speed training
Download Our Free Sports Training Reports:

Enter your email address below: (As a bonus, we'll start sending you our free weekly newsletter, Sports Performance Bulletin.)

Want to know how to run faster? These articles detail tips on speed training, helping you to better your fast twitch muscles and aerobic capacity to improve your overall running techniques... To browse our library of free sports training articles, browse using the categories on the left or use the search box.
We'll pay you to ask questions
Got a question about sport? We'll pay you to ask it, and pay more to answer others' questions!
Ladder Drill Hopping Two Forward One Back
This drill is great for developing uni-lateral (one foot) coordination as it challenges the movement skills of athletes. Hopping drills are also great for developing lower leg strength and power.
Speed Training: improving deceleration will benefit sports performance!
Improving your ability to slow down and stop rapidly might seem totally at odds with the goal of improving sports performance. But as John Shepherd explains, specific deceleration training drills will not only improve speed around the field or court, but can also reduce the risk of injury
Short and sweet – why all sportsmen and women should consider 40m sprinting!
Short and sweet – why all sportsmen and women should consider 40m sprinting!
Road cycling: Interval training for speed
Interval training to improve anaerobic power and sprinting ability in road cycling
Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Systems
Understanding your Energy Systems for Endurance and Speed Training
Tabata Interval Training for Strength and Endurance
Time-efficient strength and endurance workout
Circuit Training: how to increase speed (Sprint-specific example)
Part-two of our Sports-Specific Circuit Training series using Sprint Training as an example for constructing your own circuit to develop speed.
Can body fat loss and lean muscle gain be targeted with nutritional supplements?
Can body fat loss and lean muscle gain be targeted with nutritional supplements?
Vibration Training to Enhance Speed, Power and Flexibility
Increasing Speed with Vibration Training
Zone Training: Planning Your Cycling Training Program
Zone Training for Cycling to help you get the Yellow Jersey
Zig Zag Sprints
A useful agility drill to develop acceleration, deceleration and rapid changes in direction whilst sprinting.
Sandbag Sled Pull
Sandbags are an effective low cost alternative to sleds and offer more weight variability than tyres.
Sandbag Throw and Jump
Sandbags are an effective low cost alternative to medicine ball. A drill that develops whole body power, plus it’s complexed with two-footed jumps for extra power!
Sandbag Throw and Sprint
Sandbags are an effective low cost alternative to medicine ball. A drill that develops whole body power, can be used over a range of distances and is an effective conditioning exercise.
Ladder Drill Ins and Outs
An excellent drill for developing co-ordination and timing. Have your athletes perform the movements correctly and with good technique before asking them to increase speed.
Ladder Drill Jumps
Possibly the easiest of the Ladder Drills. Can be used as an introductory exercise to those new to ladder drills.
Ladder Drill Jumps Two Forward One Back
A simple yet effective drill for developing coordination and speed. Make sure athletes are able to perform the drill correctly before progressing.
Ladder Drill Scissors
Supplement your core speed and agility drills with this one that challenges accuracy and precision whilst moving the whole body quickly.
Ladder Drill: One Foot in Each Rung
The most simple of ladder drills can be used for beginners and young athletes to teach them about moving quickly. The ladder drill can also be used to teach running mechanics.
Ladder Drill: Two Feet in Each Rung
A progression from the One Foot in Each Rung drill, challenges the speed of co-ordination of the athlete.
Ladder Drill: Two Forward One Back
One of the more complex ladder drills, it helps develop co-ordinated quickness in two directions: forwards and back.
Lateral Ladder Drill
Challenges co-ordination by teaching quick lateral movements. This drill can also be used as an aid for teaching correct lateral movement mechanics.
Lateral Zig Zags
One of the most common movements in sport is running side-ways on an angle. This drill helps develop lateral speed and changes in lateral direction.
Sandbag Chest Pass Throw
Sandbags are an effective low cost alternative to medicine balls. The chest pass throw is ideal for developing upper body pushing power.
Sandbag Lunge Press Throw
Sandbags are an effective low cost alternative to medicine balls. The lunge press throw is ideal for developing whole body strength and power.
Ladder Drill Hopping Ins and Outs
A progression of the two footed drill. Offers a greater strength and co-ordination challenge.
