Youth athletes need proper exposure to speed training to improve their speed and performance.
Training for speed improvement requires a multi-faceted approach, focusing on specific physical qualities and incorporating technical drills and individual weaknesses.
Deep dives
Importance of Speed Training for Athletes
Speed training is crucial for athletes, especially young athletes who are just starting their sporting journeys. Learning to develop speed is essential as running locomotion is the basis of most field and court sports. Many athletes believe that speed is something you either have or don't have, but that's a misconception. With proper exposure to speed training, athletes can improve their speed and performance. Unfortunately, many youth athletes lack exposure to speed training, which can hinder their development. Coaches and trainers need to provide opportunities for athletes to run at maximum effort and focus on methods to improve speed in a sport-specific manner.
Physical Qualities Needed for Speed
To become faster, athletes need to focus on specific physical qualities. These include the ability to produce high force per unit of body weight, both horizontally and vertically. Athletes need to be able to attack the ground with powerful and elastic movements. However, it's important to note that every athlete is unique, and the combination of physical qualities needed for speed may vary. Factors such as body type, height, and limb length can influence an athlete's individual requirements for optimizing speed. Discovering and developing these specific physical qualities is crucial for improving speed.
Technical Model for Sprinting
In sprinting, the most important aspect is hitting the ground forcefully and efficiently. The optimal strategy is to create a range of motion between the knees or thighs, with a specific range for front and back swings. Typically, sprinters aim for a range of motion between 72 and 78 degrees for the front swing and approximately 30 degrees for the back swing. It's also vital to develop stiffness in the ankle-foot-calf complex to generate power and ensure efficient ground contact. Another critical element is the recovery of the thigh after toe-off, which should be hip-dominant. While the technical model is similar for all sprinters, variations exist based on individual body types and running styles.
Training Approaches for Speed Improvement
Training for speed improvement requires a multi-faceted approach. For young athletes (around 11 to 16 years old), exposure to speed is paramount. Regularly running at maximum effort can lead to significant speed improvements. As athletes get older (16 to 18 years old), developing physical qualities such as force production and power becomes crucial. This can be achieved through resisted sprinting, plyometric exercises, and weight training. Focus shifts towards developing speed, power, and elasticity for athletes aged 18-21. As athletes progress, training intensifies and becomes more specific, incorporating technical drills with a focus on individual weaknesses and specific strategies for optimal running mechanics. Coaches should create a balanced training program that incorporates these various elements to help athletes improve their speed.
In episode 195 Les Spellman, Speed Coach, joins us.
Specifically Les will be looking at:
What speed is
How physiology relates to technique
Universial technique model
How to improve your speed
About :
"Les Spellman is one of America's elite speed performance coaches. Over the past 10+ years, Les has trained several Olympians as well as athletes in the NFL, and NCAA Division I. Most notably, he’s trained 28 NFL draft picks in the past 3 drafts including 8 first round picks."
X: @les7spellman
IG: @les7spellman
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