How to Get Stronger & Faster
Improving your strength and speed will help you become a better athlete. As with all aspects of physical fitness, it will take time to get stronger and faster--you can't expect things to happen overnight. Set goals for where you want to be so that you can actively work toward something. A deadline can help you push yourself further. Most important, stay committed.
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Instructions
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Build Strength
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Develop a strength training routine to work all muscle groups. You can use free weights, body weight or weight machines in the gym. Each of these can give you the results you want. Work all muscle groups to stay balanced. When developing your routine, you can either do all of your weight training in one setting or split it up over two days.
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Use weights that are heavy enough. Heavy weights will build muscle strength. Choose weights that are heavy enough that your eighth rep is difficult. Gradually build up to 12 reps at that weight, then move to a higher weight.
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Drink a protein shake after your workouts. Protein helps your muscles repair, which they need after a good workout. When mixed with water, protein shakes are almost pure protein and are an excellent after-workout drink.
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Rest your muscles. Your muscles need to rest to heal properly so they can become bigger and stronger. You can either take a rest day after a full-body workout or alternate days that you work upper and lower body.
Improve Speed
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Incorporate intervals into your training. Alternate periods of fast running with recovery periods. You can either time this with a stopwatch or pick a point in the distance. These short bursts of speed will improve your overall speed.
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Running on hills can also help to improve your speed. Find an area that has a low-grade incline. You don't want to climb a mountain, but you do want to challenge yourself.
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Do lunges to build the hip flexor muscles. The hip flexor muscles are where your speed comes from. Lunges build up these muscles, which helps improve your speed.
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Tips & Warnings
Create your plan, stick to it and monitor your progress. If you're not seeing the results you want, it's time to change things. For example, you might want to increase the weight that you are lifting or run longer intervals.
References
- Photo Credit kikfoto: Flickr.com