Agility Drill 1
This agility drill is great for learning to decelerate and rapidly change direction following a period of acceleration.
Agility Drill 3
This drill is designed to focus upon quick feet movements followed by an initial acceleration. The quick foot movements will help “prime” your body for the sprint and rapid change of direction.
Agility Drill 4
Similar to agility drill 3, this drill offers a little more challenge to the co-ordination of the athlete by having them side-step in and out of cones before a sprint.
Agility Drill 9
This drill can be performed as part of a warm-up or as a separate agility drill.
Speed Training: Compression Clothing
Compression clothing – can it help you squeeze out a PB?
The Science and Practice of Sports Motivation
Use Mental and Physical Sports Motivation
Body Fat and Running Performance
Optimum Running Performance and Body Fat Levels
Acceleration Training for Peak Performance
learn how to increase speed to make a quick getaway
Time Efficient Running - run less to run faster?
Running efficiency training ideas
speed training workouts
Speed Training Workouts : Is over-speed training over-hyped?
whole body vibration
Whole body vibration: no use for trained sprinters
fast-twitch muscles
Fast-twitch muscles: Twitch and you're gone - all you need to know about developing fast-twitch muscle fibre for speed, power and strength
endurance muscles
Endurance muscles: Why endurance athletes cannot afford to ignore the vital contribution of fast-twitch muscle fibres
rotational power
Building rotational power: all you need to know about getting in shape to perform zippy turns on the hoof
speed | age | sprint training
Speed and age - The bad news is that speed declines with age; the good news is that you can arrest, even reverse, this degenerative process
speed agility quickness training | SAQ training
Speed agility quickness - SAQ training
frappier acceleration program
Frappier acceleration program
uphill sprinting
Uphill sprinting
overspeed training
Overspeed training: Downhill sprinting, elastic cord sprinting and the concept of 'overspeed' training
powerbag training
The Powerbag
Speedballs | speedball training | speed ball
Speedballs
foot-flexor devices | dorsiflexed sprinting
Foot-flexor devices
Training Techniques: Speed Work
Training Techniques: Speed Work
Speed training: bounding to improve performance!
Bounding to increase your running speed
fitness program
Fitness program - How to design a sports-specific fitness program
Speed Training
Speed Training: How the Frappier super treadmill helps athletes run faster
Winter v summer babies
If you plan to make your mark as a speed merchant, don't get born in a cold month
Speed Training
Speed Training: Talking turkey: why hill work helps athletes in football, rugby, basketball, cricket - and even running
training: how sequencing determines overall fitness 1
Get your training in order: how sequencing determines your overall fitness
treadmill training | hill workouts on a treadmill
'Hill' workouts - If you want to avoid the weather, do them indoors. Here's how to set the speed and inclination of the treadmill for best results
track and field workouts
Track And Field Workouts: Phasing the year properly means allowing your athletes a chance to be serviced, oiled and refitted.
The legs of female dancers
female dancers legs
Speed parachutes
Speed Parachutes: Displaying their bold maize and blue colors, the chutes billow out behind runners during workouts, attached by cords to the athletes' chests.
Sequencing in Training 1
Sequencing In Training 1: Get your training in order: how sequencing determines your overall fitness
Muscle fibre types
Muscle Fibre Types: Why tapering after intense training boosts sprinting speed
Training dietary regimes
Training Dietary Regimes: You can lead a footballer to a proper diet, but can you make him eat it?
Overspeed training
Overspeed Training: Does making your legs work faster than normal actually make you a quicker athlete?
Lactate threshold running speed
Lactate Threshold Running Speed: This New Zealand research shows why it makes sense to boost your lactate threshold running speed.
Wheelchair athletes training
Wheelchair Athletes Training: A strength and sprint training programme for pre-elite wheelchair athletes
Sports Injury prevention
Sports Injury Prevention: Eliminate these training errors and reduce your chances of getting hurt.
speed training | 1 mile
Speed Training: If you want to improve your one-mile times, follow these speed-building workouts.
speed training | 1 mile
Speed Training: If you want to improve your one-mile times, follow these speed-building workouts.































