Because I love physical culture, and you do too, here is a gem that was written over a hundred years ago by one of the greatest strongmen that ever lived. You will notice how some things come full circle, but every time they come around, hopefully we make them just a little better and don't take away from the original beauty. Grab a lager and enjoy. Post thoughts here and/or in the forum.

In the programme, reference is made to several different ‘speed types’. By combining these in a progressive and systematic way, out-and-out speed capability (one of the types) will result – the goal of this programme. Although you may think that sprinting flat out every session would develop this capability, the reality is that although progress will be reasonably swift at the start, the body and more importantly the mind (CNS) would not be able to cope with such a constant and very taxing training load over time. Rather workouts and their content need to be constantly cycled and progressed to bring about maximum adaptation to training loads, and this is what the three-month training plan is designed to do. Additionally sprinting, for example at 95% effort, can be very productive in terms of learning optimised sprint technique and preserving mental and physical energy – this is described as ‘optimum speed’ (see below).

Speed types: 

1. Optimum speed

Although it may not be apparent, on occasions too much speed can be detrimental to performance. If a long jumper, for example, builds up too much speed on the runway, he or she may be unable to take off into an effective jump. This is because there will be too little time on the take-off board to generate enough force to convert speed into height and distance. Research indicates that most long jumpers, for example, take off at ‘only’ 96-98% of their actual maximum velocity. 
In this report we are primarily concerned with the development of linear out-and-out speed. There are sprint workouts where the speed of performance is indicated at 95% (or other) effort – this allows you to concentrate on optimising your sprint technique and also to preserve neural and physical energy across the training plan as indicated. Training adaptation would be compromised if you were to try to perform sprint sessions and their associated other conditioning programmes at 100% effort day in day out.

2. Out-and-out speed

There are obviously some activities that demand the full unbridled release of speed – sprinting being the most obvious example. But it is important to note that, whilst the sprinter needs to move his or her limbs as fast as possible, this must be performed with relaxation, since the effort involved in ‘trying too hard’ will tighten muscles and inevitably slow performance. Out-and-out speed therefore calls for mastery of relevant technique, plus the ability to relax while the body is operating at maximum intensity. To perform a sports skill as fast as possible the CNS system is crucial – muscle firing rates must be optimised and training must be constructed to permit this

3. Acceleration 

In order to achieve out-and-out or optimum skill/sports speed, a period of acceleration is usually needed. Sprinters leave their 
blocks from a stationary start, whilst a footballer may need to turn and sprint from a relatively static or off-balance position in order to get onto the end of a pass, whilst a tennis player must deliver his or her serve from a stationary base. Developing this accelerative ability calls for different training methods and practices from those used for out-and-out speed and other speed type development. The PP speed programme contains specific training ingredients designed to boost your acceleration and therefore your out-and-out speed – hill sprints, for example, are included in the month-by-month workouts, as well as starts from different positions.

4. Endurance speed

Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners and triathletes, often neglect speed training but it is actually crucial to their success. The faster an endurance athlete is:

• The easier it will be for him or her to cruise at slower speeds during training and competition (they will have better ‘running economy’ – note this also relies on lactate tolerance)
  


• The more power they will have for challenges such as hill climbs
  


• The better he or she will be at surging during a race to burn off the opposition
  


• The more he or she will have in reserve for a killer sprint finish
  

Endurance speed is defined for the purposes of this special report as the ability to sustain repeated powerful and fast muscular contractions over predominantly aerobic race and training conditions. 

5. Reaction speed

In many sports, a skill has to be performed in response to a cue. This cue could be aural, as with a sprinter reacting to the starting gun, or visual, as with a boxer avoiding a punch, a footballer responding to a change in the opposing team’s formation, or a cricket batter reacting to a delivery. The neuromuscular drills are designed to enhance your reactions.

6. Speed endurance

Speed endurance can be defined as the ability of the body to perform an activity at a very fast speed under conditions of anaerobic energy production. Examples include, 200, 400 and 800m running and tennis match play over long rallies. This speed differs from endurance speed in that the training methods used to condition it are more short-lived and focus on the anaerobic energy systems. Interval training is a key training method for speed endurance. 

Interval training basically divides periods of ‘effort’ up with periods of rest. Performing 6 x 40m sprints, with 3 minutes’ recovery between efforts is an example of an interval training session, in this case one that would develop out-and-out speed.

