A huge part of speed and agility training is acceleration, it is important to train and strengthen the posterior chain of the body—glutes, hamstrings, lower back, mid-back, and even the calves & feet. Some of the most effective methods and strength exercises to improve acceleration include:

• Sled Drags & Sled Pulls
• Resisted Towing
• Tire Flips
• Plate Pushes
• Keiser Air Runner
• Bullet Belt
• Super Band Leap Frogs
• Form running in place & move out
• Legged Romanian Deadlifts
• Calf Raises (Double & Single Leg)
• Swiss Ball Leg Curls
• TRX Hip Extensions/Bicycles, Leg Curls
• Hyperextensions (Glute/Ham)
• Barefoot Balance Touches (on airex pad)
• Planks
• Pullups

Once one achieves top-end speed (T.E.S.), the mechanics then change. Now, technique is a bit different:

• Foot Contact now under hip
• Body is upright
• Upper body relaxed
• Arms swinging 90-120 degrees from waist to chin; drive elbows back!
• T.E.S. typically reached at approximately 20-30 yards on a linear sprint

Some drills to reinforce Top End Speed Mechanics/Technique Drills include:

• Arm swing drills
• Fast Claw Drill
  • Marches
  • Skipping

  Some of the best exercises and methods to improve acceleration and T.E.S. include:

  • Uphill running
  • Stadium Steps
  • Resisted Speed Drills (bungees)
  • Assisted Over-speed training with bungee
  • High speed treadmill

  Best Strength Exercises to Improve Overall Speed (& acceleration):

  • Squats (2 legged & 1 legged)
  • Step-ups
  • Lunges (variations)
  • Bulgarian Split Squats
  • Deadlifts
  • Plate Pushes
  • Sled Drags
  • Plyometrics (squat jumps, lunge hops, Box jumps, leap frogs, vertimax, etc.)
  • Olympic Lifts (snatch, clean & jerk, clean, power shrugs) (power development)
  • Core Conditioning (ie. hyperextensions, Glute/Ham Raise, Russian twists, Bosu Core, med ball standing twists, med ball standing windmills, med ball seated sidewinders, med ball side-tosses into wall, med ball throws (straight up), etc…
  • Pullups
  • Weighted arm swings
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