Speed and Strenght Work

Fear Sneachta Ban

Hi, not sure if anyone can give me advice on this but I thought I'd ask anyway.
I'm looking to improve my speed while getting stronger and having more power. Currently I'm on the slow side with not much strenght in the lower or upper body.
For speed do you lift lighter weights at a quick speed to train the muscles to move fast? I've read that and it seems to make sense.
What sort of training plan would anyone reccomend? Just a 3 month plan to start with.
I'm 6'0 and 13 stone. My fittness levels wouldn't be too high either.
Thanks.

thecatspjs

I think Usain Bolt lifts a lot of heavy things 'explosively'. Like when doing squats he would go down slow and burst up fast (This might not be true, I heard this from a friend so have no source).

Interval training would help too.

srm23

thecatspjs wrote: »

I think Usain Bolt lifts a lot of heavy things 'explosively'. Like when doing squats he would go down slow and burst up fast (This might not be true, I heard this from a friend so have no source).

+1

Hanley

Moving 40k fast when you're 13 stone will do sweet FA for sports "speed".

You'd be better getting stronger and moving 60-80k fast in a few months time.

Power is a function of strength after all. Plus you're not INTENTIONALLY trying to move heavy weights slow. They juts move slow because they're heavy.

srm23

Hanley wrote: »

Plus you're not INTENTIONALLY trying to move heavy weights slow. They juts move slow because they're heavy.

or when you're not trying to add pace, I also heard this but have no source.

Will Heffernan

Fear Sneachta Ban wrote: »

Hi, not sure if anyone can give me advice on this but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Your confidence is inspiring.

I'm looking to improve my speed while getting stronger and having more power.

Speed and strength all exist on a continuum. Power is merely a measure/function of the combination of the two. Speed, strength and power are terms used in sport that quite often are defined differently by different people. What one person sees as speed someone else sees as power. What someone sees as power another sees as strength. For example I have seen people described as fast because they can run 10km in 30mins...but I figure that's not what you are talking about when you say you are looking to improve your speed? I've seen discus throwers described as being strong when what people are really seeing is an expression of power. You say you want to 'improve your speed while getting stronger'? Well if you improved your speed you would be stronger...so thats a given...and if you improved your speed and as a result you got stronger you'd also therefore be more powerful. So just by improving your speed all the others factors you described would be improved anyway.

Currently I'm on the slow side with not much strength in the lower or upper body.

Slow and weak? That is not an awesome combination.

For speed do you lift lighter weights at a quick speed to train the muscles to move fast? I've read that and it seems to make sense.

You can do that. It works. You would be working on improving one bit of that speed-strength continuum. If you did this you would be faster, stronger and more powerful than you are now...so there's no harm in that.

What sort of training plan would anyone reccomend? Just a 3 month plan to start with.
I'm 6'0 and 13 stone. My fittness levels wouldn't be too high either.
Thanks.

Plan 1: You could go on a diet. Losing bodyfat will make you faster, stronger and more powerful.

Plan 2: Start doing some additional aerobic work and get fitter. Increasing your energy expenditure and losing bodyfat will make your faster, stronger and more powerful.

Plan 3: Focus on nothing more than improving you pull up score. Improving your pull up score will make you faster, stronger and more powerful.

Personally, I'd probably simultaneously do all 3 plans.

Will Heffernan

thecatspjs wrote: »

I think Usain Bolt lifts a lot of heavy things 'explosively'. Like when doing squats he would go down slow and burst up fast (This might not be true, I heard this from a friend so have no source).

Interval training would help too.

I would say he also does some sprint work as well probably.

You can't look at one thing and go 'that's it, that's the answer'. Unless you happen to be a coach/manager and happened to see some other 'winning' team doing strongman or crossfit or Olympic lifting or fight training or SAQ work....then and only then can you look at one single thing without understanding its function or context and think it's the answer to all your problems.

Will Heffernan

Hanley wrote: »

Moving 40k fast when you're 13 stone will do sweet FA for sports "speed".

Initially I said...incorrect...what I really meant to say was 'I disagree'. I occasionally try to make my points succinctly but that seems to be interpreted as me being an a-hole.

Power snatching close to 0.5xBW wouldn't do sweet FA for sports speed?

Doing explosive complexes with a 40kg power bag wouldn't do sweet FA for sports speed?

40kg KB clean and press wouldn't do sweet FA for sports speed?

You'd be better getting stronger and moving 60-80k fast in a few months time.

If this is premised on your first statement again I'd say you're talking nonsense.

Power is a function of strength after all.

Power is just a measure of strength and speed.

Low strength and high speed can have the same 'power' as high strength and low speed. The measure of 'power' could be equal.

Plus you're not INTENTIONALLY trying to move heavy weights slow. They juts move slow because they're heavy.

Case in point and a perfect example.

An argument could be made that that moving heavy weights slowly intentionally or not will do sweet FA for sports 'speed'.

Will Heffernan

srm23 wrote: »

or when you're not trying to add pace, I also heard this but have no source.

A lot of what I've read in this thread doesn't really make much sense....this statement least of all.