I need some tips on improving speed, if you don't mind

[Powman3]

Well, I'm aiming to be a halfback for my high school football team next year (I'm not aiming for varsity, JV is fine with me). There's just one problem... I run a 5 second 40-yard dash. Which is ridiculously slow.

 

 

 

Do any of you have any tips I could follow to gradually increase my speed? Help would be extremely appreciated and I'd love you forever.

 

 

 

edit: Wow, I can't spell.

[Kiriyama]

Wouldn't just training to improve leg muscles do it?

[Range_This11]

http://www.jumpusa.com/pladder.html

 

 

 

You don't have to buy this, simply drawing it with chalk on a sidewalk/driveway would work. Improves footwork a lot. I used it for hockey because my feet were too slow.

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.jumpusa.com/plyo_boxes.html

 

 

 

Also, if your school has these, they help as well. The football program at my old high school used them a lot.

 

 

 

If you want quickness, try to not to bulk your legs up lifting. Most people have a decent top speed, but quickness and explosiveness are the key to being fast. Work on your starts. The first 5 steps are the most important.

[Powman3]

Here.

 

 

 

You suck, man. :lol:

[Riku3220]

Shave your arms and legs if you haven't already.

[Lenticular_J]

5 seconds isn't bad at all. Hardly anybody in track could pass 4.8. I got 4.85 once, but I usually hung just before 5. Just practice exploding jumps and starts - if you have long legs, trying to bound. The one guy on the team that could get 4.68 for a forty covered it in just a few steps.

[Dean Ambrose]

Go to the YMCA and run around the track 200 times. How fast are you now? XD

[Powman3]

5 seconds isn't bad at all. Hardly anybody in track could pass 4.8. I got 4.85 once, but I usually hung just before 5. Just practice exploding jumps and starts - if you have long legs, trying to bound. The one guy on the team that could get 4.68 for a forty covered it in just a few steps.

 

 

 

It is when you're aiming to be a halfback. They think that if you can't run under a 4.5, you're not worth it (which is usually true). Unless you happen to weight a lot, perfect example is Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants. He weighs 267 pounds and runs a 4.5, that's crazy.

[bonzeben23]

Squat, take a box 2 feet/by 2 feet/ by 2 feet. Take dunbells in your hands and jump onto the box and off, on and off, put one leg on and step up then step down. Run 100 meter sprints for as long as you can. Do sit-ups. Do every leg muscle thing you can.

[Powman3]

5 seconds isn't bad at all. Hardly anybody in track could pass 4.8. I got 4.85 once, but I usually hung just before 5. Just practice exploding jumps and starts - if you have long legs, trying to bound. The one guy on the team that could get 4.68 for a forty covered it in just a few steps.

 

 

 

It is when you're aiming to be a halfback. They think that if you can't run under a 4.5, you're not worth it (which is usually true). Unless you happen to weight a lot, perfect example is Brandon Jacobs of the New York Giants. He weighs 267 pounds and runs a 4.5, that's crazy.

 

Hey, keep that out of here. Some of us are Eagles fans. In all seriousness, that guy is great, but he only has one move, and that is to run through the opponents like a tank.

 

 

 

And for sprints, I'm pretty sure you want a shorter, more deliberate stride.

 

 

 

It works, doesn't it? LT is still the best anyway. :

 

 

 

Anyway, my legs are really short, so that's an advantage. I'm also helping myself out by working on my calves and quads whenever I head to the weight room after school everyday.

[Promise]

5 seconds? I thought the mainland kids were supposed to be better than us. :-#

 

 

 

Obviously sprints will help your leg muscles. But there more to sprinting than just legs. Technique and drills are the only way to get faster. Any jogging isn't going to help with technique. My track coach was Hawaii's Fastest Man 5 years strait not too long ago.

 

 

 

It's more than just your legs, its all about your entire body...

 

 

 

Your head and chest, when you sprint you should be trying to puff your chest out and keep your head high. Keep everything from your hip up and a slight angle foward.

 

 

 

Keep your hips tucked forward, almost like a mid hump.

 

 

 

When you run, your arms elbows should be bent at 90 degrees. When you stride one elbow should be infront of you, and one elbow should be in back of you.

