More Tips for Becoming Faster and More Explosive
By: Rick Scarpulla
(Editor's Note: Last week, SPARQ Trainer Network member Rick Scarpulla shared five of his 10 tips to becoming a faster and more explosive athlete. In this feature, Rick shares his remaining five tips. Click here to read Rick's first five tips.)
In this day and age the need for faster, stronger, more explosive athletes is one of the top priorities for all athletes as well as coaches. Most sports played today are really about short to midrange acceleration and physical domination, therefore explosive speed as well as explosive strength is a must. A solid speed and strength program will not only help in your performance. In addition it will greatly reduce the risk of injury. Here are a few tips to becoming faster and stronger athlete and a few misconceptions exposed.
5. Your training routine should be balanced. You should try and work speed training twice weekly, absolute strength (max effort gym work) twice weekly and dynamic explosive strength twice weekly. You can combine more than one area per day, but only work each area twice weekly. You also must consistently change your exercises and drills, as the human body will adapt to a specific task rather quickly. The only way you can get better is to challenge the body and mind to master new tasks.
6. Speed and explosive strength are not gender specific. Females should train the same way as males. The same biomechanical principles take place in males as females. There is a great misconception about girls having to train differently. Absolutely not true. While there is a difference in the amount of strength a female may poses as opposed to males there is no difference in principle. Females must strength train in order to become faster and more explosive. The old myth about girls becoming too bulky is not true. Just look at today’s top female athletes such as Jennie Finch or Mia Hamm, Lisa Leslie etc. All train hard with weights and all follow the same principles as their male counterparts. No one can accuse any of them of being manly or bulky.
7. Train fast to be fast. You must train speed to become fast in short intervals. Miles or repeat 200s, 100s or 50s is not speed training. Speed training should be set up so you duplicate the game you play. In order to become fast and explosive you must train fast and explosive. The first ten yards are always extremely important. Maybe the most important, that is why you must focus hard on drills that create acceleration. Especially in sports such as football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse where higher aerobic capacity is necessary and where short explosive speed is prevalent. Long distance running will only serve to create slower athletes. If your game is played in 20-30 yard sprints then you stop or sprint to get back on defense then again sprint that is how you should train. If you take a ball and place it 30 yards away and line up a sprinter and a miler who do you think will get to the ball first? The sprinter will. Sprinters don’t’ run mileage they run sprints and weight train and do acceleration drills. When you run distances the whole body mechanics of running change. Sprinters run differently then distance runners. You can build functional endurance without ever running distance.
8. Do not static stretch cold muscles. Before you begin a practice the best way to properly warm up is to use a dynamic warm up that moves from basic low intensity movements to faster more explosive movements. You want to simulate movements that you will use in practice or games. Stretching cold muscles actually reduces power output in a muscle. Therefore cold stretching will make you slower, weaker and less explosive and more prone to injury. Any static stretching should be done after your workout not before.
9. Make sure you get proper rest and nutrition. Many people think you can train every day without any days off. This is wrong regardless of age you need rest and maintenance. TLC and nutrition of the mind and body are as important as proper training. Your body is the vehicle of your mind and sprit and you must take proper care of your body the same as you would any other vehicle, or the result will be the same your vehicle will breakdown.
10. Be consistent set up a proper training routine and stick with it. Don’t quit on yourself. Success will not happen overnight. It is not supposed to. It will never happen if you don’t work at it. It takes hard work and dedication. Remember great athletes and teams are built in the off season. They just perform during the season. Push yourself, Believe in yourself and allow yourself time to grow and reach your potential. Gain as much knowledge as possible as knowledge is power and the more knowledge you have the better you will be. You should periodically test your performance and test yourself. Realize temporary failure and let downs are normal parts of the growing and learning process. There is no shame in trying and failing the shame is in not trying at all. Beware there are a lot of so-called coaches giving out info that is just not the best possible way to train. A bad routine will just waste your time and frustrate you. Be careful whose advice you choose to follow. There is a big difference between a real speed and strength coach as opposed to a fitness instructor. Many coaches could lead you in the wrong direction.
If you have questions for Coach Scarpulla, feel free to ask them below, or send them directly to him at: rick@myultimateadvantage.com
February 8th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
What is strectching the cold muscles
February 24th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Hi, with me being from a small town in Louisiana there are no types of trainers in the area. You either train yourself from what you learn from tv, others, etc. Or you just don’t train at all. Can you offer me a real workout routine; a little of antthing can help. Focus mainly explosiveness and quickness. Thanks Ronald
February 27th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
I was woundering if you could get me a workout for football. I want to get faster and have more explosion because I play wide reciever.
Thanks
Sean M.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I was wondering if you could get me a workout for football as well. I am ok fundamentally wise on the field but for a lineman strength and speed is always a factor so if its not too much could you help me out?
