Speed is a critical factor in athletic performance, influencing everything from your ability to accelerate off the line in football to running a faster 40-yard dash. Whether you're an athlete looking to boost your overall speed or someone aiming to improve in a specific sport, developing speed requires more than just running fast. It involves refining technique, building strength, and focusing on explosive power. Each movement in a sprint contributes to your overall performance, and neglecting any part of the process can hold you back from reaching your full potential.

To truly improve your speed, you must understand that sprinting is broken down into phases, each of which demands different physical attributes and training methods. The start of a sprint requires explosive power and flawless technique, while the middle phases rely on maintaining acceleration and top-end speed. By targeting each phase with specific exercises and drills, you can make significant strides in your overall athleticism and sprinting efficiency.

Speed training goes beyond just enhancing your physical ability; it also sharpens your focus and improves your technical prowess. Athletes who commit to developing their speed become more reactive, agile, and powerful, gaining an edge over their competition. In this blog, we'll break down how to get faster and provide you with the tools and exercises to boost both speed and strength, helping you take your performance to the next level.

Speed is more than running fast; it’s about applying strength, power, and efficient technique throughout each phase of your sprint. Improving your speed requires a combination of technical drills, explosive strength, and plyometric exercises. Whether you're preparing for the 40-yard dash, 100-meter sprint, or working to enhance your overall game performance, structured speed training can help you become a more powerful and efficient athlete.

The start of a sprint sets the tone for the entire race. A powerful, efficient start is critical to gaining an early advantage and setting personal records racing against the stopwatch, especially in the 40-yard dash. Your first step should be strong, explosive, and controlled.

Key Technique Focuses:

Proper start mechanics: Align your body for maximum power from the start.

Run in a straight line: Maintain efficient movement to conserve energy.

Incorporate A-skips, B-skips, and basic knee drives into your warm-up to develop better sprint mechanics.

Drills like A-skips and B-skips help reinforce proper running form, while knee drives ensure that your legs move powerfully with each step. Perfecting your start technique can shave significant time off your sprint.

10-Yard Split: Focus on Explosive Power

The first 10 yards are all about acceleration. If you feel slow out of the gate, you need to develop your explosive power. This phase demands a strong, explosive extension from your legs to build momentum.

Best Exercises for Explosive Power:

Cleans: Build full-body explosive strength.

One Box Power Cleans: Focus on rapid, forceful extension to improve your initial acceleration.

These exercises target the hips, knees, and ankles, promoting a more powerful take-off. Consistent practice with Cleans and Power Cleans will significantly boost your acceleration during the first 10 yards.

20-Yard Split: Shifting Gears with Plyometrics

Once you hit the 20-yard mark, it’s time to shift gears and focus on maintaining acceleration. Plyometric exercises play a crucial role in this phase, helping you transition smoothly from acceleration to sprinting at top speed.

Best Plyometric Exercises:

Pogo Jumps to Sprint

Pogo Jumps to Bound

Pogo Jumps to Champion Striders

These plyometric drills enhance your ability to produce force quickly, training your body to react and accelerate faster. They also improve your stride frequency, allowing you to cover more ground with each step while maintaining speed.

The Finish: Improving Top-End Speed

The final phase of your sprint is all about maintaining and improving top-end speed. You’ve built up acceleration; now it’s time to sustain that speed and finish strong.

Best Exercises to Maximize Speed:

Single Leg Squats: Build unilateral leg strength to improve stability and power in each stride.

Strengthening your legs through unilateral movements like Single Leg Squats will enhance your ability to maintain top speed during the final stretch of your sprint. Additionally, adjusting your foot positioning will help you cover more distance with each step, allowing you to finish strong.

In addition to overall speed development, it’s essential to focus on that crucial first step off the line. It can’t be understated how pivotal of a role the start plays in speed. A quick first step can be the difference between beating an opponent or being left behind. Developing explosive power and reactivity through a combination of strength and plyometric exercises is the key to mastering this skill.

Best Exercises to Improve First Step Quickness:

One Box Power Clean

Two Box Snatch

Hurdle Hops

Broad Jumps

Double Bounce Front Squat

The One Box Power Clean develops the explosive extension needed for a powerful first step, while the Two Box Snatch enhances speed and coordination. Plyometric exercises like Hurdle Hops and Broad Jumps build reactive strength, helping you transition from a standstill to full speed in minimal steps. Finally, the Double Bounce Front Squat increases time under tension, strengthening your ability to generate force quickly from a stationary position.

Speed training is more than just running fast—it’s about developing the right combination of technique, explosive power, and strength to enhance your overall athletic performance. By breaking down each phase sprinting to the finish line, you can target specific areas like the start, acceleration, and top-end-speed. Exercises such as Cleans, Single Leg Squats, and Pogo Jumps are critical in building the strength and power needed to improve your sprint times and maximize your efficiency on the field or track.

Beyond the 40-yard dash and 100-meter sprint, the benefits of speed training extend to all sports. Whether you're accelerating off the line in football or reacting to an opponent in basketball, developing explosive power through plyometrics and strength training will give you the quickness and agility needed to dominate. The focus on both technique and strength helps not only in sprinting but also in improving endurance, agility, and overall movement efficiency, making you a more well-rounded athlete.

Ultimately, consistent speed training can unlock your full athletic potential. By honing your sprint mechanics, building explosive strength, and incorporating targeted exercises, you’ll not only improve your sprint times but also elevate your entire performance. Commit to refining your technique, working on strength, and pushing through each phase of the sprint, and you’ll soon find yourself leading the pack in every competition.

Our athlete training app, Peak Strength, will help.

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