| Most football players can be taught and trained How | | | | Athletes need to be patient. Spend more time on the |
| To Run Fast! | | | | ground as they overcome inertia and accelerate. Stride |
| Again, in case you forgot, true speed work is defined | | | | length and frequency should increase naturally, as a |
| as 2-8 seconds of full speed, full intensity running with | | | | result of efficient force application, strength and |
| full (minimum of 3 minutes) recovery. | | | | mechanics. They should not be forced. |
| If your 'football speed workouts' don't fall under that | | | | Athletes should reach triple extension with each stride, |
| category, then you are not training your football | | | | fully completing the action of driving down (and back). |
| players to improve their ability to accelerate effectively | | | | Instead I see athletes trying to shift gears too quickly. |
| or develop faster top speeds. | | | | This results in reaching a slower top speed earlier in |
| Because running fast is, without question, a skill. And | | | | the run. |
| there are certain elements of running that need to be | | | | Since an athlete can only maintain top speed for 1-2 |
| developed in order to get consistent results. | | | | seconds before deceleration begins, impatience during |
| And those results come from a focus on the following | | | | acceleration will cost them speed and time with every |
| five areas, in no particular order. | | | | step they take. |
| Speed Fundamental #1: TEACH PROPER ARM | | | | Speed Fundamental # 4: GET STRONGER |
| ACTION | | | | If you work with athletes, particularly teenaged athletes, |
| Ultimately the role of the arms is to stabilize the torso. | | | | then time spent developing physical strength in the |
| In doing so, it allows for greater power transfer and | | | | weight room should be a fundamental part of your |
| force application, factors critical to speed. | | | | program. |
| All arm action should take place through the shoulders. | | | | Athletes who do not focus on strength development |
| Cue athletes to keep the elbows locked at | | | | have a very low glass ceiling that will prevent them |
| approximately 90 degrees. In front, the hands should | | | | from making significant gains in speed. |
| not cross the midline of the body. | | | | It's just common sense - the stronger you are, the |
| Hands should come to cheek height in front and clear | | | | faster you can propel your body forward. |
| the hip in the back. Also, focus on driving the elbow or | | | | But this doesn't mean going into the weight room and |
| the hand down and back, keeping the elbows close to | | | | lifting like a bodybuilder. |
| the body throughout the entire range of motion. | | | | When I go in the weightroom I see athletes doing |
| You'll be surprised how difficult this is for many | | | | pointless training. |
| athletes. | | | | Here are some examples of lifts that, for our |
| Speed Fundamental #2: TRAIN FAST, RUN FAST | | | | purposes, are a waste of time: |
| I don't care what sport you coach. If all your training is | | | | - anything on a machine such as hamstring curls, leg |
| at a submaximal pace, then you are not going to | | | | extensionscalf raises, Smith Machine squats, etc. |
| develop faster athletes. It's just that simple. | | | | - single joint movements such as bicep curls |
| This principle is not just for track sprinters. From | | | | - chest flies, tricep extensions, etc. |
| soccer to football to lacrosse and everything in | | | | While these are all great movements for looking good |
| between, athletes need to train fast if they want to be | | | | at the beach, I cringe when I see in-season athletes |
| fast. | | | | doing these lifts as part of their training. And I see it |
| I'm not saying a football player shouldn't do aerobic | | | | more often than not, sadly enough. |
| work, but they spend a great deal of time accelerating | | | | If you want to know exactly how to develop strength |
| to a ball and to/from a defensive player. | | | | in your football players (even your pre-teen athletes) |
| To get where they want to go faster, they must have | | | | that will transfer to the football field or track, I |
| faster acceleration speed. And this comes from doing | | | | recommend going to either of my websites listed |
| acceleration work at full speed with full recovery as I | | | | below and check out the NFL Speed Training DVD's! |
| mentioned above. | | | | by San Diego Chargers running back LT and the |
| For some people this is difficult to comprehend. 4 | | | | Denver Broncos D-Back Champ Bailey! |
| second sprints with 3 minutes rest seems like a waste | | | | Speed Fundamental #5: STEP OVER, DRIVE DOWN |
| of time. | | | | The ability to apply force to ground and, more |
| Believe me, it isn't. | | | | specifically, mass specific force, is the primary |
| But if you're coaching true speed/power athletes like | | | | mechanical consideration you must spend your time on |
| sprinters and football players, high intensity sprints with | | | | during each speed session or drill session. |
| full recovery *must* be the *foundation* of training. | | | | Athletes have a variety of issues adversely affecting |
| Aerobic work serves as recovery from speed work, it | | | | their lower body mechanics. |
| does not get them 'in shape' specific to the demands | | | | But the vast majority of them stem from lack of |
| of football. | | | | physical strength and the inability to recover the heel |
| This is not even a debatable concept. | | | | underneath the hips, step over the opposite knee and |
| Speed Fundamental #3: BE PATIENT | | | | drive the foot down into the ground so that it lands |
| I'm not just talking about being patient with your | | | | beneath the hips and not out in front of the center of |
| athletes as you break them down to build them up. | | | | mass. |
| I'm talking about being patient within each repetition of | | | | If there is one topic of discussion that I get the most |
| speed work. | | | | questions about it is the concept of 'step over, drive |
| Speed can't be forced. Athletes must learn to override | | | | down'. |
| the voice in their head that says 'try harder, run harder, | | | | If there is one topic of discussion I get the most emails |
| push, strain, hurry up'. | | | | from satisfied customers about, it is the positive results |
| Instead they have to let the speed come to them. | | | | gained from teaching athletes how to 'step over, drive |
| During acceleration, ground contact time goes from | | | | down'. |
| long to short. But most athletes are in a big rush to get | | | | And this is the case at every level of sport. |
| up and into their 'normal' full speed running technique. | | | | I've written about this extensively in the past. So if |
| This is the equivalent of shifting the gears of a sports | | | | you're interested in reading more, check out my |
| car as quickly as possible. It will not maximize | | | | football websites and read the football coaching or |
| performance. | | | | football training articles. |
