Speed, Agility & Power Training

Speed, agility, and power training increase athletic performance.

Speed, agility and power training are key to peak performance. Speed is the ability to move quickly from one point to another. Agility allows athletes to stop and change direction. Power, on the other hand, refers to the force applied in a short period of time. Training these key components improves overall athletic performance.

Speed

Speed training means practicing moving at a quick pace, improving the fast twitch muscle firing patterns. Assistive speed training refers to increasing the number of strides taken, whereas resistive speed training refers to the length of the stride. Both types of speed training are necessary for an overall increase in speed. Speed training sessions are typically five sets of 10 repetitions. Bounding is an example of resistive training. After taking a few strides, forcefully push-off one foot, driving the fist forward, in an exaggerated running pattern. An example of resistive training is alternating starts. These are 20-yard sprints in which the athlete starts lying face down on the ground. Popping up quickly, the athlete focuses on moving his feet and swinging his arms as quickly as possible for the sprint.

Agility

Agility allows athletes to break explosively and change direction quickly. Because athletes rarely move solely in a straight line, it is necessary to train the muscles to move in all directions. Agility training is usually sport specific, meaning the training is focused on the movement of the particular sport. An example of an agility exercise is the "W." Place cones in a "W" pattern. Athletes start at the end of the "W." They sprint forward to the point, change direction and backpedal to the bottom of the "W," sprint to the other point and backpedal to the end. The exercise must be completed at top speed, focusing on changing direction explosively.

Power

For athletes to improve explosive movement, they must train for increased power. Athletes need to be able to apply maximum force in minimum time. There are four types of power training: heavy strength training, explosive strength training, ballistics, and plyometrics. Heavy strength training focuses on lifting 70 percent to 100 percent of the athlete's maximum lifting weight and requires the most effort at the beginning of the exercise. It involves starting from a stationary position and exploding into an exercise such as squats. Explosive strength focuses on exploding into the exercise at low repetition. Ballistic exercises involve low weights, usually medicine balls, with explosive speed. Plyometrics focuses on jump training, often weighted, and upper body drills.

Sport-Specific Training

Athletes must train for their specific sport. Explosive training for a track athlete is different than explosive training for an offensive linesman. Similarly, a swimmer's speed training program doesn't resemble a volleyball player's speed training program in any way. All programs, however, focus on intense, explosive movements that occur frequently in each sport.

Flexibility

For athletes to increase speed, agility and power, they must be flexible. Stretching the muscles before and after training both prepares the body for performance and prevents injury. Explosive movements, long strides and quick changes in direction require muscle pliability. A stretching program must be combined with speed, agility and power training.

References

• "Training for Speed Agility and Quickness"; Lee E. Bronwn, Lance A. Ferrigno; 2005