Athletes are either born fast, or not…...not!

I make it a habit to attend my athletes’ sporting events, so I have the advantage of actually watching them perform in the heat of competition. This helps me fine-tune their training program, so they get the greatest benefit for their time and effort. Recently, I was watching a client athlete at a baseball game when I heard, “Wow! That kid was born fast!” I had to smile, because I hear this misconception of athletic ability all the time.

The fact is that running fast – or “sprinting” – is a skill, and like any other movement skill, it can be learned and mastered with focused, “perfect” practice. Combine skill mastery with an enhance ability to effectively and consistently exert maximal force backwards into the ground, and an athlete will run forward faster.

Running speed can be broken down into two major components: stride length and stride frequency. The product of these two components dictate running speed. Targeted strength and power training protocols like those used in the PUSH athletic performance training program at Volt Fitness in Glen Rock, NJ, enhance these two components of the sprinting skill, thus enhancing an athlete’s straining ahead running speed, as well as their ability to decelerate and explosively “cut” or change direction, and their ability to jump high while reducing their risk of injury.

Check in next time to learn specific tips that will improve stride frequency.