Speed is often treated like a genetic gift you either have or you don't. You see that person at the local track—the one whose feet barely seem to touch the pavement—and you assume they were just born with more fast-twitch muscle fibers than the rest of us. While genetics certainly set the ceiling, most athletes are operating nowhere near their actual potential because their workouts to get faster are fundamentally flawed. They confuse "being tired" with "getting faster."
They’re not the same thing.
If you finish a speed session feeling like you’re about to vomit, you might be improving your mental toughness or your lactic acid clearance, but you probably didn't get any faster. True speed work is about the nervous system. It’s about teaching your brain to fire signals to your muscles with explosive efficiency. Honestly, if you aren't resting long enough between reps to feel almost fully recovered, you’re just doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT). That’s great for burning calories, but it's a terrible way to shave seconds off your 40-yard dash or your 5K kick.
The Myth of the "Grind" in Speed Training
We’ve been conditioned to believe that more is better. In the world of sprinting and explosive movement, more is usually just more fatigue. Tony Holler, a renowned track coach and the creator of the "Feed the Cats" philosophy, argues that you should never run at 90% when you can run at 100%. If you're too tired to hit 100%, you're no longer doing speed work. You’re doing conditioning.
The central nervous system (CNS) takes much longer to recover than your muscles. You might feel like your legs are ready to go after sixty seconds, but your CNS is still fried. This leads to "garbage miles" or "garbage reps." When you're tired, your form breaks down. Your hips drop. Your foot strike becomes heavy. You’re essentially practicing how to run slow. Why would you want to do that?
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Why Max Velocity is King
Most people think they need to run long distances to get faster at long distances. While aerobic capacity matters, your "speed reserve" is what actually dictates your pace. If your maximum sprinting speed is 20 mph, running at 10 mph feels like a breeze. If your max speed is only 12 mph, that same 10 mph pace is a grueling effort. By raising your ceiling through max velocity workouts to get faster, every other sub-maximal pace becomes easier.
Fly-in sprints are a staple here. You build up speed over 20 meters, hit a "fly zone" of 10 to 30 meters where you are absolutely redlining it, and then decelerate smoothly. You do maybe three to five of these. That’s it. It doesn’t feel like enough work to the average gym-goer, but for your brain, it’s an electrical storm.
Building the Engine: Beyond the Track
You can't fire a cannon from a canoe. That’s an old cliché in the strength and conditioning world for a reason. If your core and lower body can't handle the force of hitting the ground at high speeds, your brain will literally "brake" your muscles to prevent injury. It’s a survival mechanism. To bypass this, you need specific strength.
But not bodybuilder strength.
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You need to focus on posterior chain power. We're talking about the glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Research by Dr. J.B. Morin has shown that horizontal force production—the ability to push the ground away behind you—is more closely correlated with sprint speed than vertical force (how much you can squat).
Essential Movements for Power
- Weighted Step-ups: These are criminally underrated. They mimic the unilateral nature of running and force the glutes to stabilize the hip while producing massive force.
- Prowler Sled Pushes: These allow you to lean forward at a 45-degree angle, which is the exact body position needed during the acceleration phase of a sprint.
- Plyometrics: Think depth jumps or bounding. You want to minimize ground contact time. Basically, imagine the ground is a hot stove.
The goal of these exercises isn't to get "huge." It's to increase the stiffness of your tendons. Think of your Achilles tendon like a rubber band. A thick, stiff rubber band snaps back much harder than a thin, floppy one.
The Mechanics of Moving Fast
Let’s talk about "front-side mechanics." When you watch elite sprinters like Usain Bolt or Noah Lyles, you notice their knees are high and their feet stay in front of their center of mass until the moment of impact. Amateur runners often exhibit "back-side mechanics," where their legs kick up high behind them like a Christie Brinkley workout video from the 80s. This is wasted energy.
To fix this, you have to drill the "A-Skip" and "B-Skip." These aren't just warm-ups; they are foundational workouts to get faster. They teach your body to recover the leg quickly and strike the ground directly underneath your hips.
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Hill Sprints: The Secret Weapon
If you hate the track, go find a hill. A steep grade (around 10 to 15 degrees) is the best coach you'll ever have. Hill sprints naturally force you into a proper acceleration lean. It’s almost impossible to overstride on a hill, which reduces the risk of hamstring pulls.
Perform 6 to 8 seconds of all-out effort up the hill. Walk down slowly. Wait until your heart rate drops significantly. Repeat. If you notice your speed dropping or your form wobbling, stop. The session is over. Quality over quantity is the only rule that matters here.
Recovery and the Neurological Tax
Sleep is the most effective legal performance-enhancing drug available. During deep sleep, your body releases growth hormone and repairs the micro-tears in your muscles. But more importantly, it recalibrates the motor patterns you practiced during the day. If you do a high-intensity speed session and then only sleep five hours, you’ve essentially wasted the workout.
Nutrition plays a part, too, specifically creatine monohydrate. It's one of the most researched supplements in history. It helps replenish ATP—the primary energy source for short, explosive bursts of movement. It's not just for meatheads; it's for anyone who wants to move fast.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Static stretching before sprinting: This actually reduces the "spring" in your tendons. Save the long holds for after the workout. Use dynamic movements like leg swings and hip circles instead.
- Running through pain: Speed work puts immense stress on the hamstrings and Achilles. A "twinge" at 100% speed becomes a "tear" in a millisecond.
- Ignoring the arms: Your arms drive your legs. If your arms are crossing your midline or swinging wildly, you’re bleeding energy. Keep the elbows at 90 degrees and drive them back like you're reaching for a wallet in your back pocket.
Actionable Steps for Immediate Improvement
To actually see results, you need a structured approach that doesn't lead to burnout. Stop trying to "feel the burn" and start trying to "feel the breeze."
- Record your sprints: Use your phone to film yourself from the side. Are your hips sagging? Is your foot landing way in front of your body? Seeing it is better than hearing about it.
- Implement the 48-hour rule: Never do two max-effort speed sessions within 48 hours of each other. Give your nervous system time to come back to baseline.
- Track your "Fly 10": Get a cheap timing gate or use a video app to time yourself over a 10-meter stretch with a running start. If the numbers aren't going down over several weeks, you’re either overtraining or not resting enough between reps.
- Focus on the "Big Three" of Speed: Sprinting at max velocity, jumping explosively (plyometrics), and heavy unilateral lifting (step-ups/split squats).
Speed is a skill. Like playing the piano or coding, it requires focused, high-quality practice. You wouldn't try to learn the piano by smashing the keys as hard as you can for an hour until your fingers bled. Don't treat your running that way either. Train with intent, rest with a vengeance, and watch the clock start to reward you.