improving sprint speed / agility

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jcmdanny Total Posts : 143 Reward points : 3003 Joined: 01/08/2008 Location: West Midlands, England Status: offline Read my TROG	improving sprint speed / agility 22 January 2012 17:01 (permalink) [Helpful answer received] / [List Solutions Only] so at the minute i play football 3 times a week and football training once then i try to get two sessions in the gym, what i want to aim for is to improve my sprint speed and agility, has anyone got some tips/advice for this, stretches, routines or ideas. thanks My Journal
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walkie Total Posts : 4892 Reward points : 5687 Joined: 21/11/2005 Status: offline Read my TROG	Re:improving sprint speed / agility 22 January 2012 18:39 (permalink) [This post was marked as helpful] band sprints baby 20s on 20s off Jump squats baby explode up high knee marches, butt kicks, lateral shuffle, cariocas, a skips, active assisted hamstring stretch
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kuotaboy Total Posts : 7 Reward points : 118 Joined: 30/12/2011 Status: offline Read my TROG	Re:improving sprint speed / agility 23 January 2012 13:21 (permalink) Get yourself a speed ladder and start doing a set of fast foot drills, there are lots online. It definitely improves overall agility and the speed of the first couple of steps.
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Bollard

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Re:improving sprint speed / agility 23 January 2012 16:06 (permalink)

[This post was marked as helpful]

There's a number of approaches to speed. You need to be looking at a combination:

One is exercising the glutes and hams first, then quads. Deadlifts and squats will help increase the actual muscle mass in these areas. The springs of the legs are located in the posterior chain.

Secondly, there's getting speed into the legs. An exercise bike on medium resistance is good for this - working in intervals and really spinning those legs fast, this gets the muscle memory used to working at speed.

Thirdly, an awful lot of sprint speed comes from how quickly you can get the knees back up, it's ok having loads of pushing power but if your slow on the knee thrust it's not going to help you. This is all about the hip flexors. That's why you see Olympic sprinters high stepping before a race - getting those flexors warmed up.

Fourthly there are things like above, band sprints, shuttles, hill work etc. Practical and specific training.

#4

jcmdanny Total Posts : 143 Reward points : 3003 Joined: 01/08/2008 Location: West Midlands, England Status: offline Read my TROG	Re:improving sprint speed / agility 23 January 2012 17:07 (permalink) thanks for the help guys, will try and figure something out into a plan to follow and see where it takes me! My Journal
	#5