Speed & Strength Training
Speed is important in sports. Building your speed requires building up your strength in your legs. Understanding how strength affects your speed and developing a powerful exercise routine will increase your performance.
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Speed Strength
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Your muscle strength controls how well you perform in physical activities. Speed strength is the speed your body can obtain with the strength that it has. There are two kinds of speed strength: starting and explosive.
Starting Strength
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Starting strength refers to your ability to activate as many muscle fibers as you can from a resting position. Starting strength is important for speed. A quick start can mean a big difference in many sports, including football, weightlifting and track.
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Explosive Strength
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Explosive strength refers to your ability to keep your muscles activated. This is important for endurance activities where your muscles must remain active. These activities include long distance running and canoeing.
Strength Building
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Building strength for speed involves building muscles in your legs. This includes your thighs, calves, ankles and hips. You may also work your back or arms for extra balance and support. Strength building will help improve your starting and explosive strength at the same time.
Sample Exercise
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Doing 10 weighted squats every day will boost your leg and back strength. Only use a weight you can safely lift.
Use leg weight machines to strengthen your legs. These machines are designed to work different parts of your legs. Spend five minutes a day on each of multiple leg strengthening machines.
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References
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