The Olympics will be happening soon. Citius, Altius, Fortius – or Faster, Higher, Stronger – will be exemplified. Today’s post will be addressing the Citius component. Speed.
At TLA, we value speed as one of the 5 Capacities of Athleticism, or human performance. Along with strength, power, agility, and endurance, speed is an essential item in the lifelong peak performer’s toolbox.
Winners are fast. And fast people win. Not just in sprints, but in most sports. Peak performers generally have at least some, or a lot of…speed.
There’s no reason why fitness enthusiasts and exercisers can’t also train for speed. It just needs to be done safely and intelligently.
Not doing so is leaving so much on the table. Most people appreciate this in athletic applications, but they’re really shocked when they find they’ve lost their speed and now it’s actually shortening their healthspan and quality of life because their fast-twitch fibers have atrophied greatly. With proper training, there’s no reason you can’t preserve your quickness through most of your lifespan.
The Reaper comes for all of us. Those he gets first are weak, stiff, fragile, and slow. This s**t matters. It’s not only the strong that survive (the longest). It’s the ones who are agile, durable, and FAST.
As part of the Summer Longevity Training Series, I’ll be talking about Speed Training for Older Athletes on The Lifetime Athlete Podcast. Listed out below are a few of the points I’ll be discussing.
Speed is often overlooked in the health, longevity, and general fitness circles. A great emphasis is placed on muscle and strength, as well as VO2max. Those are important for sure, but the ability to move rapidly is integral to long term function just as much as it is in sports performance.
In the purest sense, speed is defined as maximum velocity. However, there is also the concept of relative speed. Any given pace, or motion classified otherwise, is a percentage of your maximum speed potential. To some extent, the higher your max speed, the easier it is for you to move at submaximal velocities. However, the further you go, being fast is more about aerobic fitness, propulsive energy to bodyweight ratios, and fluid movement. It’s fine for a person to say “I want to get faster at the marathon,” but what they are really saying is I want to get fitter so I can bring my PR at that distance down. So for the context of today’s discussion we’ll stick to referring to speed as max velocity as opposed to submaximal velocities sustained over time or distance.
Training pure speed benefits every athlete. And every human. There is spillover and a trickle down effect. Good speed helps you in so many sports and life pursuits. And as we touched on earlier, if you are a little faster, you don’t have to get as close to your “redline” when living many of those life experiences.
Much of the talk in the training community revolves around the metabolic aspects of fitness. That’s very important. But the mechanical side of things deserves equal consideration. Metabolic fitness includes your ability to deliver and utilize oxygen, to tolerate and buffer acidosis or high blood lactate conditions, and to repair tissue. But mechanical fitness is all about moving well (better). Speed is highly dependent on good mechanics. Not all fitness can be measured with a blood test.
We readily recognize that most sporting and fitness participation involves all 3 energy systems (alactic, anaerobic, and aerobic). But true speed is alactic. That’s emphasizing the phosphocreatine, or immediate, energy pathway. Most studies support that maximum velocity can be sustained for about 3-7 seconds, depending on the motion and athlete considered. Beyond that time frame, we enter submaximal speed territory.
Zones are fantastic to describe aerobic and anaerobic training, but speed training is better depicted by percentage of max speed, or RPE for a given distance. The main reason for this is that heart rate doesn’t stabilize in the short time frames of top speed and thus is not a reliable metric. It’s all about how hard you try, or really, how fast you go.
Maximum speed training places a very high demand, perhaps the highest, on the CNS. By this we mean that the intention of going fast requires a summoning and recruitment of alpha motor neurons and Type IIx (the most explosive) muscle fibers. The brain and body have to get excited – amped and ramped – to access full speed potential.
For best results, speed training requires relatively long rest periods between efforts within a workout. Similar to the aforementioned CNS demand, rest intervals in sprinting can approach the longest breaks found in any type of training. We need to allow neurotransmitter levels to normalize and CP stores to refill. And, if the speed rep edged into anaerobic metabolism (most will if output lasts longer than just a few seconds), we want to give the body time to rebalance pH. One convention in sprinting is to rest 1 minute for every 10 meters run at max velocity. This is approximate but effective. Many people familiar with other types of training, such as VO2max work or Tabata-style HIIT will find this foreign. But you get used to it.
