Three acceleration drills to unleash your maximum velocity

Have you ever watched an efficient runner pick up the pace, with a smooth, seemingly effortless drive forward as their legs and arms slice smoothly through the air? Acceleration is a skill that can be practiced and perfected, and will improve running performance, even if you don’t plan on racing the 100-meter dash.

Renowned speed coach and editor of the book Developing Speed, Ian Jeffreys, explains that whole-body acceleration involves subtle coordination. “Although acceleration technique may vary from athlete to athlete because of size and other physical characteristics, there are coachable technical factors that all athletes can develop.” Add a few sets of these drills into your workout after your warmup, or devote a whole short speed session to them.

Wall drive drill

This drill helps you master your forward lean, perfect if you’re practicing for short distances or want to be able to really drive your race home. Jeffreys suggests starting this one with slow, controlled movements, and increasing speed as you build competence.

Stand facing a wall with feet shoulder-width apart, and place your hands on the wall at chest height.

Step back, extending one leg behind you.

Strive to keep your body in a straight line from head to heel while you drive your front knee forward, pushing off the back foot.

Alternate legs, focusing on bringing that front knee up with explosive power.

Sprint starts from the ground

Because you start on the ground for this one, as rise up from the facedown position you will naturally begin striding with your body low to the ground, pushing back and assuming a forward lean. This drill is perfect for practicing on grass; try an indoor track or turf in the colder months, or modify by taking a crouch position to start.

Lie right on the ground with hands planted.

Have a friend give a command to get you started, or count down from three on your own. Push yourself up to sprint as fast as possible to a set point straight ahead. Keep your sprint short in this one, from five to 30 meters.

Focus on powerful, explosive movements off the start, driving off your back leg to shoot forward.

Incline Sprint

Jeffreys says the added resistance of the incline here provides a safe and effective way to stress the strength and power demands of acceleration drills, while the upward slope will promote an increased awareness of knee drive and full extension. These are perfect to take indoors to the treadmill.

You’ll need a low incline or hill (five to 10 degrees). Keep these short–20 seconds at maximum.

Stand with a slight forward lean at the base of your hill, and sprint up the incline, emphasizing powerful strides.

Pump your arms vigorously to maximize momentum, and focus on that forward-leaning posture for optimal acceleration.

Repeat a few times, walking back to the start in between to recover.

Remember to focus on quality over quantity in these acceleration drills–maintaining strong, efficient form is essential, so keep your repeats short, fast and effective.

posted Monday November 27th
by Keeley Milne