Allan Wells was a great advocate of the ‘boxer’s’ speedball, believing that it enhanced his upper body speed and power. There is no doubt that it would have conditioned such a response (Wells being no slouch) but the drawback was that the firing pattern of the muscles of the upper arms and chest were developed in an opposite direction to that required for the sprinting action. However, the speedball does have its merits as a pre-conditioner and neuromuscular ‘sharpener’ – and it’s great to work out with to the theme from Rocky!

Speedballs can be obtained from specific fitness retailers.