Speed is a skill which needs to be practiced. The timing and coordination of going fast necessitates diligent attention to quality technique. It takes a lot of reps to learn how to sprint – or do other things very rapidly – with high output and no (or very little) wasted energy.
We have to earn the right (and privilege) to go fast. This is one of the great challenges in speed and it applies to the Olympians just as much as every one of us. It can take weeks or months to get an athlete ready to begin speed training…and longer than this to test and compete in most cases. These are the rules of biology, not of this author. People get hurt by not respecting this principle.
Preparatory training for speed involves a variety of tempo changes during exercises, hops, jumps, throws, and the like. This conditioning naturally flows from extensive to intensive training. We’ll often start a progression by quickening lift tempos and potentially shortening range of motion to something less than full. Rope jumping and pogo jumps lead to box and depth jumps (although not crazy high for Lifetime Athletes). Rate of force development becomes a theme and medicine ball throws see a lot of action. Fast punch combos on the heavy bag. Sled pushes and drag rig pulls get lighter but faster. We progressively tune the reactions, refine the movement patterns, and toughen the connective tissues. Fun stuff.
The most obvious representation of speed in the human is sprinting. This rapid locomotion is the primary and natural expression in those for whom fast running is a possibility. This includes a lot of non-runners who are capable yet have not previously been experienced or interested in such behavior.
Lifetime Athletes, however, do not always have full access to their original locomotive capacities. Running and sprinting may not be viable options for individuals with orthopedic issues, systemic problems, or high bodyweight. That’s not a problem because we can still find ways to safely train for speed in most athletes. It’s so important and worthwhile to make speed available for almost everyone.
Performing high speed intervals on a fixed gear, spinning-style bike is a fantastic training tool. We’re going to look at that in a sample workout in just a few moments.
Deep water pool sprinting is also an excellent modality. I’ve had the privilege of working with a number of competitive runners over the years who’ve embraced this training. Water is an amazing training medium and most pools have belts or vests designed for this practice. You can even use a life preserver/PFD in a pinch.
Returning to our emphasis on running where it’s possible, sprint training requires a very long, thorough, and gradual warmup process. At TLA we use a conventional activation system, which is the TLA Track Warmup. It’s pretty standard and our team members personalize it to fit their needs, doing less or more of any of the exercises in order to achieve a reasonable state of readiness with which to address the primary portion of our speed workouts.
You can train speed anywhere, but the track is the best. Hands down. Yet there is pushback. Often this stems from bad experiences or a lack of knowledge, all of which can be overcome. Maybe you feel like you’ll be a “rat in a cage” running endless circles at the track. We don’t do that. Or you had a middle school PE debacle when the coach or teacher said “Today, kids…we’re gonna see what you are made of. With no prior training, and no warmup, you’re going to run the mile (not a sprint anyway) all-out and post your times on the wall for perpetuity.” Or something like that. Then you struggled, suffered, puked, and swore you’ll never run on a track again. Maybe never run again. Maybe never play sports or exercise again. OK…being a little extreme here but you get my point. However, the track is perfect for fast running because it is a safe, measured, level enclosure with a consistent surface. No cars or dogs to dodge. And a culture of speed that is inarguable. Embrace your local high school or college track and field facility. Use it and then volunteer to help out at a meet as payback. Track is a very inclusive community.
Dosing and spacing are terms that I use to describe the application of training (any type) to our Lifetime Athlete population. While we touch on speed in every training block in our (nationwide, online) Training Tribe, May through August uses a very simple methodology of exposure. This is based on our Annual Training Plan that emphasizes power May/June and speed July/August. We have 2 workouts per week which contain speed-oriented components. In terms of sprint volume, we are generally looking at 1-3 minutes total time at full (or near) speed, and this usually equates to anywhere from 200-800 meters actual fast running. That’s just the focused stuff. There’s actually a lot of supportive training built into those sessions.
Sprinting (at least over short distances from 60-200 meters on the track or a 40 yard dash on grass, can be broken down into 3 distinct phases. These are the start/drive, max velocity/upright form, and maintenance/minimization of deceleration phases. Let’s take a look at each one.
Starts are where we overcome momentum and get going. We push off, drive out, and gradually (key) rise up. 4-point starts work best with blocks. 3-point starts (1 hand down, the other arm cocked back) are great just about anywhere. A standing or two-point start is a quick takeoff from a staggered (but not overly stretched out) position. And a rolling start lets you get going without a hard push. We use and train them all in the Training Tribe. The main thing to learn with starts is to make the first few steps big pushes (with longer ground contact times), come out near a 45-degree angle, and let the transition to being upright occur over 10-30 meters (depending on ability level and distance run).
