Most football speed training programs are total and complete garbage. I know, I know…they look so cool. Running with parachutes, through hurdles, over cones and while towing your teammates MUST make you faster for football! After all, all the big companies show various male models wearing over-priced spandex doing these things!
Honestly, do you think this is how you get faster for football?
I’m going to let you in on a speed training secret…The Stronger You Are, The Faster You Are! Get stronger and you’ll get faster for football…
I realize that sounds boring, but, it’s true. See, your max strength determines all other elements of athleticism. Your speed, your strength, your explosiveness, your jumping ability, and your agility are all determined by how strong you are.
You would think that most would realize this and save themselves a lot of time and money but, slick marketing by some coaches have confused the facts. Saying that you need to work hard and get stronger doesn’t sell to the masses. Most people, yes, even football players are lazy. Lifting heavy weights and working like a mad man in order to get faster for football is pretty daunting compared to strapping yourself to some stupid parachute and running around hoping for the wind to blow in just the right direction.
Football speed training has been further damaged by those who only want to prepare for the 40. While this subject is big enough for entire books, I’ll just quickly say that the ability to run a fast 40 has NOTHING to do with getting faster for football. Game speed is not 40 speed.
If you really want to get faster for football, you need to live by these 4 Football Speed Training Rules
1. You Must Train Your Hamstrings Hard and Often
Your hamstrings and glutes are your football speed muscles, not your calfs. Not your pecs. It’s all about the hams.
Exercises like Deadlifts, Snatch Deadlifts, Box Squats, Romanian Deadlifts, Kettlebell Swings and Power Cleans are what build football speed. Not running over hurdles in a tinfoil hat.
Your hamstrings must be worked with heavy, low rep sets.
Exercises like Box Squats, Front Squats, Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, and Power Cleans can be done either for multiple sets of low reps, i.e., 8 sets of 3 reps.
Or, You can work up to a heavy single, double or triple. These movements should be the focus of your strength training program. Do them first and THEN go on to the accessory work.
I can not stress this enough…if you listen to nothing else in this article, listen to this one…just training your hamstrings harder than you are right now will get you faster for football in short order!
2. You Must Do Speed Exercises for the Legs
Building crazy strength in your legs is the first step in getting faster for football. But, as many a disappointed lifter has found out, it’s not the only one.
You must also work your legs in a dynamic way…or, simply put, you must do speed-specific exercises. No, I don’t mean “speed exercises” where you run with a vest on or pulling your teammate around.
I’m talking about speed exercises in the weight room.
Things like:
Box Squats
Kettlebell Swings
Cleans
Snatch Pulls
Box Front Squats
You must, after a certain point, add chains or bands to the bar as well. This is not for the beginner, so we’ll save that for later. But, the point is, you must train for speed. How do you do this?
3 or 4 days after your heavy leg day, you do a speed day. Simply use your main exercise for the day, i.e., Box Squats, and do them for speed. Take about 60% of your max Box Squat and sit back and explode off the box as fast as humanly possible…then go a little faster. Keep rest periods short (around 60-seconds)
Do this for 12 sets of 2 reps. I know; sounds easy. But, by set 6 the “WTF” factor comes into play.
There’s been debate over using the Olympic Lifts in place of Dynamic Effort. There’s no debate. Use both and shut up about it. Power Cleans and Power Snatches are great ways to build…hmmm…POWER!
Follow up your speed work with accessory work for the legs and lower back in a more moderate rep range. Doing speed work for the legs in the proper way will also take you one step closer to getting faster for football.
3. You Must Build Explosive Starting Strength
Remember that kid you used to play sandlot football with…he was fast but when he went out for football, he never made it. Wanna know why? Because he was fast after a 10 yard ramp up. He had no starting strength. Starting strength is a fancy way for saying explosiveness. Know when the announcers talk about a guy’s “explosive first step?” They’re talking about starting strength.
Too many football players lack this. If you’re a lineman and you don’t have sufficient starting strength, forget it. You’re done. The ability to “turn on” all
Speed workouts.
If you have a 400 meter track, sprint 200 meters then jog 200 meters. Do as much as you can handle.
Another workout is timed ladders.
If you have a 400 meter track, start with a 1200 (3 laps) then a 800 (2 laps) then a 600 (1 and a half) and then a 400 (1 lap). After doing this, you do it again starting from the 400 so you work your way up. That’s why it’s called ladders. The key is to time yourself and try and beat your times each day you do this. These are the times you want to finish around.
1200- 4:30-6:30 mins
800- 2:30-3:00 mins
600- 1:30-2:00 mins
400- 1:00-1:30 mins
Ghetto siri offers you some sound advice. Football is about explosiveness first and foremost, not running 1200 meters. You need to work those fast twitch and power muscles to maximize what you were blessed with. Good luck!
you cant make yourself get faster really..maybe you can but try to just build up your endurance. i would go running more often or go to the track and sprint. just practice
Most football speed training programs are total and complete garbage. I know, I know…they look so cool. Running with parachutes, through hurdles, over cones and while towing your teammates MUST make you faster for football! After all, all the big companies show various male models wearing over-priced spandex doing these things!
