On the surface running fast seems pretty simple. However, sprinting involves wayyy more than just moving your arms and legs fast.
When developing both linear and multi-directional speed, there are three key concepts that must be addressed in your training:
Position, Pattern, and Power
Sprinting is all about manipulating joint angles to express speed and power. However, running fast happens….so fast. There isn’t enough time to really hone the technique required to sprint effectively. That’s why we break up sprinting into its component parts.
That’s why we start with Position. Position work involves static holds that mimic various positions during the acceleration phase of the sprint. Following, Position work more complexity is added with Pattern work.
In Pattern work, again we reduce the technical complexity of sprinting but start adding movement to our drills. This looks like movements from marching, skipping, or sled resistance drills.
Finally, Power is addressed. In this final category of speed development, more dynamic movements are included in the program. Hops, bounds, free running, and various weight training exercises are included to improve the rate of force development in the muscle.
Today’s video looks at very simple drills that address linear acceleration. Before more complexity can be layered into the program, understanding these simple positions and patterns are crucial to long term speed development.
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