Speed is one of the most exciting parts of sports. Everyone wants to be faster—but what actually makes someone fast?
Speed training and development comes down to three main things:
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How hard you push into the ground
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How fast your legs move
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How well your body is positioned
Scientists have studied sprinting and found that the faster athletes produce more force with each step (Morin et al., 2012). That means stronger legs lead to faster speed.
This is why strength training is so important. When athletes build strength, they improve their ability to push off the ground. This leads to better acceleration—the first few steps of a sprint (Seitz et al., 2014).
But strength alone is not enough.
Technique matters too.
Running with proper form—like driving the knees, pumping the arms, and keeping a strong posture—helps athletes move more efficiently. Youth athletes who learn good technique early improve faster over time (Rumpf et al., 2016).
Speed training should include:
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Sprint drills
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Strength exercises
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Technique work
The combination of these three creates real results.
And here’s the hype:
Speed is trainable.
With the right program, athletes can get noticeably faster in just a few weeks.
That’s why speed training is a key part of sports performance training. It turns average athletes into game-changers.
References
Morin, J. B., et al. (2012). Journal of Biomechanics.
Rumpf, M. C., et al. (2016). Sports Medicine.
Seitz, L. B., et al. (2014). Sports Medicine.