6 Speed Training Tips To Practice Now

6 Speed Training Tips To Practice Now: Start improving your running speed now! If it is offseason, train hard to improve your speed. And, train during the season to maintain the speed you have worked so hard to improve.

Speed Training in the Offseason

Rest, active rest and recovery is paramount in the offseason. Recover from or rehabilitate injuries during this period. When the time is right, you can make the most gains in speed during the offseason. Weight training, speed training and power training (especially with plyometrics) should be done.

Speed Training During The Season

During this phase of training, increases in strength and speed may still be needed (as in track and field). In other sports, such as baseball or football, strength and power needs to be maintained during the season. This means that if you stop strength and power training during the season, your performance will begin to decline as the season wears on.

It is also critical that you get adequate rest and proper nutrition during the season. Some sports, such as baseball and basketball, require you to play as many as 5-6 games per week. And, a sport such as football takes a physical toll on the body. The right balance of training, nutrition and rest is necessary to allow you to maintain peak performance.

Every athlete wants more speed. Speed is much more than straight-ahead running.

Here are six speed training tips you can start today:

1. Straight-ahead speed is important but there are other types of speed such as starting speed, acceleration speed, top-end speed, change-of-direction speed, stopping speed, closing speed and speed endurance.

You should train for all types of speed particular to your sport. Quickness, which is reacting explosively without hesitation should also be trained for and will enhance your overall speed.

2. Your body needs adequate strength (including core strength) and speed strength (power) for you to reach your running speed potential.

3. Master bodyweight speed drills before progressing to assisted or weight-bearing speed drills.

4. You need to master the basic running mechanics to become faster. Posture, arm action and leg action are keys to improving your speed.

5. Running alone will not give you the leg strength you will need to improve your running speed. You should strengthen your legs with exercises like squats, step ups and lunges because these exercises use the same pathways that it takes to run with speed.

Don't worry about leg extensions too much because the quadriceps will get plenty of work with other exercises. Instead, focus on strengthening the hamstrings with exercises like hamstring curls, straight-leg deadlifts and good mornings.

The quadriceps shouldn't be significantly stronger than the hamstrings. If so, you are headed for injuries such as knee ACL tears. And, don't forget about your calf muscles.

The calf muscles provide at least 30% of the strength and power it takes to run fast. Use calf raises (seated or standing) to strengthen the calves.

6. You have to train fast to get faster! Too much distance running will defeat your goal of improving your speed. When training for speed, distance running should be kept to a minimum because it reduces explosiveness. You can condition for your sport by doing metabolic training, which is training that closely mimics your game-time competition.

Train hard, smart and get faster!

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