THE 10 DON´TS OF SPEED TRAINING

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Hugo Noya Enríquez

Here are the 10 don´ts of speed training by coach Tony Holler, the autor of the “Feed the Cats” program.

  1. Don´t see speed as purely genetic and immutable. There´s a saying that God creates sprinters and coaches create milers. That´s wrong.
  2. Don´t sprint without getting timed. If you ain´t getting timed, you ain´t sprinting.
  3. Don´t dismiss linear speed. There´s nothing more extreme in human movement than sprinting in spikes in a straight line and getting timed.
  4. Don´t forget to record, rank and publish. It is truly the food of cats*.
  5. Don´t speed train in a state of fatigue. If you do, you will never push the central nervous system (CNS).
  6. Don´t sprint for more than 5 seconds. Anything you do more than 5 seconds is working on something other than speed.
  7. Don´t view speed through a muscular lens. Try to see speed through an electrical lens. Speed is controlled by the central nervous system (CNS).
  8. Don´t spend the off-season working on aerobic stuff. If you do, you´ll never get faster. Instead, stack together high level anaerobic work for an aerobic benefit.
  9. Don´t ignore max velocity. Too many coaches want to work purely on acceleration. Acceleration does not improve speed, but max velocity improves acceleration.
  10. Don´t burn the steak and, of course, feed the cats*.

* Coach Tony Holler likes to analogize sprinters, jumpers, and team sports athletes that require high levels of speed and power as cats. Cats are animals capable of sprinting and jumping very high due to their high percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers, and they are not designed to run for miles. Therefore, it makes sense that all these athletes behave like cats and are subjected to the appropriate stimuli to achieve their goals of improving athletic performance.

“Sprint as fast as possible, as often as possible, staying as fresh as possible.”

“Rest, recovery, sleep.”

“Tired is the enemy, not the goal.”

“Do less, achieve more.”

“Never let today ruin tomorrow. Never burn the steak.”

“You don´t plant beans and grow corn.”

“Speed grows like a tree.”

“Speed is the tide that lifts all boats.”

“Speed is the best barometer of health.”

Tony Holler

“In speed development, the nervous system only understands quality.”

Boo Schexnayder

“Always choose quality over quantity.
This rule applies to every life situation.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“The quickest way to destroy fast twitch muscle fibers
is to bathe them in lactic acid for prolonged periods of time.”

Kelly Baggett

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