Speed Training for DBs Part III

By: Chad Wilson
IG: @alleyesdbcamp

In my continuing series on speed training for defensive backs it’s time for us to learn how to develop the different aspects of speed. In parts I and II we learned about what the three different aspects of speed training are (acceleration, top end, endurance) and when we use each one of those elements in competition. In Part III we are going to learn how to develop each one of those elements.

(1) Acceleration

There is no acceleration without explosion. Well there is but it just won’t be very fast without developing explosion. There’s a reason that sprinters accelerate quicker than middle and distance runners. First is because of their genetic makeups and second because of the way they train.

First of all, your acceleration is helped by the way you train in the weight room. All those Olympic lifts that many of you do not care for like power cleans, snatches, squat jumps and jerks, those build the explosive power you need to accelerate quickly. You may want to reconsider your love and willingness to perform those lifts when you see them on the workout sheet. Medicine ball throws too are a great way to build explosion for acceleration.

From a running stand point, sled pulls help with acceleration. Sled pulls performed from a stand still or starting stance aid you in developing the muscles needed to accelerate. Using distances from 20-40 yards with weight attached is a good way to stress the body while performing the actual act of accelerating. Most folks will go too heavy with the weight as they think more is more. That’s not the case. You don’t want to place so much weight that you mess up your form and you also do want to have a certain amount of speed in the weighted accelerations. Go too heavy and you are no longer training acceleration and instead just training for a strongman contest. As a rule, using 10-20% of your bodyweight is best. So if you weigh 150 lbs., don’t just throw a 45 lb. plate on there. Go with 15 to 30 lbs. in your sled pulls.

Another way to build your acceleration is with just good old fashion starts. Performing 20-30 yards sprints either from a stance or falling start help teach you how to go from “0-60”. By 0-60 I mean accelerate to top speed. Focus on using good technique, pushing into the ground with your initial steps and swinging the arms down and back. You must overcome gravity. Rest 1 minute per 10 yards run. So 30 yard starts require 3 minutes rest in between. You are not looking to fatigue yourself, you are looking to have a crisp fast start each time.

Finally, jumps, also known as plyometrics, are a great way to build functional explosive sprinting power. Simple jumps like verticals to touch the cross bar on the goal post work. Jump up attempting to touch the cross bar, land and then immediately jump again. Doing standing broad jumps for maximum distance will help you build explosive power along with my personal favorite 10 yard jumps. With 10 yard jumps you are attempting to jump 10 yards in the fewest amount of leaps possible. So if at first it takes you 4 broad jumps to reach 10 yards then you are looking to get that down to 3. When you do that you know that you have improved your explosive power.

(2) Top End Speed

I consider top end speed to be the hardest element of the three to develop. It’s also what typically separates one athlete from another when it comes to who’s the fastest in a football sense.

One of the most underrated parts of developing top end speed is learning the proper technique to running. There is technique in everything and that is true for sprinting. Learning the proper way to swing the arms (bent at 90 degrees, no higher than to the chin and pushing completely back) is key to reaching maximum speed. Also the proper place for your foot to strike the ground (directly underneath you) and how to cycle your leg (toes up, bring heel to butt and cycle over opposite knee) helps you efficiently overcome the elements acting against you like wind and gravity. Some people do these things naturally, others must learn them. The more efficient you are, the better and faster you run.

So, performing sprint drills and technique runs are very helpful in learning these skills. I won’t get into the different type of drills here and you can look them up but technique runs at 1/2 to 3/4 speed can aid you in developing the proper technique for reaching top speed.

Performing flying sprints will also help you with top end speed development. Jogging at 3/4 speed for 30 yards and then sprinting for another 30 at top speed will aid your top end speed development. Again, focus on good form and take adequate rest in between. You want to run at top speed with each rep. You can’t do that if fatigued.

Finally, once you are advanced, using assisted runs can help you break through barriers of top end speed. After you have been training for quite some time (several months if you are advanced and a couple years if a beginner) you can progress into things like downhill runs or assisted runs with a band pulling you. These are to be used in moderation and only after you have come very close to mastering the technique of sprinting. These drills allow you to run faster than normal and shock your central nervous system (CNS). The hopes are to have your body adapt to the increase and teach it to operate at a higher level when not being assisted. Again, more is not more with these types of drills. Less is more. Only perform a handful of them in a session and spread out the days in between using them. Your body will need rest to benefit from their use.

Note: You do not want a steep decline on the downhill runs. Only a slight decline to avoid technique breakdown and injury. Assisted band runs should be for 20-30 yards max for the same reasons.

(3) Speed Endurance

This element is the one that most people without knowledge who train on their own develop. When you go out to the park or track and just run a bunch of sprints without fully recovering until you are fatigued you are developing your speed endurance. Feeling tired after such a workout makes you feel like you accomplished something. You did but not necessarily what you wanted. You are often disappointed when you don’t see any or significant results on the stop watch.

Sub maximum runs with limited rest help develop your speed endurance by conditioning your sprint muscles. These also help get you in football shape because there is more than just one sprint in a football game. A sub maximum run means at 70-85% of your fastest time. So running 40 yard dashes at 6-7 seconds when you are a max 4.5 would qualify as a sub max run. When you do these with something like 30 seconds rest in between you are working your speed endurance and conditioning.

You are also working your speed endurance when you do maximum speed runs with short rest and lower volume. So instead of doing a 150 meter sprint on the track. You break that distance down into 3’s. You sprint at top speed for 50 meters then rest for 1 minute. Then repeat two more times to complete a set. Combine that with adequate rest in between (6-8 minutes for example) and we are working speed endurance.

Running sprints at distances of 150-300m also works on speed endurance. There is much debate over how far a sprinter should run. I am not going to get into that here. I have had success working at these distances. You must be well conditioned in my opinion. Running at near maximum speed over these distances will certainly aid you in holding your top end speed for long periods of time.

In addition, strength training in the weight room will really help you with speed endurance. Lifting weights will help you with all three elements of sprinting but it will definitely help you in strengthening your body enough to handle the pressure of reaching + holding your top end speed.

So, I hope you have a better understanding now of the different elements of speed and what things to do to develop them. There is only one thing left to learn and that is how to put all of these things together efficiently in a program to make it all work. You can definitely overtrain when it comes to speed. This leads to either no results or even worse, injury. In the 4th and final part of the Speed Training for DBs series, I will discuss how to put together a program if you are training on your own so you can get what you want out of speed training.

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alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.

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