subject: Some Exercises To Increase Speed In Sports [print this page] Whatever your athletic goals are, increasing speed is very important. It is part of the equation that makes you successful in any sport. Speed and strength, athletic ability and strategy will complete the whole equation, and of course, there are a lot of exercises that you can do to increase your speed in sports.
Exercises to increase speed specifically target and condition your muscle fibers for quickness and speed to raise your performance in any sports. These types of exercises are very good in running because it will make you run faster with greater speed, balance, and agility.
Plyometric exercises are also used by many trainers and athletes not just to build speed but to improve agility and coordination as well. However, you have to keep in mind that plyometrics and other exercises to increase speed may be risky and can lead to injuries if not correctly and accurately done. Plyometrics needs a solid base and proper training before actually performing it.
Basically, it involves high intensity muscular contractions that raise the stretch reflex. Jumps, hops and bounding movements are the most popular forms of plyometric exercises. Balance, elasticity and power drills are also performed as part of ploymetric training. Aside from speed, plyometric exercises are also best increasing your vertical jump that is very useful in sports such as basketball and football - so you can actually develop not only speed but also power and enhance your overall performance.
Contrast training is another exercise that helps increase speed and power as well. It involves doing a set of plyometric exercise followed by a set of weights exercise. This type of exercise is ideal for court players, track and field athletes and martial artists.
If you are focused on exercises to increase speed in running, you can also do simple exercises such as heel raises, squats, lunges and forward knee stride exercises. Your trainer may recommend you a training program that consists these particular exercises as these can help a lot in increasing the length of your stride, which is important in running. Aside from increasing stride length, these will also help develop flexibility in your legs that allow you to maximize your power in running.
Other exercises that you can try to increase your speed is acceleration repetition and decline sprint. You can do acceleration repetition by practicing short bursts of speed repeatedly. You can start with a slow jog before bursting into a full sprint and accelerate as fast as you can, then slow down to a jog. Sprints performed down a decline or incline sprint are a speed exercise that is very helpful in improving the basic elements of speed which include stride length. With this, you will learn to stride more rapidly that will eventually lead to an increased speed.
Whatever exercise you decide to follow, do not forget to stretch before you work out. This is because having flexible muscles is a major factor not just in speed training, but in fitness as a whole. Keep in mind too that in doing exercises to increase speed and power, you have to think always of safety first, so don't forget to warm up.
