Stop Making These 5 ‘Speed Training’ Mistakes
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Nearly every sport will favor the athlete who can move their body through space with the most speed and control. Within the context of the sport itself, the athlete who can best anticipate what will happen, decide what to do when it happens, and physically execute their strategy has the greatest chance of success. This article focuses on the physical component of speed, and how to avoid common training errors that often get in the way of speed development.
Error #1: Having a poor measurement strategy
This one won’t necessarily “prevent” you from getting faster, but it can certainly make it very difficult to know if what you are doing is working or not. The most common method of measurement for speed training is to hand-time runs with a stopwatch. However, several studies have shown significant error margins with this method. For example, this 2015 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that hand timing in the 40-yd sprint is likely to produce significantly faster times than with electronic timing, demonstrating an average difference of about 0.25 seconds.
Electronic timing systems can offer more consistent and reliable data, but the quality and costs of these products can vary. I recommend checking out this Simplifaster article for more insight on which electronic timing product might be best for your needs. While not everyone can afford to purchase a GPS package or timing gate system, most athletes have access to slow-motion video via smartphone, which may provide an alternative solution for timing short sprints.
source: Simplifaster’s buyer’s guide to sports timing for Speed
In addition to equipment, it’s important to consider all environmental variables present while timing. For example, wind, altitude, temperature, humidity, clothing, running surface, slope, and shoe stiffness can all affect sprinting performance.
You likely won’t be able to control whether it rained the night before or if there’s been a 45-day drought, but you should know that mud or soft grass will likely result in slower times than hard turf or a rubber track. If you are using timing gates, you’ll want to make sure that they are set up at the same height each session. If you are using a camera, you’ll want to keep the camera distance and angles consistent as well.
Error #2: Not producing enough force
In other words, an athlete does not have the requisite strength to sprint fast. There’s no rule that says you need to squat 3x your bodyweight or hang clean 225 lb to run fast. But, there are two questions to consider when it comes to strength and sprinting.
First, is the athlete strong enough to display sound running technique? The answer is probably “no” if any of the following behaviors are observed while sprinting:
The athlete is incapable of producing any air time (at least one foot is always in contact with the ground)
The athlete is incapable of sprinting in a straight line
The athlete is incapable of maintaining a forward-leaning torso posture during acceleration
Second, will further strength gains improve power output? Once the initial checkpoint is taken care of, further strength development allows for a greater total capacity for producing force. Generally speaking (I’ll expand more in Error #3), the more total force you can produce, the greater your potential is for developing speed.
Error #3: Producing a lot of force, but not in the right direction
The angle at which an athlete needs to direct force into the ground will change based on the type of running that the athlete is doing. From the point an athlete starts sprinting to the point at which they hit their maximal velocity, the athlete is in the Acceleration phase of sprinting. Early acceleration requires an acute or horizontal force vector in order to push the body forward. The more horizontal force an athlete can express, the greater their acceleration capabilities. As the athlete gains speed and momentum, force vectors become more vertical. Most team sport athletes spend significantly more time in the Acceleration phase during practice and competition - yet, most lower body strength and power training done in the weight room is done vertically (think squats, deadlifts, and cleans).
Forces generated during running
How do we train horizontal force? Sprinting is one of the best ways to improve horizontal force production and sprint speed. However, due to its high neural and physiological cost, we don’t want to rely solely on sprinting to develop this trait. Outside of the weight room, we can implement resisted sprints (using sleds, hills, or partner resistance), heavy sled pulls/pushes, medicine ball throws, and bodyweight plyometrics such as broad jumps and bounds. Athletes benefit when their training program includes both vertical and horizontal force development. Increasing the total (vertical & horizontal) force an athlete can produce means the athlete has a higher potential for expressing force in a horizontal vector.
Error #4: Confusing Speed Training with Conditioning
We’ve all experienced the dreaded “everyone on the line!” order from Coach at the end of practice. Running lines while gasping for air and holding back last night’s ravioli from ending up on your cleats is sure to make you tired, it’s not going to make you any faster. In fact, if you want to increase your maximal sprint speed, you’ll benefit more from taking several minutes between each rep.
Short duration, maximal effort exercises like sprints will typically require at least 3-5 minutes between bouts to avoid a reduction in power output. At some point during a sprinting session (depending on the individual), the athlete will begin experiencing a reduction in power, even if adequate rest is allowed between reps. If using timing gates or real-time GPS to monitor the training session, it should be clear when this threshold is reached. If maximal speed is the primary training focus for the athlete, it’s better for the athlete to conclude the session at this time, or at least change the drill to focus on a different training variable.
Error #5: Doing too much
Remember that sprinting has a very high neural and physiological cost. If you are lifting weights, competing or practicing strenuously, and doing additional sprint sessions per week, you’ll need to balance your workloads intentionally and take your recovery very seriously. A failure to manage training stress appropriately is likely to decrease performance in all areas of physical and mental performance. The deeper an athlete dives into an overtrained state, the longer it takes to climb out of the hole.
“The lack of acceptance for proper work-to-rest ratios can turn speed workouts into mindless conditioning very quickly… Normalize rest, and it will pay dividends across the board.”
One helpful practice for scheduling training is to designate days as either high or low physical stress, taking all physical exertions into account each day, and ensuring adequate sleep, nutrition, and hydration as consistently as possible on all days. In regards to monitoring workloads, several wearable devices on the market offer heart rate, respiratory rate, and sleep monitoring to help individuals track their ability to recover and perform. A zero-cost solution that has shown promise is the use of a daily readiness questionnaire, typically in the form of a handful of questions that ask an athlete to give subjective ratings of stress, soreness, energy, mood, and sleep.
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