getting faster

[MillerTime]

whats the best exercise to do to get faster? jump rope, squats, leg press? im really slow, i run like a 12-13 second 100, i need to get faster. whats the best overall exercise to do, or which muscles should i focus on?

thanks!

[achtungpv]

None of the above.

Plyometrics and short sprints. Look up dj's sprint workout it's in another thread.

[Vault Old School]

I concur but getting stronger never hurts.

[polevaultdad]

Getting faster will require some work. Lots of technique (high knees, powerdrive, etc.) Running fast requires a total body awareness. Just try running and then move your arms faster than your legs. Can't be done. But you do find out that the arms are a key. Problem is---when you run as a vaulter, you don't use arms, so the drive has to come from your legs and you have to work at increasing your turnover.

So when you run your sprints, always throw in several with a short pole in your hand, or a weight that will allow you to simulate the pole.

Go to www.sportsspecific.com for more info. Good luck!!

[MillerTime]

i read that thread from DJ, looks helpful, but its gettin cold outside, and we dont have a track or nothin, what would be the best weight room exercise to get faster, which muscles increase speed the most? i mainly wanna know what the best indoor exercise is to do.

thanks!

[rainbowgirl28]

i read that thread from DJ, looks helpful, but its gettin cold outside, and we dont have a track or nothin, what would be the best weight room exercise to get faster, which muscles increase speed the most? i mainly wanna know what the best indoor exercise is to do.

thanks!

Mat runs, sprints on whatever gym space you can get.

My school doesn't really have an indoor track, just a fieldhouse with some carpet slapped over concrete. You can run maybe 30-40 meters in it. Our sprinters do a TON of mat runs.

Mat runs = on a piece of the high jump or pole vault pits, run as fast as you can in place for X amount of time. 15 seconds or whatever.

[Carolina21]

Here are some exercises you can do in the weight room if you can't run outside:

Power cleans, probably the only lift that has some speed/explosive benfit. There are other forms of this lift and similar lifts that can help also but it is the most common and easiest of the power lifts to learn. (But its not that easy if you have never done it. You definately need to find a coach or expereinced athlete to teach you if you have never tried it before.)

Quarter Squats with box jumps immeadiately after. Do heavy quarter squats (100-115% of max, this is a small movement 1/4 of a squat) right after you rack the weight find a box about 1.5-2 feet high and do 5-6 quick jumps onto the box. Touch the ground and then touch box as quick as possible, very explosive.

Jump Rope, good warm-up.

Tuck jumps (good hip position stay tall and jump up and bring your knees up to your chest) Do jumps for 15-20 seconds then rest for a minute and repeat for several sets.

As mentioned before running is the best way to get faster, but you asked for weight room stuff so there is my two cents, think of it as being in addition to, and not instead of your running. Bottom line like or not you have to run to get faster, and for most of us you have to run a whole lot. I think the best way to increase speed is to perfect your running mechanics. Always practice with the running mechanics you want to have when you are trucking down the runway because as they say practice makes permanent. So run tall, with knees up, hips under you so when you do all that hard running you strengthen the right muscles and make a habit of good positions and posture.

Good Luck.

[MillerTime]

we have treadmills in the weight room, i usually do 1-1.5 miles with the speed around 9-10 before my workout. seems like running 2 miles on a treadmill is alot easier than running 2 on a track, is running on a treadmill just as good for speed?

[padow]

good for endurance, but not for recruiting the the type of muscle fibers you want. There are alot of speed videos out there. Speed Dynamics is a very good one. I think you can get it at MF athletic.

[LancerVaulter07]

squat squat squat. it can never hurt to gain leg strength. make sure you learn propper teachnique so you dont get hurt and use a spotter. but also work like everyone else has said...short sprints, plyos, and propper running form.

[MillerTime]

hes my workout:

m/w/f- 10 mins on treadmill, bench, abs, curls, pull-ups, lat pulldown

t/t- 5-10 mins on treadmill, leg press, squat, (not sure what the machine is called, but it works the upper-front of the legs) ,abs, pull-ups

do you folks think i should switch around the days of the workouts to work out my legs more? is there any exercises that you guys think i should add/drop?

[Tubaman]

get a woden box (something to step on) and jump up with the leg on the box, land on the other leg and spring up again. Doing this really increases your verticle, and your instintanious speed. Bounds, high knees, lunges. These are all things easily done in your house, and they also increase ankle strength.