Team Turbo Method: Part 2 - Train For Speed

Training for speed is easy, if you follow the Team Turbo Method speed formula

Strength x Speed = Power = Increased Speed and Acceleration.

What is speed? Speed can be thought of as the creation of stride rate and stride length, or the time to complete a particular distance.  Speed is essentially the maximal velocity that can be reached by the body.

What effects how fast we sprint? What limits speed? 3 things affect Running Speed, gravitational pull, ground reaction forces and wind resistance. Basically, gravity pulls on the body.  If you are too heavy for your body frame you are not maximizing your speed. If you are not strong enough to generate the appropriate GRF necessary for increased speed, you will not become faster. Other factors limiting speed are genetics. Some are born with more fast twitch muscle fibers then others. Gifted but that doesn’t mean you can’t get faster and train the fast twitch you already have!

How do we train for speed? Think of training for speed as building a motor and You are the car.  How do you get your car to go faster?  You keep the frame light, and you increase the horsepower.  You train for speed by training for strength to increase your horsepower as well as by training your fast twitch muscles via the anaerobic energy systems. The more strength you have, the more power you can push into the ground, thus creating propulsion. 

Chris Burris, CTF

Posted in: Men's Health and Fitness,Strength Power and Speed