Thanks
Mike D.
March 5th, 2007 at 4:15 am
thanks now i in faster but how do i faster from sytandin start
March 5th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Just like Ronald ellis, i need a training routine to use if i want to play varsity football and basketball this coming year, i have no trainers and im on my own, i need a routine
thanks.
March 7th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Hi i do alot of training on my own but i wanted to get a real trainers routine so i can follow. Iam a runningback looking to play college football
March 11th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Hey i need alot of help on my 40 i want to play tightend and need more explosiveness to get off line and run faster
March 13th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
I need the same as all these people…I need to get faster. Do you think you could send me a quick workout that i can do in the week with my other workouts?
March 13th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Hey guys… thanks for the feedback. It's great to hear you are determined to work hard to get faster. In addition to the drills linked to at the bottom of this article, give these drills a try…
SWIZZLE LADDER DRILL WITH LADAINIAN TOMLINSON
ICKEY SHUFFLE WITH TOM BRADY
If you are loooking to get faster off the line, check out this other article about Tom Shaw and try the drills at the bottom: http://sparqtraining.com/features/2007/04/11/speed-camp-43-hard-work-pays-off/
March 31st, 2007 at 4:49 pm
I don’t really understand what you mean in #5. Could you give me an example of each type of training (sprints, cone drills, bench ect….)
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Steven B - There are TONS of examples of drills in The Film Room. Just do a Video Search for "cones", "hurdles", etc.
http://www.sparqtraining.com/videos/
May 12th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
I play LB so speed and explosiveness are important. I plan to work out with my friend (a WR) at least on the days we dont have team lifting, which is three times a week. Would be able to give us a workout to help us?
May 12th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I really need a routine for baseball to help get faster on the basepaths and have more range at second base. Do you think you could send me one?
Thanks,
Scott
May 13th, 2007 at 10:57 am
great tips . really need assistance with explosivness can i get a program ?
May 13th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
im a d end and i really need help exsploding of the ball can u help me
May 14th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Will, Scott, Brian and Bridge - SPARQ Trainer Tom Shaw is one of the best at helping athletes improve their explosiveness. Here are some of his best drills.
For baseball, just alter the drills a bit. For example, for the Ball Drops drill start from a base-stealing stance or a fielding position.
BALL DROPS
UP TALL AND FALL
LAUNCH
Good Luck!
May 21st, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Coach Scarpulla here, I will answer all email questions you may contact me at myultimateadvantage.com it may take a day or so but I will get back to you meanwhile check out my website and you may pick up some more tips and advise.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
i just completed my eight grade year. i am 5ft 10 inches, weigh around 200 lbs, bench 220, leg press about 600 lbs, and run a 40 in about 6. i am known for punishing running on my junior team, but i am not quite fast enough to play fullback in hs. can u help me become faster, and keep most of my strength and size?
thanks ryan w.
May 30th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Ryan - Check out some of Rick Scarpulla's other articles. They offer great tips on how to properly develop your speed: http://sparqtraining.com/features/?s=Scarpulla&x=0&y=0
July 5th, 2007 at 11:49 am
HEY, WELL I’M FROM A SMALL BORDER TOWN IN TEXAS AND WELL THERE IS NOT MANY TRIANERS FOR BASEBALL, WHAT ROUTINE CAN I FALLOW TO BECOME A BETTER BALL PLAYER TO ENHANCE MY SPEED AND MY STRENGH DURING OFF SEASON.
September 3rd, 2007 at 5:44 pm
I’m a junior in high school @ a public school in Illinois. I play varsity lacrosse and football (both varsity) I am 6′0′’ 175 IBS and bench @ 180 and my 40 yrd time is a 4.52. I was wondering what can I do to jack up my strength and alos increase my speed as well.
September 5th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
To become stronger you must get on a good solid strength routine 3 days a week to start and stick with the big compound movements like squats deadlifts military presses bench press try and keep the reps low and the weight high also check out my website for more tips I am constantly updating the info and I will post an article on getting stronger
December 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
hey i am trying to find a way to become a faster runningback so if you could help out could you provide me with a workout routine
February 2nd, 2008 at 10:30 pm
hey im playing linebacker and fullback is there a way to get faster but be as strong i run track but dnt see any difference i need to find out a way to get faster and be more explosive
February 20th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
so what type of running drills would you reccomend so that i get faster when i run track?
February 29th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I am a middle school runner. Is it safe for me to train so young?
February 29th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Edgar,
My trainer says if you want to get faster, 2 times a week run ten 100m with 1 min. breaks in between. This will get your body used to sprinting. Also, when you warm-up, don’t strain your legs by jumping up and down.