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. 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 athletes to make the big play. You don’t need luck to be in the right place at the right time if you are fast enough.
Simple daily drills to increase your speed:
- high knees
- butt kick
- skips
- carioca
- shuffles
2. Agility
In sports, agility usually refers to foot coordination and the ability to start, stop and change direction all while maintaining control. Attaining agility requires a strong core and good footwork.
Improve your agility by doing low-impact exercises like:
- speed ladders
- cone drills
- Jump rope
3. Explosiveness
Being explosive can be defined as rapidly moving from a starting position through a 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, the more directly you can focus on improving your overall play during competition.
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 needs to outrun their 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 (agility).
Decide whether your goals for 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.
