Some people believe that a person is either born with speed or is not. Due to inherited limb length, muscle attachments and proportion of fast and slow-twitch muscle fibers, this is true but only to a certain extent. Fast-twitch fibers are required for more explosive type of movements such as cleans, jerks, sprints and jumps while slow-twitch fibers are required for endurance. Through the use of speed training techniques, there is a tremendous potential for improving sprint speed amongst athletes by maximizing the use of these fibers..

The components of running speed are stride frequency, stride length and speed-endurance as well as reaction time, acceleration, athletic strength, power and flexibility. A program designed to improve all of these components will result in increased speed. Stride frequency is the number of strides taken in a given amount of time. Improving this component involves ability to decrease time between strides while maintaining or increasing stride length.

Stride frequency can be developed by sprint-assisted training techniques such as downhill running or the use of a mechanical device to pull the athlete forward. Stride length is simply the distance covered in one running stride. Improving this component involves the use of speed-strength drills in the lower body such as pulling a weighted sled, parachute or harness, uphill running and step running.

Sprinting with good form is a motor learning process that is learned at slow speed before being transferred to high speed. Form running drills that emphasize certain movements is utilized to establish efficient and error-free movements. Form running drills help ingrain neuro-muscular movement patterns and increase leg turnover. The following is a list of points that should be mastered to maximize speed:

• The head must be in a relaxed, upright position and not swaying in any direction.
• The back must be flat, hips tilted with a slight forward lean and the abdomen tight.
• The heel must be above the opposite knee to a point where the thigh is parallel to the ground (similar to proper squat mechanics) while the toe is pulled in to the shin. The greater the speed, the higher the heel should kick up. This is a product of pushing off the ground and is known as heel recovery. Improper height of the rear heel kick action will hinder leg turnover rate.
• Arms should be held at a 90 degree angle. Arm swing should come from the shoulders and elbows should drive back to a point where they point to the sky in conjunction with the opposite thigh in its parallel to the ground position. The faster the elbows are moved, the faster the feet move. Any lateral movement should be minimized.
• Hands should be clasped, thumb on top and moved from over the shoulder to behind the hips. The hands should never cross the centerline of the body, but should be held in tight to the body.
• The feet should point straight ahead and should not be pronated. Foot contact should be ball-heel-ball not on the balls of the feet only.