SPORT SPEED
One of the foundational components almost every athlete needs is speed. Unfortunately, most athletes learn the technical and tactical aspects of their sport, but never get enough time to learn and develop sport speed. Do you feel the need for speed? For the most part, every athlete would benefit from running faster. Today we’ll share a few drills that can help you build better patterns for your linear speed. Even if you, yourself don’t “feel the need for speed”, probably someone in your family or friend circle does, so please share these drills with them.
Prior to any explosive training including the suggested speed drills, make sure you’ve done a warm-up that will help prepare your body. At PI we refer to this as a RAMP. 1) Incorporate Range of motion of the muscles and joints about to be stressed, 2) Activation of muscles so you can produce maximal force, and 3) Movement Prep which refers to motion to help prepare you for the work ahead. The Wall posture drill below and Wall strides can be considered your Movement Prep part of your warm-up before trying the more explosive Wall stride switches and load and lift. For Range of Motion roll and/or dynamic stretch hip flexors, calves, quads, and hamstrings, and activate your core, glute stabilizers and postural muscles.
Learning how to sprint properly takes time, but these drills will develop your posture and position so you can get the most out of your body. We refer to these drills as Acceleration Wall Drills.
ACCELERATION WALL DRILLS:WALL POSTURE HOLD
• Lean into a wall at a 45-degree angle with your hands in front of your shoulders
• Stay on the ball of your foot with your back leg and bring the other knee in front of your hip
• Your front leg should create a “4” so the heel is pulled back towards the midline slightly
• Body tension is key here, so keep your core, lats, and glutes tight
• Perform 2 sets x :30 seconds each side
WALL STRIDES
• Start in the same position as the Wall Posture Hold
• Remember to keep body tension in the core, lats, and glutes
• Forcefully switch legs, trying to keep your body still, focusing on good glute contraction on the support leg
• Breath out as you exchange legs to help brace your abs
• Perform 2 sets x 8/8 reps each side
WALL STRIDE SWITCHES
• Start in the same position as the Wall Posture Hold
• Remember to keep body tension in the core, lats, and glutes
• Quickly exchange your legs, trying to keep your body still. With enough power, you will momentarily leave the ground.
• Breath out as you exchange legs to help brace your abs
• Perform 2 sets x 8/8 reps each side
LOAD AND LIFT
• Start in the same position as the Wall Posture Hold
• Then lower down into single leg semi squat position while reaching your front leg behind your body
• Think about pressing through the heel
• Lower down slow and explode up
• Breath out as you drive your leg up to help brace your abs
• You should finish back in the Wall Posture Hold position• Perform 2 sets x 8/8 reps each side
If you’re interested in speed development, incorporate these exercises 2-3x/week. Stay tuned for more speed and power development drills next week on the PI Blog. Want to learn more? We’re here to help. Get on our Spring/Summer ADP (Athletic Development Program) waitlist geared towards youth athletes looking to get stronger, faster, and more resilient. Check us out at www.pitraining.ca or reach out to us at info@pitraining.ca
