Speed Training Guide: 6 Types of Speed Training

Speed training involves various exercises aimed at helping athletes develop explosive power in the lower body. Used by runners and athletes to boost their performance, speed training programs include a variety of exercises designed to improve acceleration, deceleration, quickness, and change of direction. Speed training can also help the body learn to recruit different muscle fibers, which can help lessen fatigue during long runs or athletic activity.

There are several notable benefits to speed training.

1. 1. Speed training improves athletic ability. Many athletes rely on speed and agility training programs to help improve their athletic performance. Speed drills can help athletes develop greater agility, power, and speed, which can help improve overall performance.
2. 2. Speed training can help with injury prevention. Being fast can help you quickly accelerate, stop, and change direction when necessary. Speed training trains the body to react quickly to avoid injury.
3. 3. Speed training delivers an efficient cardio workout. Much like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), speed training quickly and efficiently raises your heart rate, burns calories, and promotes total body wellness.

Here are some of the best speed workouts to help you reach your top speed and improve your ability to run long distances.

1. 1. Agility training. Agility training focuses on developing quickness, a close relative to speed. Quickness is the ability to change direction rapidly or explode with momentum from a static position. Agility training typically accomplishes this with a variety of footwork drills.
2. 2. Strength training. Strength training exercises help athletes develop greater speed-strength. Speed-strength is the ability to quickly perform high-intensity workouts, such as the power clean or snatch. Practicing strength training exercises that target the glutes, quads, and hamstrings can help build leg strength and explosive power in the lower body, propelling you forward faster.
3. 3. Fartleks. Fartlek run training is a speed training method wherein runners switch between an easy pace and fast running. This trains the body to run for longer distances. “Fartlek” is a Swedish term for “speed play”—Scandinavian running coach Gösta Holmér named the training method. There are no specific speed, time, or mileage requirements for fartlek running—it’s all about adjusting your pace according to how you feel. So long as you’re altering your pace occasionally, you’re fartlek running.
4. 4. Interval running. Interval running involves alternating short bursts of sprinting and a brief recovery period (such as a slow pace run or brisk walk) during a running workout. Interval running is usually a part of high-intensity interval training (or HIIT). Benefits include improved cardiovascular health, shorter workouts, and increased running pace. You can practice interval running outdoors or on a treadmill.
5. 5. Plyometric exercises. Plyometric exercises—sometimes called plyo exercises—are bodyweight exercises that include an explosive movement such as a jump. The explosiveness of plyometric workouts helps build muscle and elevate your heart rate for an effective cardio workout. Plyometric training programs are common among athletes looking to increase their performance by developing greater explosive power and speed.
6. 6. Running drills. Running drills are exercises to improve your sports performance. Speedrunners and long-distance runners usually perform running drills (such as high knees or butt kicks) as a running warm-up. Running drills can help you develop proper running form, improve speed, reduce the risk of injury, work different muscle groups, and build better running economy.

Consider practicing these plyometric and agility drills to develop great foot speed and forward running speed.

1. 1. Lateral plyometric jumps: A lateral jump is a plyo exercise that uses your body weight to work muscles throughout your entire body. Perform lateral jump exercises by beginning in a standing position with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and hips to lower yourself into the quarter-squat position. Perform an explosive vertical jump with a lateral movement to your side. Repeat this jump toward the opposite side and continue this movement back and forth for the desired number of repetitions.
2. 2. Plyometric box drills: A box jump is a plyometric exercise that targets your lower body muscles, including the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Perform the box jump by making a vertical jump up to a box or elevated surface. Land softly from your jump on the balls of your feet, then evenly distribute your weight along each entire foot. With proper form, this jump training exercise can add cardio to your strength-training workout routine. For an added challenge, try this single-leg variation.
3. 3. Dot drills: Dot drills are speed training drills designed to build speed and quickness. There are many variations of dot drills, but a basic dot drill involves taping several small X's in a figure-eight pattern on the floor. Using explosive power, keep your upper body straight while moving your feet in rapid succession to follow the pattern on the floor. Repeat the pattern three to six times, then sprint forward to a predetermined mark to complete the drill.
4. 4. Shuttle run: The shuttle run is an agility cone drill. Place two cones about twenty-five yards apart from each other. Sprint from the first cone to the second and immediately back again. Repeat six to eight times. Switch up the exercise by moving laterally while performing high-knees between the cones, or backpedal from the second cone to the starting cone.
5. 5. Agility ladder drills: Ladder drills, also known as agility ladder drills and speed ladder drills, are a form of high-intensity interval training using bursts of energy combined with brief periods of rest. Start by placing an agility ladder on the ground. Stand on one end of the ladder. Run the length of the entire ladder with your feet landing in the center of each box until you get to the opposite side. Make a sudden change of direction and run back to the other end of the ladder.
6. 6. High knees: High knee drills can help you land on your midfoot, increase your hamstring flexibility, and promote a more efficient running form. To perform high knees, run with your knees lifted. Ensure that as one foot hits the ground, the other foot lifts. Pump your arms as you lift your knees.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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