Honestly, do you think this is how you get faster for football?
I’m going to let you in on a speed training secret…The Stronger You Are, The Faster You Are! Get stronger and you’ll get faster for football…
I realize that sounds boring, but, it’s true. See, your max strength determines all other elements of athleticism. Your speed, your strength, your explosiveness, your jumping ability, and your agility are all determined by how strong you are.
You would think that most would realize this and save themselves a lot of time and money but, slick marketing by some coaches have confused the facts. Saying that you need to work hard and get stronger doesn’t sell to the masses. Most people, yes, even football players are lazy. Lifting heavy weights and working like a mad man in order to get faster for football is pretty daunting compared to strapping yourself to some stupid parachute and running around hoping for the wind to blow in just the right direction.
Football speed training has been further damaged by those who only want to prepare for the 40. While this subject is big enough for entire books, I’ll just quickly say that the ability to run a fast 40 has NOTHING to do with getting faster for football. Game speed is not 40 speed.
If you really want to get faster for football, you need to live by these 4 Football Speed Training Rules
1. You Must Train Your Hamstrings Hard and Often
Your hamstrings and glutes are your football speed muscles, not your calfs. Not your pecs. It’s all about the hams.
Exercises like Deadlifts, Snatch Deadlifts, Box Squats, Romanian Deadlifts, Kettlebell Swings and Power Cleans are what build football speed. Not running over hurdles in a tinfoil hat.
Your hamstrings must be worked with heavy, low rep sets.
Exercises like Box Squats, Front Squats, Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, and Power Cleans can be done either for multiple sets of low reps, i.e., 8 sets of 3 reps.
Or, You can work up to a heavy single, double or triple. These movements should be the focus of your strength training program. Do them first and THEN go on to the accessory work.
I can not stress this enough…if you listen to nothing else in this article, listen to this one…just training your hamstrings harder than you are right now will get you faster for football in short order!
2. You Must Do Speed Exercises for the Legs
Building crazy strength in your legs is the first step in getting faster for football. But, as many a disappointed lifter has found out, it’s not the only one.
You must also work your legs in a dynamic way…or, simply put, you must do speed-specific exercises. No, I don’t mean “speed exercises” where you run with a vest on or pulling your teammate around.
I’m talking about speed exercises in the weight room.
Things like:
Box Squats
Kettlebell Swings
Cleans
Snatch Pulls
Box Front Squats
You must, after a certain point, add chains or bands to the bar as well. This is not for the beginner, so we’ll save that for later. But, the point is, you must train for speed. How do you do this?
3 or 4 days after your heavy leg day, you do a speed day. Simply use your main exercise for the day, i.e., Box Squats, and do them for speed. Take about 60% of your max Box Squat and sit back and explode off the box as fast as humanly possible…then go a little faster. Keep rest periods short (around 60-seconds)
Do this for 12 sets of 2 reps. I know; sounds easy. But, by set 6 the “WTF” factor comes into play.
There’s been debate over using the Olympic Lifts in place of Dynamic Effort. There’s no debate. Use both and shut up about it. Power Cleans and Power Snatches are great ways to build…hmmm…POWER!
Follow up your speed work with accessory work for the legs and lower back in a more moderate rep range. Doing speed work for the legs in the proper way will also take you one step closer to getting faster for football.
3. You Must Build Explosive Starting Strength
Remember that kid you used to play sandlot football with…he was fast but when he went out for football, he never made it. Wanna know why? Because he was fast after a 10 yard ramp up. He had no starting strength. Starting strength is a fancy way for saying explosiveness. Know when the announcers talk about a guy’s “explosive first step?” They’re talking about starting strength.
Too many football players lack this. If you’re a lineman and you don’t have sufficient starting strength, forget it. You’re done. The ability to “turn on” all
Speed workouts.
If you have a 400 meter track, sprint 200 meters then jog 200 meters. Do as much as you can handle.
Another workout is timed ladders.
If you have a 400 meter track, start with a 1200 (3 laps) then a 800 (2 laps) then a 600 (1 and a half) and then a 400 (1 lap). After doing this, you do it again starting from the 400 so you work your way up. That’s why it’s called ladders. The key is to time yourself and try and beat your times each day you do this. These are the times you want to finish around.
1200- 4:30-6:30 mins
800- 2:30-3:00 mins
600- 1:30-2:00 mins
400- 1:00-1:30 mins
Ghetto siri offers you some sound advice. Football is about explosiveness first and foremost, not running 1200 meters. You need to work those fast twitch and power muscles to maximize what you were blessed with. Good luck!
you cant make yourself get faster really..maybe you can but try to just build up your endurance. i would go running more often or go to the track and sprint. just practice
Sprint and work out your legs at the gym. Work out your cardio too
Deer antler extract. Speed. Steroids…. all the good stuff.