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Understanding the Fundamentals

Speed is a defining attribute of athleticism. No longer considered a genetic gift, speed is a skill that ultimately depends on how effectively an athlete puts force into the ground. And like any skill, speed can be improved by training five fundamental components: stride length, stride frequency, power output, symmetry, and stamina.

Developing speed is a function of how much force an athlete develops, how quickly he does it, and how skillfully that force is applied. The laws of physics dictate that an athlete is only as fast as his last perfect foot contact with the ground. Simply put, improving speed in sport is about making as many powerful, perfect foot contacts as possible over the distance needed to win.

Importance of perfect foot contact

Perfect foot contacts maximize stride length, which is defined as is the distance traveled with each step. Increasing stride length allows an athlete to cover more ground in the direction they need to move with each step-whether moving forward, sideways, or backwards. Maximizing effective stride length is done by increasing power output (how much and how fast force is applied to the ground) and optimizing the direction force is applied. If an athlete moves better and produces more power, they will improve stride length.

Significance of stride frequency

Stride frequency is improved when the quantity of perfect foot contacts an athlete makes in a given amount of time increases.Stride Frequency is a function of how quickly an athlete applies force during contact with the ground AND how quickly and skillfully he moves his leg through the air to prepare to make the next perfect foot contact. Improving power output and mechanics during contact with the ground and during the recovery phase (repositioning the limbs in the air) will increase stride frequency. Recovery phase mechanics are vital in order to get in a good position to make a perfect foot contact–as the faster you run, the less time you spend on the ground. Athletes who excel at recovery mechanics have strong muscles of the hip and trunk to stabilize the body and generate power in the air. Increasing stride frequency allows for faster acceleration and the ability to cover more distance in a shorter period of time. In short, improving stride length and stride frequency is all about improving an athlete’s mechanics (or movement skills) and their power output.

Improving movement skills and power output

Training to improve movement skills and power output is multi-faceted. Research has shown that running up a hill requires an athlete to generate more power during both ground contact and recovery and mimics the mechanics of the acceleration phase of an all-out sprint. Incline running on a treadmill is a great method to improve power output since the treadmill doesn’t slow down when the athlete gets tired or makes a mistake in their mechanics. Using a combination of a strategically-placed mirror, instant replay video to monitor technique and a skilled coach standing right next to the athlete provides a great environment for improving running mechanics and power. Strength and power training targeting key muscle groups for speed development like the hips, trunk, legs and upper body are essential for improving raw power and dynamic stability. Controlled, weighted jumps combined with eccentric overload training provide a proven way to maximize raw power output. Ground-based agility, ladder, cone and plyometric drills focused on improving the fundamentals of accelerating, decelerating, cutting, jumping and landing are vital for transferring improvements in power and conditioning to the playing field.

Symmetry is critical

Every team knows that they are only as strong as their weakest link and the same holds true with speed. An athlete is only as fast or powerful as their weakest leg. Symmetry is the balance in the power developed during contact and recovery between the right and left leg. Training for speed must include making sure the athlete can develop power equally as well with both legs.

Sustainable Stamina

Finally, stamina is an athlete’s ability to sustain power throughout competition. Sprinters only need to produce power for a few seconds, but most team sport athletes must maximize speed and power, recover, and then do it over and over again. Playing as well in the fourth quarter as the first or running the final mile as efficiently as the first, demands a level of conditioning that will allow an athlete to maintain form and technique while fatigued. A year-round training plan that incorporates an athlete’s in-season, post-season and pre-season development is required to build speed and stamina while reducing the risk of injury.

Every athlete has the capacity to improve their first step, create separation from a defender, close a gap on an opponent, make a quicker cut, increase their endurance and improve their top end speed. It requires a commitment to performance training and improving upon each of the five fundamentals to prefect the skill of speed. Come see us to make this your Summer of Speed!

At Athletic Republic, we know athletes.

We know how they work. We know how they act and react and interact with the environment around them. We know how they think. We know how their bodies are built and how their muscles respond. We know how they’re wired, from the neurologic to the metabolic.We know what makes them run and what makes them run faster. We know what makes them strong and what makes them stronger. We know what makes an athlete tick, tick, tick and now to fully develop the heart of a champion.