Max velocity sprinting uses upright mechanics after we’ve reached top acceleration. This is where we are working on switching and cycling the legs/arms and attacking the ground with spring-like features. Brief ground contact times (less than 10 milliseconds in elites) and quick recoveries are emphasized. There is a lot of art form in finding that sweet spot where this looks, and works, most effectively.
The maintenance segment is basically the point in which we hang on and try not to fall apart. If we use the 100 meters as an example, nobody can hold max velocity through the finish line, Everyone is slowing down. Racers who look like they are speeding up are actually just slowing down less than everyone else. This is true for all sprinters, including the great Usain Bolt whose world record of 9.58 still stands. It often looked like he was pulling away at the end. But in reality, everyone else was falling back because he was decelerating slightly less. Learning to maintain form in the presence of mounting fatigue is the secret to a good finish in a sprint.
Economy and efficiency are terms often used in athletics and human performance. You can go pretty deep here but I like the simple approach. The definitions and applications that we use at TLA use a vehicular analogy. Economy is all about not wasting energy. It’s fuel conservation or miles per gallon. Economical technique has no or very little wasted motion. Efficiency is horsepower at a given RPM. How much velocity are you getting at a given output? In the case of today’s discussion, that’s max. You can have one without the other and you’ll be slower. Being both economical (good form) and efficient (powerful mechanics) is necessary to sprint fast.
Speed training is not about seeking exhaustion. Effort is high yet the duration of each bout is brief and rest periods are ample. This relates to a number of prior comments. We prepare well in training to approach a speed session. During that workout, we do a progressive warmup to get properly activated for safe and powerful sprinting. We keep the efforts under 10 seconds to support high velocity. We take generous breaks to be able to do this a few times. There are other types of workouts, targeting different adaptations, where we may extend rep durations and shorten rest intervals, but that’s not actually speed training. This is where speed gets a bad rap and is misunderstood. If you’re dreading speed, and have visions of painful grinds followed by nauseous time on the couch, you’re doing it wrong. We’re changing that today.
When it’s done right, speed training is incredibly fun. It’s safe. It’s exhilarating. It’s neither high acidosis pukefest training nor is it a mental toughness grind. There’s actually a place for both those things in certain athletic applications. Those things can make you better at 1-10 minute outputs and more durable in various sports. But they won’t make you faster. The only way you get faster is by training at max velocity, and by nature’s laws you can’t sustain this for more than 5-7 seconds.
There are unique benefits to speed training that you can’t get anywhere else. Improvement of reactivity. Preservation of Type IIx fibers (unique from what you get with strength and power training). Hormonal signaling that is longevity-enhancing (youthful vitality) and which optimizes body composition. It’s sort of like your body saying “This clown keeps making us go fast. Ok…let’s preserve that ability, get rid of some fat, and hang onto the muscle because we need it.” Even though my statement was seemingly quixotic, it was equally cogent. This is evidence-based. The internal messaging that sprinting gives our bodies tells it to stay youthful and elastic. It’s unique and awesome.
If you’ve stayed with me this long, thank you. It’s important that we talked about the previous points. You deserve a sample workout. I’m going to flesh this one out so that it’s accessible to almost everyone. It will have a track sprinting focus but there will also be cycling and pool options. The only warning or bit of advice I’ll offer is that you should be in relatively good condition (you decide what that means or hire me for a consultation) before attempting these sessions.
- We’ll start with the track. Go through a warmup process. This should progress from general to specific, and from low to moderate intensity. On the track, use a variation of our TLA Track Warmup, but put your signature on it. You can be more sophisticated with any of this if you like.
- Main set is 6-10 (reps) flying 20m @ 90-95% max speed w/2:00 rests. We’ll go over each item in the breakdown.
- Six to ten repetitions is expressed in a range because that’s our dependent variable. Only do as many reps as you can with good quality. If speed starts to drop off, form gets funky, or a hammy feels wonky…shut it down immediately. Elite athletes can go 10m/s (meters per second) so they are only sprinting at max velocity for 20 seconds total if they do 10 reps. For Lifetime Athletes, it’s a bit more, and that’s plenty.
