Running Speed - Can You Accelerate To Freedom?

Online, June 15, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Explosive football offensive and defensive backs (and often basketball, baseball, football, lacrosse and soccer players) do considerable training to increase running speed, which is very important for playing well. However, close examination of the movements of high-level football players during game play reveals that the number of runs over 20 or 30 yards is relatively low.

Most often the players use a quick burst of running speed, i.e., accelerate to be the first one to get to the ball or to evade an opponent. This burst of running speed is usually exhibited for no more than 10-15 yards and is one of the main characteristics of a quick and explosive player on both offense and defense. It and the ability to execute quick cuts, is the key to getting away from your defender to be free to receive a pass, run for a touchdown or to keep up with or get to an opponent.

Acceleration can be improved by decreasing reaction and movement time (how long it takes the muscles to react when you want to start). Reaction time is in need but movement time can be enhanced by doing strength and explosive exercises that are specific to the joint actions involved (basically the same as in sprinting). Also important is to improve your technique of starting. This means not taking a step backward before going forward, getting your weight forward before pushing off and pushing off with the forward leg.

Even though some players have good running speed characteristics, it does not mean that they have the explosive strength needed to move the limbs fast enough to quickly accelerate. By doing specialized strength and explosive exercises (that duplicate the joint and muscle actions involved), you can not only learn some of the key leg actions involved in acceleration but, at the same time, develop the ability to move the limbs quicker to improve your running speed or acceleration.

Dr. Michael Yessis is a PhD (from USC) in Kinesiology and Biomechanics. A Professor at Cal State Fullerton, where he was a multi-sports specialist in biomechanics (technique analysis) and sports conditioning & training.
He's more than a theorist, having trained the NFL's Raiders and Rams and US Volleyball team. Dr. Yessis is more than just a coach, in fact he coaches the coaches. Dr. Yessis is considered this country's foremost expert on sports technique. In the Jan 2011 issue of Muscle & Fitness, Dr. Yessis is referred to as the legendary biomechanist.

Dr. Yessis has written 16 books in the sports and fitness field including [url:]Build A Better Athlete[/url] and "Biomechanics & Kinesiology of Exercise, and written more than 2,000 articles on sports training and specifically the training of runners, including articles that have appeared inTrack and Field Coaches Review, Running Times and Triathlete magazines. He discusses running form and proper technique for all sports at his website Dr. Yessis.