How to Use a Treadmill to Increase Athletic Speed for Speed and Agility Training

Yes using a treadmill for speed and agility training can increase your overall speed. This is called acceleration training. Acceleration training is becoming increasingly popular but with a bungee cord. The trainer attaches a bungee cord around the waist of the athlete, pulls the cord as tight as possible before the athlete starts running. Once the cord is as tight as possible the athlete will start sprinting as fast as possible towards the training holding the stretched out cord. The stretched bungee cord actually pulls the athlete faster than they could normally run. The legs are moving faster than they would without the cord. This is acceleration training.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Treadmill

1. 
    
   Fast Walk

   The technique of using a treadmill to increase an athletes speed is called acceleration training.The purpose of this type of training is to make the athletes legs actually move faster than they could running a normal sprint. This accomplished two things. One, builds fast twitch muscles by make the legs move in such a fast motion. Two, it makes the brain and legs believe they can move faster than they really can.

2. 
    
   Short Sprint

   Start out walking fast on your treadmill. Do not jog, jogging actually develops slow twitch muscles and our goal is to develop fast twitch muscles. Keep a fast walking pace for 3 minutes. Then sprint at the fastest speed on the treadmill you can possibly go. Do this for 30 seconds if you can, if not 20 seconds.

3. 
    
   Another Sprint

   After the sprint slow back down to the fast walk again. Once again the word fast is in there. Even though it is a walk your legs are walking fast, where a jog the legs are in a slow motion. Now fast walk for 2 minutes a 30 second or 20 second sprint.

4. 
    
   Work Hard

   Depending on how in shape the athlete is will depend on how many sprints the athlete should perform. The athlete should perform no more than 15 sprints. If the athlete is just beginning then they should probably start with 5 to 7 sprints, and work their way to 15.

Tips & Warnings

• This should not be the athletes only form of speed training. The athlete should incorporate this into a full and complete speed and agility training program. Incorporating multiple techniques and programs to gaining speed and agility.
• This is not to be performed by people not in at least basic cardio shape. In this program the athlete can work their way up, but a basic level of being in shape is recommended.