- Flying 20’s means you set up a “cone-zone” of 20 meters on the track. You can use the various markings on the track for hurdle spacing or relay exchange zones, depending on your track. Place hats or water bottles if you don’t have cones. You get a “run up” and a “coast out” zone of your preference but I would suggest about 20 meters on each side (so you’re actually running a 60 even if not all is at full speed).
- Ninety percent effort (or just a little more) is your target. Fast is smooth. Smooth is fast. If you try too hard, you’ll strain, end up “running with the brakes on” and this can increase injury risk. Get up on top of your gear (form) and stay light and quick.
- 2 minutes is a reasonable amount of rest, but it could even be a little longer if you need it. Just not shorter. Let your CNS recharge and give your muscles the chance to clear the metabolites of the rep. Heart rate will come down, but it’s not a metric in true sprint training, so don’t worry about it too much. Walk back, mill around, take a sip, check your shoelaces…make sure you’re able to give a max intent in the rep before taking off again.
- For a cooldown, finish up with a little easy running, walking, stretching, and the like. 10-15 minutes is fine. Resist the temptation to do more so you can really experience the benefits of a true speed workout. Release your inner cheetah. In other words, go like hell (kill, win) and then rest.
- On the bike, we’ve got a little explaining to do. You need to use a bike with toe straps or clip-in pedals so that you can lock your feet in and there’s no chance of your foot slipping off and that pedal coming around and whacking you in the leg, or worse. A fixed gear, flywheel style exercise bike that does not freewheel is best, but this is possible (although not quite as good) to do outside on your road or gravel bike. Spend 10-20 minutes warming up as you prefer. Use a consistent, moderate (you define) resistance level. The main set is 6-10 x 10 seconds @ max cadence (RPM’s) w/50 second active (very easy) recovery spins.
- Six to ten reps because when quality drops off…you’re done (at least with speed training).
- 10 seconds because you build up to full velocity for 2-3 seconds and ease off the same way so you can stay in control. This gives you 4-6 seconds truly all-out and this works well on the bike.
- Max cadence is the key here. You want to turn those pedals as fast as possible (while still in control) and this is 140-160 RPM depending on your bike. This workout is not trying to see how high you can push wattage at 90 rpm against a big gear. That’s a power workout and the rep would be for a longer duration. In order to truly attack those IIx fibers, it has to be all-out for speed. Thus the need for a safe setup on the bike.
- The 50 second recovery provides a 1:5 work to rest ratio and that’s adequate for this mode of training. However, you can even extend it out further if you need because we are targeting quality during the sprint, not the rapidity of recovery. Again, speed is different from other forms of training.
- Enjoy an easy 10-15 minute cooldown spin. While this will help your cycling if you’re a biker (improves souplesse), the session was really designed to aid Lifetime Athletes in developing speed using a bike because running was not an appropriate choice.
- If you are headed to the pool, you’ve got two ways you can work on speed. Accomplished competitive swimmers who are highly competent with freestyle stroke mechanics can swim a set of hard 25’s, adjusting rest periods based on their experience. But for most Lifetime Athletes, deep water (using a flotation belt or vest and not being able to touch bottom) is best. In this scenario, following a free choice warmup, you duplicate the cycling routine by hammering 6-10 reps of 10 seconds at a full range of motion sprint with 50 second (easy water jogging or treading water) active rests. You can cool down for 10-15 minutes with a mix of easier running, water exercise, and swimming.
It’s certainly possible to put some speed into a blended workout which contains other capacities. Just watch the overall workload. We do that all the time in our Training Tribe but those cats are used to all types of training (part of the Plan). Having stated that, we still hold overall workout duration/volume back when we’re doing a speed session.
If you’re in a speed focus, consider increasing the frequency of your speed training sessions more so than the volume within any one session. This gets back to the CNS thing, among several others. You can only do so much in any one session. But as you get more conditioned for speed, your recovery requirements between workouts will improve.
Obviously, there’s much more to speed than what we covered here today. Our new Speed Training for Lifetime Athletes course will be out soon. It’s available exclusively to members in The Lifetime Athlete App. The course will cover many more aspects of speed development in greater detail, including specific workout advice just like we use in our Training Tribe programming.
Keeping people fast for life. That’s not the only thing we’re all about here at TLA, but it’s sure one of them. I hope you’ve enjoyed this discussion and you’re jazzed up about your own Summer of Speed. As always, thanks and cheers!