15 Examples of Speed ​​Drills

The speed exercises are those that maximize the body’s explosive response capacity (acceleration), especially the lower extremities, in the face of immediate and sustained effort (speed). For example: jogging, jumping rope, squats.

The speed increase It is a common task among athletes, especially professional runners, who aim to cover an increasing amount of distance in a shorter period of time.

This effort requires at the same time a development of the agility and the coordination, as well as the muscular power of the legs and the abdominal train. However, the upper axis of the body should also be paid due attention, since running is an activity that involves a large number of muscle fibers and also affects the cardiovascular system (resistance).

This is particularly true for martial arts, as well, where speed goes hand in hand with general agility and balance.

For this reason, it is always recommended, before proceeding to exercise speed, to carry out a complete routine of heating That tunes the organism before demanding its maximum performance. Similarly, a specialized guide or trainer should be consulted before undertaking the exercises described below on your own to avoid injury.

Examples of speed exercises

1. Accelerate and maintain. The most common exercise in developing speed is to run slowly for about ten minutes (warm-up) and then suddenly increase speed for ten strides, sustain the new effort rate for an additional 10 to 20 strides, and finally slow down to a minimum pace and walk. for one minute (rest). This routine should be repeated two or three times, with an increase of one or two strides each week if we feel comfortable with the maximum rhythm reached.
2. Running up stairs. A typical scene from intense training, often seen in movies, involves the full effort of climbing stairs at full speed. In this way, one’s own weight is used as resistance to enhance the sustained response of the legs, which will then respond much better on the plane. It can be complemented by a rapid descent to train agility, but special care must be taken with the knees during the descent.
3. Jump the rope. Much of what you need to run fast has to do with the stability and strength of each leg individually. Jumping rope will allow us to train them together and individually, alternatively, while enhancing the cardiorespiratory apparatus. About ten to fifteen minutes of rope is a good starting measure, which can be increased in duration and speed as we become more comfortable with the effort.
4. Repetitions in one place. In case we are not aiming for racing, but for martial arts, the speed can be increased by means of series of repetitions (kicks or blows). To do this, it will be enough to measure the amount of movements that we are able to do in a given period (1 minute, for example) without moving from place to place, and exercise it by forcing us to increase by 2 more movements per minute. This will increase the number of repetitions that we are able to do and with it, our speed of response in combat.
5. ABS. A key exercise for speed and dexterity, as well as endurance in a race. There are many methods of practicing them correctly, always paying attention to the care of the coccyx that requires having the legs together at a 90 ° angle. The minimum recommended amount to start is 60 sit-ups in three series of 20, but this can be adapted to the capacities of each person; the important thing is to increase the number of series weekly.
6. Play chaser. Inspired by the children’s play of many names (“la ere”, “la stacha”, etc.) this exercise will require a partner, with whom they will alternate in the roles of persecuted and persecutor. Each role must have a duration of 3 to 5 minutes, in which the persecutor must try to catch the persecuted or stay as close as possible and this must try to lose it. After that time, they will rest for a minute and the roles will be reversed and so on.
7. Squats. This exercise is equally useful for power (running or impact) and speed in the legs. It consists of, keeping your back straight and your arms extended, squatting down and standing up again as many times as possible in a period of time. The initial measurement will be determined by fatigue (it is not necessary to reach the extreme of the cramp), but series should be added to the extent that we feel comfortable with the effort. The idea is to do the most number of sets before the break (and not so much the most number of squats per set).
8. The advance. This game obeys a similar dynamic to the pursuer: a partner (pursuer) will help us train by running alongside us, but instead of catching us, he will overtake us and we must then catch up with him and return to his side. Once even, we will maintain the maximum speed and proceed to overtake it and so on. Once you return to the starting position, you should rest for a minute walking and repeat the race as many times as necessary.
9. Relay race. For this exercise we will need several partners. The idea is to run single file while maintaining speed, except for the last one in the row who must run at maximum power until they reach first place. Once there, everyone will keep up for 20 seconds and whoever is now last in line will proceed to overtake and so on until everyone has been at the head of the line. Then you rest for a minute by walking and the exercise is repeated.
10. Zigzag race. A typical agility exercise, which involves running between cones or other obstacles, alternating the side on which we overcome them (zig-zag). We must measure the time in which we travel the track and try to decrease a number of seconds in each race, without losing our balance and knocking down any of the obstacles. If we do, we will have to start over.
11. Frog jumps. With this exercise we can gain strength and speed alike. It consists of locating ourselves in a place (with no one nearby to hit or anything close to hit us) and successively jumping, bringing our knees to our chest. For a minute or thirty seconds (depending on fatigue) we must measure how many jumps we do and try, after a couple of minutes of rest, to increase the number registered by one or two jumps per week.
12. Jogging. As simple as that. The sustained trot, alternated with short runs, will provide us with greater resistance and will accustom the legs to continuous exercise. A sustained jog for half an hour is a good measure for already initiated athletes, which can be increased as needed.
13. Run up the hill. For this exercise we will need a small hill that provides us with resistance, as we will train by climbing it at maximum speed and timing how long it takes to do it. The idea is to do it every week in a lesser amount of seconds, so that later on flat the body performs better, having trained in an environment of resistance.
14. Running in sand. This exercise is ideal for the beach, and is ideally done barefoot (let’s be careful first with the objects that may be in the sand). The exercise consists of sprinting from 0 to 60 in a short run, then resting for thirty seconds and resuming the run. When we are free from the resistance of the sand, our speed will have increased markedly.
15. Race with weights. If the equipment is available, a weight can be tied to the waist with a rope and forced to run at maximum speed, dragging it, for a short period (1 minute). The weight will increase our power even more and then, free of it, we will be faster than normal.