Guest Blog from TrueFitness: The Need for Speed

In Sport the need for speed is prevalent almost every second of every game.  No other factor can be a game changer so quickly. Because speed is so critical, specific training for speed should be a major component of a sports performance training program.  Today I would like to discuss the components that will make up just such a program.

Speed is defined as distance over time; we train to cover a specific distance in less time, or cover more distance in the same time.  If we can improve our explosiveness and power, we should be able to improve our speed.

Speed can be broken into several categories: first step, maximal, lateral & long distance. Although they are all important, different sports have a different priority for each category.

For rugby, first step and maximal speed are of utmost importance.  Long distance is least important: even if a player has to run the length of the pitch, that’s not necessarily defined as a ‘long distance’ and the opportunity for full-length pitch runs is limited.

First step speed: how fast can we get moving? The initial step determines a lot of an athlete’s success in sports, so improving first step explosion is a critical component of a training program.  Working on short burst sprint drills and power exercises will help to improve an athlete’s first step.  This should be part of nearly every workout in preparation for the season.

Maximal speed (or, more importantly, the ability to reach maximal speed quickly) is also of utmost importance in most sports.  It is not necessarily the fastest person who is the winner or the better athlete, but usually it is the athlete who reaches maximal speed sooner.  A world class sprinter might be very fast in the 100 meters but if it takes all 100 meters to reach maximal speed, then that sprinter will never really use full speed during any competition.  It is much more important to reach full speed in less time and with fewer steps. Working to improve maximal speed is essential for improving sports performance.

Depending on the sport, lateral speed might also be important.  Rare is the occasion in sport when we get to move in a straight line for the duration of a run.  Therefore, being fast laterally is just as important as being fast in a forward direction.  To improve this, an athlete must work on drills that have a side-to-side component.  Changing direction is a key here, since lateral movement is usually the result of a direction change.

Long distance speed can be important in sport, too; long distance training allows us to focus primarily on conditioning and form.  Remember that when training for your sport and adding a long distance component, the training speed still needs to mimic the speed of the sport so the distance need not be so great as to create an inability to run at full speed.

These are the components of speed that we need to work on with our athletes.  Improving the speed of our athletes will make them better and will most certainly improve sports performance.

For more info and education on sports performance training be sure to check out our group page on Facebook, TrueFitness Performance Conditioning.  You will learn valuable lessons to be your best and improve your athleticism.
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Anyone in the San Diego area is welcome to drop in at our studio at 2949 Garnet Ave. 3rd floor, Pacific Beach, CA.  We would love to put you through our workout.   Please feel free to call or email Spencer Aiken,CSCS  (951) 296-7993 email:spencer@truefitness.biz

Article written by Spencer Aiken, CSCS, CEO, TrueFitness

Edited by Clarissa Constantine, FitToPublish.com