 

 

 

When sprinting, you need to do 2 things with your feet. One, land flat footed. This allows more a "pop" when your heel touches the ground, this uses your hamstring. As you run fast, your feet tend to point outwards, which will slow you down. When you stretch and do drills, try to keep your feet "pigeon toed".

 

 

 

It's been proven that if you are trying to get the best times, do not try to go all out for more than 30 yards. As you keep trying to go faster, you start to decelerate, which is why most new athletes suck at track. Once you reach your apex, dont try to go faster, you want to enter a "stride phase," where you will try to maintain your top speed and stress technique.

 

 

 

I won't talk about drills, pretty much everyone knows the standard drills.

[Powman3]

That seems kinda right. The only thing I don't get is landing flat-footed, I was always told to run on my toes...

[Erk02]

How's your form? You should ask some of your buddies who run track to see your form.

[Powman3]

I have one but he just joined. I wish I had an agility coach, that would help me a lot.

[Promise]

If you land on your toes, it takes longer for your heel to tap the ground. Most people run sloppy, and their heels don't even touch their ground. When your heel touches the ground, you get a lot more pop from your hamstring. Trust me, this form felt weird at first, but you get used to it after a few days.

[Powman3]

That doesn't make much sense. but I guess it's worth a shot. Whatever will help me with my speed I'm willing to do.

[RpgGamer]

Strap on some ankle waits and jump up and down for about a half hour. Everyday. Leave the ankle weights on and walk around all day. Stretch and repeat daily. You should see a lot of improvement.

[Promise]

Strap on some ankle waits and jump up and down for about a half hour. Everyday. Leave the ankle weights on and walk around all day. Stretch and repeat daily. You should see a lot of improvement.

 

 

 

But no improvement in technique. Technique first, then think about lifting. Establishing good technique before anything is going to be your first priority if you want to be faster.

[Powman3]

Strap on some ankle waits and jump up and down for about a half hour. Everyday. Leave the ankle weights on and walk around all day. Stretch and repeat daily. You should see a lot of improvement.

 

 

 

But no improvement in technique. Technique first, then think about lifting. Establishing good technique before anything is going to be your first priority if you want to be faster.

 

 

 

I'm already lifting, am I still able to focus on technique whilst lifting, because I'm already seeing and feeling results in my arms, chest, abs, and legs.

[Promise]

Strap on some ankle waits and jump up and down for about a half hour. Everyday. Leave the ankle weights on and walk around all day. Stretch and repeat daily. You should see a lot of improvement.

 

 

 

But no improvement in technique. Technique first, then think about lifting. Establishing good technique before anything is going to be your first priority if you want to be faster.

 

 

 

I'm already lifting, am I still able to focus on technique whilst lifting, because I'm already seeing and feeling results in my arms, chest, abs, and legs.

 

 

 

Don't train to be superficial. You're not lifting or anything when your running while doing drills or running I hope. If you haven't done any conditioning, don't be pushing yourself too hard. I've seen too many people not do anything for 10 months, then try out for a sport. They normally end up with tendinitis, which takes a couple weeks to fully recover.

[Powman3]

Strap on some ankle waits and jump up and down for about a half hour. Everyday. Leave the ankle weights on and walk around all day. Stretch and repeat daily. You should see a lot of improvement.

 

 

 

But no improvement in technique. Technique first, then think about lifting. Establishing good technique before anything is going to be your first priority if you want to be faster.

 

 

 

I'm already lifting, am I still able to focus on technique whilst lifting, because I'm already seeing and feeling results in my arms, chest, abs, and legs.

 

 

 

Don't train to be superficial. You're not lifting or anything when your running while doing drills or running I hope. If you haven't done any conditioning, don't be pushing yourself too hard. I've seen too many people not do anything for 10 months, then try out for a sport. They normally end up with tendinitis, which takes a couple weeks to fully recover.

 

 

 

Oh, I'm not. I'd like to get stronger, which is my main priority.

 

 

 

So, you're saying I should work on technique first before I lift?

