There are many ways to get you to run faster and I try to let you know about as many as I possibly can.  Pushing a sled to improve your speed is another of those ways.  I’m going to talk about this technique, but I’m going to add a little twist since most people don’t have sleds.  I’m going to show you how all you need is some space and an Olympic style plate and you can create a nice speed training drill for yourself to improve your speed, power, and explosiveness.

A while back I talked to you about the speed sled and how you need to use it to run faster.  The MiR speed sled that I have also has another way it can be used to improve your speed.  It has handles on the apparatus so you can grab onto and push the sled using your legs as the engine.  This speed sled is a lot less expensive than some of the others out there, but even so it might not be in a lot of people’s budget.

Well, I have come up with the next best thing.  All you need to do is get a 25, 35, or 45 pound plate.  Make sure the plate has a smooth surface on at least one side.  Brand new plates can cost up to about 71 cents a pound.  Some places you can get it cheaper.  Heck, I looked on Craig’s List and saw a bunch of plates for sale cheap.  The point being, you shouldn’t have to spend a lot of money.

Alright, here is how you do this drill:

  • Find a space that can cover 10 – 40 yards.  I do this drill at my facility so I have some mats to put the plate on, but any strip of nice cut grass should work.
  • Place the plate down on the ground, smooth side on the ground.
  • You will then put yourself in a push-up position with your hands on the plate.
  • Keep your arms locked, your core tight, and then start driving the plate with your legs to the goal line you have designated to finish at.

If you do this drill properly, you will start pumping your legs like pistons and it should be pretty tiring by the time you get done with the drill.  I do this drill for speed development, but if you are irritated at your athletes for any reason, this can be a great “punishment” drill.  This should set them straight quickly.

So why does this get the athletes faster?

First, it gets the glutes and quads firing hard and fast.  With the core firing to keep your torso (back) locked, this allows your legs to drive as fast as they can.  In order to generate any speed, the legs have to fire properly faster and faster.  Also, the legs are firing in a motion similar to how they would fire when they are sprinting.  I said similar, not exactly.  So when we move the athlete upright, it should transfer to some nice straightaway speed.

Finally, this is a resistance drill.  If you recall from the last newsletter, New Speed Training Research You Need To Know, resistance training does help athletes with their acceleration.  Specifically, they start getting faster between 20 – 40 yards of a 40 yard dash if they are running a 40.  So, if we are talking a sprinter or a wide receiver running a go route, this drill can help them get faster.

I just recently created a Youtube video demonstrating this drill.  If you would like to see it, you can click here to watch How To Get Faster With A Weighted Plate.

If you do have the opportunity to purchase the MiR sled, then by all means utilize it.  You can do the same drill, except now you are putting the plate on the sled and you can grab on to the handles.  The hand placement on the sled puts the body in a little better position for the athlete, but the plate is an adequate replacement that will get the job done.

I’ve used that sled in some of my own workouts for a little project I was doing (had to put it on hold for a bit because of some minor aches and pains).  Anyways, I usually do some reps with the speed sled with a good amount of resistance, but not enough to compromise my running form.  I’ll run regular sprints right after the sled use and I tell you, I feel like I’m flying down the runway.  It is a pretty neat feeling.  So continue to use these drills and I guarantee you will get faster.

Well, that’s it.  Another pretty simple drill that you can start implementing into your speed workout today.  Boy, you’re lucky I’m stupid enough to tell you all these nice little “speed secrets.”  If you go back on my blog posts, you could probably put together a great speed workout of your own and be your own speed coach.  Then you might not need me anymore.  Until that happens, thanks for reading and have a great weekend.