How To Run Faster Using The Speed Sled

As I write this post, I just watched Alex Morgan racing down the field running faster then her opponent to get to the ball and score a goal for USA. The commentators stated that she is the fastest player on the team. Speed kills and it can be a huge weapon for an athlete. I don't know if Alex Morgan does speed work to help her get faster or maintain her speed, but if she did my guess is that she probably used a speed sled at one time or another in her speed program.

A couple of months ago, I wrote about the main components for speed development. One of those components I talked about was resistance running. Resistance running is when you provide some type of external resistance for the athlete while the athlete is running. It makes it harder for the athlete to run at full speed, but really helps develop the power and acceleration needed for an athlete.

One of those exercises for resistance running would be the use of a speed sled. A speed sled is a metal sled that can hold weighted plates totaling anywhere from 100-180 pounds depending on the sled. There is usually a shoulder harness attached to the sled that provides plenty of length so that the athlete can run without hitting the sled or any other restrictions.

How much weight you add to the sled is critical for the athlete's speed development. Some experts go by the 10% rule. You add weight and once your speed is reduced by 10% then you stay there. I add weight based on strength coach guru Mike Boyle's recommendation. Add weight until you get a breakdown in running mechanics. So, if the running mechanics are perfect, then keep adding weight. Once it starts getting shotty, then back off a little. I feel that doing it this way will really help with the speed development.

Now the sled I have is a MiR Speed Sled. You can click here to purchase it if you would like. I like it because it is a lot cheaper than others you will find on the market. It is still holding up for me, but the only downside is that it doesn't hold as much weight as some of the others. It's max is 110 pounds, but for a lot of my athletes you won't need nearly half that. That's why I like this drill. I can put 10 pounds on the sled and that could be challenging for younger athletes. Or I have 75 pounds on for Armand Robinson, my athlete I discussed in my last post, and that helps him out. Check out this video I have of Armand using our speed sled. It demonstrates how to use this machine and what proper mechanics look like while the athlete is running.

Obviously, I like this exercise and I've been implementing it with more and more of my athletes. It can be adapted to all ages in my opinion and really develop your speed. Take a look at the video and if you get the chance, give it a shot.