Speed Is a Skill

Depending on your sport, or your fitness goals, the importance of speed could be a defining characteristic of your success. Naturally, track and cross country athletes want to run fast, but speed can help in almost all team and individual sports where strength and conditioning come into play. Whether you’re a running back who needs to hit the gap just a split second before the linebacker can wrap you up, or a basketball player who needs to explode past the defender for a layup, speed can be your best friend on the field, court, or whereever you’re trying to improve.

Given all else, a faster athlete tends to be a better one and luckily many of the defining characteristics of speed are skill-based. That means they can be trained and improved upon.

It is important to work with a coach who can teach you the skills and mechanics you need to learn. To improve speed, you need to make progress in the following 3 areas: strength, mobility, and mechanics.

An athlete can become faster by improving their absolute strength and relative strength to their body weight. This can be achieved through a combination of resistance training and plyometric exercises. Heavy squats and deadlifts will help develop the motor unit recruitment and ability of the leg muscles to produce force.

Plyometric exercises like box jumps will strengthen connective tissue and improve the stretch-shortening cycle in the muscle. Athletes will grow stronger and more powerful and this will directly correlate with increases in speed. Working with a coach who is well versed in speed development will help you get results quickly and stay injury-free.

Improving mobility, the ability of your joints to move freely and easily can directly improve your speed. This is primarily due to the increase in stride length when the hips, knees, and ankles have a full range of motion. This allows for greater muscular contraction due to the body having a higher threshold for motor recruitment.

Your coach should explain the proper way to dynamically stretch, warmup, cooldown, and mobilize as a part of your program. It is important to discuss any past injuries with your coach so they can help you to the best of their ability.

The foundational movement pattern of running is a skill just like any other. Learning how to generate power through the proper mechanics can be a game-changer for many athletes and may make you feel like you are running for the first time all over again.

The timing, stride length, ability to change directions, and use of both the arms and legs for explosive movement are all essential skills to improve speed. Your coach will be able to address your unique needs and provide the proper guidance to dial in your mechanics.

If you are serious about improving speed to achieve your goals, seek out one of our coaches to develop a training plan to reach your goals.

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