"Faster running speeds are achieved with greater ground reaction forces, not more rapid leg movements" Weyand et al (2000)
The ability to turn the legs over faster is not the difference between faster and slower sprinting speeds... Faster speeds are achieved by increasing ground reaction forces.
Essentially faster runners can apply more force to the floor within the limited time window available during the short ground contact times involved in running.
Seeking out training tasks that develop your ability to produce more force into the ground at speed are therefore essential.
In working towards this you will choose training tasks in the gym across a continuum from high force + low speed all the way to low force + high speed and everything in between.
If you are new to strength training your first port of call should be to get stronger independent of how fast you are moving. That means training at high relative force and low to moderate speeds. This is likely to have immediate transfer to running performance for beginners.
For those who have been strength training for longer the major limiting factor is not likely to be the total amount of force they can produce. Rather they will be limited by how quickly they can produce it.
For these people continuing to increase numbers in the gym will have diminishing returns or no effect. It may even be detrimental to running performance for some. Instead tasks where the emphasis shifts to rate of force development as well as plyometric and ballistic tasks like hurdle bounds and medicine ball throws will be of more benefit.
Knowing HOW AND WHEN to use what training tasks is the art and science of coaching but the message is clear: learn to apply more force into the floor to run faster.
Daniel Lavipour has trained 1000s of athletes to get faster including Olympians, international track and field athletes, international footballers on the England men's and women's football teams, international Netballers on the England and New Zealand teams, aspiring youth athletes, and many more athletes across multiple sports including amateurs and non-athletes.
If you would learn more about how you could train to run faster please do get in contact by clicking here.
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