at first, because they can lead to overuse injuries (like tendonitis) fairly easily.

Lower body training is not the only way to build speed in the weight room. Core and upper body strength help to maintain proper torso alignment. They also help to create faster arm action, which in turn forces the legs to turn over faster to increase stride frequency.

8. It Is A Long-Term Process, Requiring Dedication And Patience

It has been said that speed is a trait you build from year to year. More so than any other skill, it requires you to take the long view when it comes to seeing results. Impatient athletes who want to be faster overnight will quickly grow frustrated with the process. Unfortunately many give up too soon, not persevering to reap the vast benefits of proper movement training.

In any season when you are not playing a sport full time, you should dedicate at least three 30 minute workouts per week towards speed development. Unless you are already knowledgeable on the subject, select a quality coach in your area who can teach you how to move efficiently in your sport. Armed with the right information, and a stubborn desire to hang in for the long term, you will get that extra step or two you need to take your game to the next level.

Jim Herrick, Jr. is the Strength & Conditioning Coach at Cushing Academy, located in Ashburnham, MA. Jim has trained hundreds of athletes in all aspects of sports performance since 1998. To find out more about our training programs, visit http://www.powersourcetraining.com

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Why Individual-Specific Training is More Important Than Sport-Specific Training

Why Individual-Specific Training is More Important Than Sport-Specific TrainingBy James Herrick, Jr

As athletic development training has evolved over the last ten years, there has been a growing desire for sport-specific workouts. Parents and athletes alike commonly ask for programs that only pertain to one sport. Rarely, however, does anyone come in and ask for a plan that fits them personally.

From a coaching standpoint, it is sometimes difficult to explain precisely what makes a training program apply to one particular sport in place of another. If only there were, say 100 drills that only applied to one sport, and another 100 for a different sport, then this would be a simple concept. Of course, that is not the case. And even if this were true, it still misses the mark on how to greatest structure a workout plan.

Before getting into individualized training, we need to define what sport-specific actually training is, and why it probably isn't what most people really need.

General vs. Sport-Specific Training

All types of training drills (strength, speed, power, etc.) can be classified as either a general or sport-specific exercise. General training drills apply to most, or all sports. Sport-specific only applies to one or two, and may only be relevant to a particular position within a sport (like goalie drills for hockey).

To get a better idea of the difference between them, let's take a look at two leg strength exercises: squats and 45° sled pulls. The squat, when performed properly, is an outstanding strength-building exercise for the lower body and core. Since these are qualities every athlete needs, adding squats to a workout would benefit people in any sport. The 45° sled pull is also a leg strength drill, however it's designed to specifically strengthen the legs in a skating stride motion. Because this is most beneficial to ice sports like hockey and figure skating, it would be greatest classified as sport-specific.

Simply put, general training drills develop the basic skills necessary to become a better athlete, regardless of the sport. And if a drill can make you faster, improve core strength, balance, or any other fundamental athletic trait, it should have a place in your program.

Sport-specific drills are valuable additions to many workout plans, however usually account for less than half of the overall program. Overspecializing in drills that only pertain to your sport can prevent you from building the underlying skills you need to realize your full athletic potential.

Individualized Training

Taking individual considerations into account is far more important than designing a program for any one sport. Two main factors should be stressed for each unique case: their age, and the most glaring weaknesses in their skill set.

From an age standpoint, there are certain skills that are greatest trained during different stages of development. For simplicity, we will only split children into 2 groups: Ages 15+ or 14 and under.

Kids under the age of 14 are still developing basic motor skills like balance and coordination. They have bones, ligaments and tendons that are still in a highly adaptive state, and are much more susceptible to injury.

Considering what can be vastly improved, this is a time for lots of general balance and coordination work, along with plenty of speed and agility drills. On the flip side, great care should be taken with all strength training in this stage. Although strength drills absolutely should be part of an under 14 program, heavier weight work is unwarranted. Challenging bodyweight drills, and light weight training work to teach technique should be stressed. Repetitions should stay high to ensure that the poundage isn't too stressful on the musculoskeletal system.

Sport-specific training can be introduced during these years, however the main focus should be on general skills that build a solid athletic foundation.

For athletes ages 15 and up, the focus should switch to power, strength,increased muscle mass (if necessary), speed-endurance, and injury prevention.

Heavier weight training and advanced plyometric training can be gradually added, as the main growing years become a distant memory. Increased volume of training, meaning workouts that are longer and occur more often, should also be introduced. This will increase the "horsepower", or explosive capabilities, of the individual. If there is one trait that can help you to play at higher levels in any sport, it is increased explosiveness.

Speed endurance is difficult to build in younger years because the cardiovascular system isn't quite ready to handle it. Your ability to tolerate higher levels of lactic acid (that's the stuff that causes the burning pain in your muscles) begins to grow in the late teen years. Particularly for serious speed endurance sports like soccer and basketball, this can and should be a part of all high school and college-age off-season plans.

Injury prevention is an overlooked aspect of most programs, however should be emphasized as an athlete gets older. Basic movement patterns can be altered by injuries (even something as minor as an ankle sprain), or by the cumulative effect of intense training. To counteract these unwanted changes, assessments that identify potential problems, along with targeted flexibility drills to correct them, should be implemented on a frequent and regular basis.

Training for this age group should also continue to build on the balance, speed, and agility foundation they began in their younger years. Sport-specific exercises fit better now as most children will have targeted which sport is a priority for them. Assuming they have already built a strong foundation of basic athletic skills, they now have more time to specialize their training.

Once the basic parameters are determined based on age, a program can be further tailored to an individual based on specific skills that are underdeveloped. For those who need to improve their ability to absorb force, plyometric training should be emphasized. Others who have subpar upper body strength would be wise to spend extra time on this skill. We are all human, and everyone has weaknesses in their unique profile that can be brought up to a higher level. Poor programs focus on the strengths of the individual, however good ones eliminate weaknesses.

Conclusion

It is important for parents and players alike to realize that quality workout programs are a blend of general and sport-specific exercises. What should be a larger focus is how to tailor a program to the unique needs of the individual.

It is worth repeating that focusing on bringing up weak points should be a top priority in any off-season plan. Skill testing will assist and help develop a profile that can serve as a road map to your program design. The old saying that you are only as good as your weakest link is as true in sports training as it is in anything else.

It may seem that improving a skill you've never been good at will be impossible. Almost every time, however, those who are brave enough to take small steps towards overcoming their weakness someday look back and realize that they have overcome a major roadblock to their careers. Never be afraid to develop your weaknesses.

"Don't think in terms of limitations. Think in place of possibilities." - Jerry Lynch

Jim Herrick, Jr. is the Strength & Conditioning Coach at Cushing Academy, located in Ashburnham, MA. Jim has trained hundreds of athletes in all aspects of sports performance since 1998. To find out more about our training programs, visit http://www.powersourcetraining.com

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Boxing Training For Speed and Strength

Boxing Training For Speed and StrengthBy Nicholas Gautrey

I have been boxing for nearly two years now and I have been looking for that competitive edge on my opponents.