[Rebdragon]

In all seriousness (I know I say this a lot, but), GET THE F**K AWAY from this forum. The only person on this thread who I have yet to find in any way knowledgable is Promise; everyone else seems to be offering [cabbage] that will only hurt your speed. Hell, I was about to come on here and bluntly say "you can't train speed" before I checked some of these online articles:

 

 

 

http://www.jasonferruggia.com/2009/01/0 ... ick-beith/

 

 

 

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/speed ... _myths.htm

 

 

 

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/speedtraining.html

 

 

 

My personal feeling, even after reading these articles, still remains much the same though. That is, as much as you want to improve speed, you shouldn't get the dumb idea that that means that anyone can become Usain Bolt with enough training. Sometimes it really does just come down to genetics.

 

 

 

Strap on some ankle waits and jump up and down for about a half hour. Everyday. Leave the ankle weights on and walk around all day. Stretch and repeat daily. You should see a lot of improvement.

 

The world doesn't work like Dragon Ball Z.

 

 

 

If you land on your toes, it takes longer for your heel to tap the ground. Most people run sloppy, and their heels don't even touch their ground. When your heel touches the ground, you get a lot more pop from your hamstring. Trust me, this form felt weird at first, but you get used to it after a few days.

 

I know this is counter-intuitive to the learning process, but I'm inclined to disagree, on two counts. First, I distinctly remember learning about running that sprinters run on their toes and cross country runners run on their heels (something about using less energy that way). Second, I just checked my form, and I run on my toes. And I was the fastest guy on my Select A soccer team and one of the fastest in my high school, class size of 400.

[Powman3]

In all seriousness (I know I say this a lot, but), GET THE F**K AWAY from this forum. The only person on this thread who I have yet to find in any way knowledgable is Promise; everyone else seems to be offering [cabbage] that will only hurt your speed. Hell, I was about to come on here and bluntly say "you can't train speed" before I checked some of these online articles:

 

 

 

http://www.jasonferruggia.com/2009/01/0 ... ick-beith/

 

 

 

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/speed ... _myths.htm

 

 

 

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/speedtraining.html

 

 

 

My personal feeling, even after reading these articles, still remains much the same though. That is, as much as you want to improve speed, you shouldn't get the dumb idea that that means that anyone can become Usain Bolt with enough training. Sometimes it really does just come down to genetics.

 

 

 

Strap on some ankle waits and jump up and down for about a half hour. Everyday. Leave the ankle weights on and walk around all day. Stretch and repeat daily. You should see a lot of improvement.

 

The world doesn't work like Dragon Ball Z.

 

 

 

If you land on your toes, it takes longer for your heel to tap the ground. Most people run sloppy, and their heels don't even touch their ground. When your heel touches the ground, you get a lot more pop from your hamstring. Trust me, this form felt weird at first, but you get used to it after a few days.

 

I know this is counter-intuitive to the learning process, but I'm inclined to disagree, on two counts. First, I distinctly remember learning about running that sprinters run on their toes and cross country runners run on their heels (something about using less energy that way). Second, I just checked my form, and I run on my toes. And I was the fastest guy on my Select A soccer team and one of the fastest in my high school, class size of 400.

 

 

 

Ha, dude. You can train speed! My dad use to run a 4.5 40 anyway, so I guess I have the genetics.

 

 

 

I'm just getting some ideas anyway, it's not like I'm going to try every single idea out! And of course I won't ever be as fast as Usain Bolt, I'd have to be crazy.

[Promise]

Yes, but with the right sprinting [bleep]es for track, the sole is designed so that your heels will tap faster. I've been told in the past to run on my toes, but now I've learned that from running on your toes, you tend to cut short on you stride as you try to run faster. When you run on your toes, your not utilizing your hamstring as you should be. I'm not saying land completely flat footed, but so that your toes touch first, and then your heels tap. I should've elaborated a bit there.

[Powman3]

Yes, but with the right sprinting [bleep]es for track, the sole is designed so that your heels will tap faster. I've been told in the past to run on my toes, but now I've learned that from running on your toes, you tend to cut short on you stride as you try to run faster. When you run on your toes, your not utilizing your hamstring as you should be. I'm not saying land completely flat footed, but so that your toes touch first, and then your heels tap. I should've elaborated a bit there.

 

 

 

That makes sense.

 

 

 

So, I should take a break from lifting and work on my technique? I usually go light so I don't see why I should stop. But whatever helps, I'll do it.