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Football Speed Training

By Mickey Marotti
Head Strength Coach of the University of Notre Dame

Throughout this article the term RUN FAST will be used. It means nothing more than running as close to 100% speed potential as the athletes can-no gimmicks, no devices, just basic stuff, as bread and butter. The determining factor in

the University of Cincinnati for football speed is simple. We work to increase total body strength (with a focus on running muscles), to increase functional and static flexibility, to improve overall conditioning. (with emphasis on the anaerobic energy system), to improve specific football agility, to follow a complete sports nutrition diet, to get plenty of rest, and, most importantly, to RUN FAST.
U R PH I LO S O PH Y AT

Flexibility is another area that we will work on to help speed. Range of motion throughout a joint with strength is called functional flexibility. Functional flexibility is the determining factor in injury prevention. This is improved from proper strength training, working the muscles around the joint throughout a full range of motion. Static flexibility, which most of us do prior to practice, should be done after the body is warmed up. To improve this flexibility the athletes body temperature must be increased. Its good practice to stretch postpractice as well. Hamstring and hip flexor flexibility is used through the routine. Flexibility exercises must be taken seriously and done on a regular basis. As in any training program, eating right and getting plenty of rest can effect performance. In a comprehensive training program, the athletes are only going to perform well if their bodies are completely nourished and well rested. We want our training program to be very demanding on the athletes, both physically and mentally. If energy levels fall, then the training intensity will decrease. Eating a well balanced sports nutrition diet, while giving the body plenty of rest so the athletes can train hard, is as important in the equation of speed training as any other variable. Overall conditioning becomes very important in speed training. Better conditioned athletes not only will run with more efficiency (using less energy), but they will run faster for a longer period of time. We will begin the program with a basic aerobic conditioning program that will last 23 weeks. Two times a week, between 2030 minutes, is sufficient as long as the intensity is high enough to challenge the system. Anaerobic conditioning, which is specific for football, is the next energy system that needs to be trained. During the winter we will work on this energy system twice per week. We set up 810 stations of specific football drills with 812 athletes per station, each station lasts 45 minutes. This is the workout that we will do before and after the specific speed group training. The better-conditioned athlete can run at or very close to 100% speed potential. We feel that just being fast is not enough. We want our athletes to run fast every play. We want our athletes to run hard and fast for four quarters for every game during the season.

Basic strength training is the corner stone of the program. Every aspect of simple hard work. We our football program is based on the strength program. Stronger muscles profeel our speed program duce more force, thus increasing the is easy, productive, and bodys (power) potential to enhance very efficient. speed, as well as his level of performance on the field. Strong athletes are less susceptible to injuries, and if injury occurs, rehabilitation time is cut in half. Not only does the athlete benefit physically from an effective strength program, but an athlete who is stronger has more confidence. If the confident athlete believes in himself, he probably believes in his coach and the program. Since speed training and football are so physically demanding, the muscles and surrounding joints must be properly strength trained. Our strength program covers the entire body, focusing on the running muscles. We work the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and extensors, lower back, muscles of the inner and outer thigh, the muscles of the lower leg as well as the abdominal twice per week. Strength training, especially lower body work should not be done prior to speed work. Strength training can be done at the conclusion of the speed work. No ballistic exercises are used. All exercises are done slow and controlled. Try not to make the strength training more than it is simple exercises done hard and progressive. Complicated technique exercises are difficult to teach and can become dangerous if done wrong. Keep the strength program basic yet productive. A good strength program that illicits results is one of the keys for speed enhancement.
our program is work,

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Because this program is designed for football, all aspects of training need to be stressed. Agility programs must be used frequently throughout a training period. The athletes need to put their bodies in a position that they will be in during a game. The muscles need to be worked in all angles. Improving quickness and agility is done by repetitions. If an athlete improves agility, then football speed will be affected. Very rarely does an athlete run in a straight line. Most movements are zig-zag, turning, twisting, lateral, backwards, change of direction, up and down, etc. The body needs to be trained through these movements. Speed training will help agility movements, as well as agility movements will help straight-line speed. The affects of learning to run hard and competitive will carry one into all aspects of training. Thats how speed group training can benefit from agility. Many talk about speed in the sense of being a skill. We all know that speed is dependent upon genetic factors and much of the improvement is based on that fact. We like to call speed a genetic skill. Speed is a skill that is affected by genetics. Since its a skill, there are some steps we can take to help improve the skill. Like any other skill, theres a process that we can use to help improve our technique. We use part to whole teaching, where we break down the mechanics of running by body parts. Every body part will be involved in running. We take the mechanics of each body part and stress it at _ speed until it is learned properly, then at _ speed, then at full speed. Skills are improved by repetitions. We learn each body part mechanics and repeat the skill over and over. We will use a 3050 yd distance. The mechanics system consists of 14 terms. Each term represents where each body part should be during sprinting. Starting from the head, then working down toward the foot area. While the athletes are running we will give them constant verbal commands and the athletes will have to correct that part, if needed. They must learn it at half speed before they run at full speed. If only one of the mechanics is corrected in the program, speed will be improved. The athlete will run more efficiently, if mechanics can be improved. Speed experts talk about two areas that need to change to increase speed potential: stride length and stride frequency. Thus, speed mechanics works more on the stride length area. A quality repetition is the key. If the athlete is in poor condition, then the quality of repetitions will be poor. The learning process is definitely affected by conditioning, or lack of it. As soon as the athletes are laboring and fatigue has set in, discontinue the learning of the mechanics until another day. Spend time on the mechanics of speed. High school athletes need to learn and improve their running form. Probably the most important aspect of the total speed training program is the speed group system. Track coaches all agree the best known technique for speed training is to RUN

