Strength x Speed = Power

This age-old adage has been used to define the importance of both strength and speed in the overall definition of power. A lack of either of these components renders the other one nearly useless. In football, a super-fast wide receiver is useless if he is easily knocked to the turf at the line of scrimmage by the opposing defensive back. Likewise, a highly strong offensive lineman is of useless protection to the quarterback if he is so slow that the defensive blitzers can just run around him.

For athletes looking to improve their sports performance – or just overall power for every day life – it’s important to focus training upon both strength and speed. The strength aspect is often easily covered by the daily weightlifting routines in which we engage. Five days’ worth of training 60 to 90 minutes will make any man strong. However, the speed is something which is often neglected.

Super fast, or speed training, is just what It sounds like. You move through the full range of each repetition as fast as possible. You do not shorten your range of motion. You just reduce the weight by 30 or 40%, and you move through the repetitions as fast as safely possible.

When using speed training, extra care should be used to ensure the muscle group is fully warmed up and stretched. Moving a high payload of weight too quickly can cause a jarring effect on the muscle, tendons, and bone, creating an additional possibility for injury. For this reason, lighter weights are preferred, in the 15 to 20 1-rep maximum range.

Machines are very helpful when training in this manner. The limit the range of motion to prevent the tendon or muscle from being over-extended, due to moving incorrectly at the fast rate and losing the correct lifting arc. Dumbbells are safe as well. Exercises like incline dumbbell presses and standing alternate dumbbell curls allow stabilizer muscles to control most of the dangerous arc angles.

Be cautious when using super fast training on larger, compound movements. Deadlifts and squats can be dangerous when high speed with a loose barbell is used. Instead, use exercises such as lat pulldowns and leg presses, which allow the machine to remove some of the dangerous elements, while still providing a clean range of motion for explosive lifting. If your results have slowed, give super fast training a shot. If you are involved in sports, you should definitely consider its use for improving your game!

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