Nearly every athlete can benefit from getting faster during completion. The true essence to improvement is to know exactly what you need to work on and how to get better. In this article, becoming faster is broken down into three parts in order to cater your training towards more specific athletic goals.
1. Speed
Overall speed means to be able to move rapidly or accelerate for a certain period of time. The need for speed is paramount for many athletes because it allows them the opportunity to move from one spot to another faster than their opponent, thus gaining a clear advantage during completion.
Drills to increase your speed:
- high knees
- butt kick
- skips
- carioca
- shuffle
2. Agility
In sports, agility usually refers to foot coordination and the ability to start, stop and change direction all while maintaining control of your movements (balance). Attaining agility requires a strong core and decent footwork.
Drills to improve your agility:
- speed ladder
- cone drills
- planks
3. Explosiveness
Being explosive can be defined as rapidly moving from a start position to a very short distance.
The basis of explosiveness is power, which means athletes have to train for both speed and strength in their movements.
This also requires core strength and quick feet.
Drills to improve your explosiveness:
- plyometrics
- squats
- pushups
Training for speed depends on the sports you compete in, as well as the positions that you play. Take the time to analyze your goals with detail.
The more specific you are with speed goals, more likely you can focus on improving your overall play during completion.
For example, getting faster in baseball may mean being able to explode while running bases, which is different from a soccer player or wide receiver in football who simply wants to outrun his or her opponent. A defensive end in football may want to become faster off the line of scrimmage (explosion), while a running back may want to be faster in and out of holes and avoiding defenders (agility).
Decide whether your goals on becoming faster have to deal with speed, agility or explosiveness. Although you may need to improve all three areas, start by targeting one aspect of getting faster. Once you determine why you want to become faster, you can then create a custom training regimen that targets that area or contact a coach to help you build one. Regardless of your current ability, working towards increased speed, agility and explosiveness will undoubtedly make you a better athlete.
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