FAST. The body needs to be stressed at full speed to receive any benefits of speed training. To maximize ones speed potential one has to run fast. Running fast is hard. High school, as well as college athletes, need something to push them to their limits. This is done in the form of competitive sprinting. Athletics are truly competitive. For an athlete to gain benefits of speed the athlete must run fast. We try to put the athlete in a position where he is running at or close to 100% speed. We want our athletes to learn to be competitive and to learn to run at maximum speed all the time. Football is played at full speed. We will train at full speed.

The Program Speed Groups

This speed group system is ideal for 46 weeks in the off-season and 34 weeks in the early summer prior to pre-season. The speed group training is done twice per week. The first day of training is done before the agility drills or conditioning workout, while the second is done after the agility or conditioning workout. Our agility workout consists of 9 stations, all specific football drills done four minutes at a time, with 810 athletes per station. The rotation is fast and done without rest. We want the athletes to run completely fresh and get them used to running maximally while they are less fatigued. Speed, being a genetic skill, must be trained when the body is fresh so it can retain all the motor learning information. The second workout has more of a conditioning effect on the system. Also as the athletes learn to sprint post-fatigued, it will give them a competitive edge in the 4th quarter of a game. We will run 816 sprints per workout, ranging from 2040 yards. You could also determine distance by position i.e. lineman 2025 yards while skill players run 3040 yard sprints. This is totally dependent on the teams needs. After you have determined what you will run, then the team needs to be divided into groups or speed groups. We rank the team from fastest to slowest. You may rank by position, but you may lose the full effect of the process. Five to eight members should compose a group. Group 1 should be the 58 fastest members of the team (20 or 40 yard times). During each sprint a coach must chart at the finish line who wins each race and who loses each race. At the end of the workout, total up wins and losses for each athlete. The athlete within each group that wins the most for the day moves up to the next-fastest group. The athlete who loses the most should move down a group. If a tie occurs, then those who tied should move up or down together. These results should then be posted in the locker room or weight room by the end of the day. This

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will motivate the athletes who see their name up on the wall and where they stand with their teammates. This speed group system benefits every player and position. It gets your team working together while, competing against each other. You will be amazed how fast and how hard your athletes are sprinting. This is true speed training.

Give the athletes enough rest time between sprints. If you do not give sufficient rest time, then quality and speed will be negatively affected. Do not attempt to do speed group sprinting, immediately after strength training. It should be done on the off days so the muscles are recovered.

Results
From speed group training, a coach can determine work ethic, accountability, speed while fatigued and competitiveness. Ultimately at the end of your training program the order of finish should be the same exact order that you started with 46 weeks before. But if it is not, the finish order will be a direct reflection of work. Sometimes the fast guys dont always run as fast as they can all the time. Sometimes slower guys run harder than the fast guys. This is great for team toughness and attitude. Positive peer pressure will work. As players start seeing guys that are not working hard, hopefully they will become leaders and push them rather than the coaches always motivating.

Alterations
Other techniques that can be used include relay races. This would be a great change of pace. Use football specific drills within these races. Carioka shuffling, backpedaling, turning, and weaving are all good modes. Relays can be very competitive and fun. If there is something on the line for the athletes, such as pushups, sit-ups, etc., the competition will be fierce. Have a goal or something for them to work for.

Conclusion
Speed group or competitive sprinting is a great system for increasing speed. John Harbaugh, an Assistant Football Coach at the University of Cincinnati, and I devised this program after talking to retired coach and professional scout, Frank Lauterbur. Its funny how training methods have changed through the years. What Coach Lauterbur did in the late 60s is what we feel to be the most beneficial speed program in the 90s. Basic things that are done well and hard are more beneficial than being overly complex. All positive training results are dependent on one common trait, HARD WORK.
Mickey Marotti has just recently moved from the University of Cincinnati to Notre Dame. Although he misses Cincinnati chili, I suppose there are one or two advantages to compensate. You can write him at Loftus Center, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556. n

Overtraining
There comes a point where the coach has to determine how much is enough. Sometimes we as coaches get carried away and overdo it. Sense how your athletes are doing and then determine how many sprints are going to be beneficial. Remember youre sprinting to get fast. Athletes cannot run at 100% speed all day. Use other modes of training for conditioning. Every sprint has to be run at 100% speed, 100% quality, 100% effort. You will see your athletes running harder and faster than ever before.

Speed Group Review 1. Rank team from fastest to slowest. 2. Place 5-8 players in each group. 3. Determine the distance of the sprints. 4. Run twice each week, on the off days of strength training. 5. Run one day before and after conditioning workouts. 6. Run 6-14 sprints each workout. 7. Run 4-6 weeks in the off-season, 2-4 weeks in the early pre-season. 8. Rank who wins and who loses each sprint. 9. Post daily results. 10. Reward those who move up or maintain their position. 11. Do not over do it. 12. Post final speed group standings.

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