Post Attributed to Travis Cummings, CSCS, FAST Facility Manager

FAST provides Personal Training in Phoenix to athletes of all ages and skill levels. Our certified trainers create personalized workout plans that allow you to target specific areas and achieve your fitness goals. You can schedule a free assessment of your current abilities by simply going online here. To learn more about Personal Training in Phoenix, visit our blog!

Travis Cummings is our South Chandler facility manager. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Arizona State University, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He is passionate about helping his clients achieve their goals, and today he shares helpful tips on how to become a faster runner.

As a high school football player, I remember having a coach who had some serious wheels playing scout team quarterback. He outran the defense while yelling, “You can’t coach speed!” That was the mindset back then, but now I guarantee we actually can coach speed. The Strength and Conditioning Specialists at FAST have been helping young athletes of all abilities get faster through training and coaching. Here are five tips to keep in mind while accelerating your top speed.

1. While accelerating (any time trying to get to top speed) lean forward about 45-60 degrees.Leaning forward will help make sure that when you push off the ground, you push your body forward, not upward.
2. Keep your ankle dorsiflexed, or pulled up towards your shin. Doing this ensures when you strike the ground you have a more forceful and powerful stride, and less ground contact time. Greater force and less contact time equal a faster athlete. If this still doesn’t make sense, think of punching with a strong wrist versus a limp wrist. More force is going to be transferred to whatever you’re hitting with the strong wrist.
3. Maintain powerful arm drive. A powerful arm drive will help your legs move faster and propel your body forward. Make sure your arms aren’t moving across your body, but rather from your hips to your lips.
4. Minimize heel recovery (backside mechanics). Think of your leg drive while accelerating as being more piston-like, rather than cyclical. After you strike the ground, bring your foot forward as fast as possible. This will enable your foot to strike the ground again. You generate speed when your foot is in contact with the ground, not while you’re in the air.
5. Think about pushing the ground back and away. A great coaching cue we use to help runners understand acceleration is telling them to think about pushing the ground back and away as they strike the ground. Doing this enables you to produce force in the correct direction to move forward faster.

Remember these tips while you’re accelerating and you’ll see noticeable differences. If you want someone to analyze your running form, and teach you how to maximize your running mechanics, contact your nearest FAST location!