7. Body part speed

For some sports a particular limb must move as fast as possible – to throw an implement, as required by the discus throw, for example. Although speed and power are needed throughout the thrower’s body, their arm is the crucial link in the ‘speed chain’, as it ultimately advances the implement to optimum velocity at the point of release. If the arm is not fast enough, distance achieved will obviously be compromised. 

8. Team speed

The need for team speed is obvious in the case of a sprint relay team but is also crucial to the success of virtually all other team sports, where players must move quickly and in concert, for example, in order to score a try or defend as a unit in rugby. Developing this ‘shared speed’ should be a training requirement in such sports. 

9. Rotational speed

Rotational speed is a vital quality in many sports. Footballers rotate their bodies to turn and chase down opponents or the ball, whilst tennis players have to ‘wind’ up to hit a serve, a baseline forehand or backhand pass. In track and field, discus throwers spin with almost balletic grace before releasing their implements and with the incredible force needed to achieve huge distances. Rotational speed can be vastly improved by the use of appropriate drills and training methods.

10. Agility speed

Agility is another key sports speed requirement, characterised by quick feet, body coordination and fast reactions. Its execution depends on a mixture of balance, out-and-out speed, acceleration speed, strength, flexibility, coordination and, crucially, sports specific skill. Although the athlete’s agility, relies heavily on the possession of optimum sports technique and ‘match sense’, it can be enhanced by specific agility speed conditioning. 

It should be considered that agility is really a form of power training and not necessarily, despite the inclusion of it in this list of speed types, a separate entity. Additionally, too much agility training can programme in spurious motor engrams (patterned ways of moving and reacting stored in the brain) that are actually not relevant to sports requirements. This is why the PP speed programme predominantly uses specific sprint action patterning drills, rather than arguably less relevant ones, such as speed/floor ladder drills.

11. Over-speed 

This is the term used to describe training efforts that allow athletes to perform a speed skill to a level beyond which would normally be achievable. It can involve the use of specialist equipment, such as elastic cords, which literally drag the athlete to higher velocities and other specialist speed training systems and protocols. Lower-tech options include downhill sprinting and throwing lighter implements or balls than those used in competition for throwing athletes. The PP speed training programme utilises downhill running. For this, the gradient should only be very gradual – between 1-4 degrees.

SPRINT DRILLS

All the sprint workouts should be preceded by sprint drills; an array of these should be performed as part of your warm up – see the warm up section. These will help improve your running technique and specifically strengthen your sprinting muscles. They will also ‘fire up’ your mind and muscles for your workout.

The information in the programs should be easy to follow, as it has been defined and explained in the preceding sections. You’ll note that after the warm up each session has a ‘Content A’ and a ‘Content B’. These represent the two main parts of the workout, for example, sprints and weight training. You should rest between the two components – the suggested period is indicated in the training program.

Month 1

Month aims:

The aim of your first month of training is to prepare your body and mind for sprint training. The majority of the sprint sessions are performed at optimum speeds and below. There is also a slight emphasis on improving your speed endurance, see for example, week 1, session 1, content A – this is designed to boost your ability to handle the anaerobic demands of sprint training. You need to create within your muscles an elevated capacity to generate and recover quickly from anaerobic training – within a session, ie between reps, and between sessions. Sprint training relies on the immediate anaerobic energy system, which supplies high-powered energy for up to 6-8sec. It relies on stored body chemicals, such as creatine phosphate and there is no reliance on oxygen to provide energy. Regular speed training will develop the capacity of the body to re-charge more quickly between efforts – boosting your recovery.

Non-track wise, ie with your weights and plyometric training, the first month is designed to develop a base of specific power in your sprinting muscles that will transfer comfortably into out-and-out speed – it’s all about putting more horse-power into your muscles.

I have been doing a few interviews lately. These are all pretty basic, but I want to reconnect with some people who intrigue me and dig deeper into philosophy and training perspective. Enjoy this interview with Jason C Brown and check out his various websites The Pathfinder Method and BJJ Workouts. Post any questions you may have for an encore chat with Jason. 

If you're a wrestler, grappler, BJJ player, mixed martial artist, or just enjoy training like one, you'll love the training style and workouts provided by JCB in BJJ workouts. Here's why:

Billy is a friend and former athlete of TSS, he is now in medical school and wants to compete in CrossFit. He wanted some advice, this is our talk. I did not edit it, so you see all we discuss and maybe there is a nugget for you as well.