This document provides guidelines for planning speed training for team sports. It discusses understanding the speed requirements of different sports, acknowledging the physical stimulus of games while knowing games are not optimal for fitness. It outlines considering individual factors when planning. The document recommends annual planning while writing plans in pencil, emphasizing recovery. It discusses applying the correct training tools and following best practice session guidelines. It also notes the importance of logistics, balance, and considering speed training as an ongoing process with windows of opportunity.

1. PLANNING SPEED TRAINING
FOR TEAM SPORTS
Mike Young, PhD
@mikeyoung
#speedsummit

2. The Outline
Game Requirements
Annual Planning
Means & Methods
Logistics
Session Guidelines
Complementary Elements

3. UNDERSTANDING GAME REQUIREMENTS

4. “Speed” means
different things to
different sports

5. “Speed” means
different things to
different sports
continuous.
repeated very short
bursts. acc (rarely
maximal)
intermittent. short
& intermediate
bursts. max acc &
maxV
continuous (RSA).
short bursts.
occasional max acc
& maxV
intermittent. short &
intermediate bursts.
max acceleration

6. ACKNOWLEDGE & RESPECTTHE PHYSICAL
STIMULUS OF GAMES

7. BUT KNOWTHAT GAMES ARE NOTTHE BEST
STIMULUS FOR FITNESS

8. RATES OF DECAY
• Aerobic capacity
• Anaerobic lactic capacity
• Power
• Speed
• Maximum strength

9. RATES OF DECAY
• Aerobic capacity
• Anaerobic lactic capacity
• Power
• Speed
• Maximum strength
When it comes to speed-
power training &
maintenance, a little goes a
long way

11. THINGSTO CONSIDER
• Varying physical readiness
• Different playing positions
• Chronological age
• Training age
• Injury history
• Burners vs Donkeys

13. PLAN
AHEA

14. B u t w r it e
in p e n c il

15. •Overload
•Rest & recovery
•Biomotor Balance
•Compatible & complimentary
Training is a Process

16. OverloadOVERLOAD

17. IN PERFORMANCE ORIENTED INDIVIDUAL SPORTS,
TRAINING CAN BE PRISTINELY STRUCTURED

18. HARD / EASY DAYS
Traditional training methods have alternated hard and
easy days to facilitate recovery
New technology and better understandings of the
body and training stimulus permit better options

19. ALTERNATION OFTRAINING
MEANS
• By alternating high and low CNS an athlete can allow some
systems of the body to rest while others are recovering
• Alternatively, one could split activities by eccentric and
concentric dominance

20. High-Low CNS
• High CNS: higher intensity,
maximal efforts of higher load or
speed of movement
• Low CNS: lower intensity, aerobic,
higher work capacity
Ecc-Conc Demand
• Eccentric dominant: typically
higher velocity involving
decelerative forces
• Concentric dominant: typically
higher force, lower velocity
involving accelerative forces

21. INTEAM SPORTS, PRISTINETRAINING
ORGANIZATION IS OFTEN NOT POSSIBLE

22. Rest & Recovery

23. U N D E R S T A N D T H IS

24. Due to the nature of
today’s seasons,
traditional periodization
models with clear cut
in-seasons & off-seasons
are antiquated & obsolete

25. IT’S MORE APPROPRIATE TO THINK OF AN ONGOING
PROCESS WITH WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY

26. FINDING WINDOWS REQUIRES
LOOKING FORTHEM
• Game load • Travel stress
• Strength training load
• Objective indicators
• Subjective indicators
• Schedule

27. SESSION GUIDELINES

28. SPEED • Linear Sprint Speed
• Change of Direction

29. SPEED TRAINING GUIDELINES
When training speed the emphasis should
ALWAYS be on quality rather than volume
Quality of Movement Quality of Effort

30. Adding changes of direction, start-stops,
turns, lateral movement, change of tempo,
jumps, etc are all appropriate but should
not come at the expense of developing
linear speed
SPEED TRAINING GUIDELINES

31. SPEED SESSION GUIDELINES
• Active-dynamic warmup
• Emphasis on quality of movement
and effort
• Appropriate distances, volumes &
rests to achieve desired stimulus
• Incorporate changes of direction,
stops, jumps as appropriate for
sport
• Incorporate cognitive processing,
decision making, and reaction
• Follow best practices for order of
operations
1. Technical
2. Speed
3. Power
4. Strength
5. Conditioning

32. MEANS & METHODS

33. IFYOU WANTTO BE
FASTER….

34. !
<40m per rep ~1’ rest / 10m
<300m total volume

35. STARTING POSITIONS &
GENERAL MECHANICS SHOULD
BE EMPHASIZED

36. Resisted Sprints

37. •Resisted sprints can improve speed*
•When load is appropriate kinematics are unaffected
•Optimal load produces ~10-20% speed decrement

38. •Length: 10-40m
•Load: Base on quality of movement & speed
•Rest: 30-60 sec / 10m
•Volume: 200-360m
•~10% Rule

39. SPEED TRAINING GUIDELINES
• Emphasize appropriate mechanics and maximal intensity
• Work : rest ratios = 1 : 20 - 40
• Rep lengths of 10-40m (~ 1 - 5 sec)
• Total volume should be constrained (160m - 300m)

40. SPORT SPEED
MULTI-DIRECTIONAL, CHANGE OF DIRECTION, DECELERATION CAPACITY, REACTION

41. Off-Season
• Focus on acceleration first
• Resisted runs & moderate
hills are appropriate
methods for developing
both mechanics of speed
as well as physical qualities
• Respect the necessary rest
requirements

42. In-Season
• Speed training must
persist throughout the
season
• Incorporate the ball,
reaction and thought-
processing when feasible
but do so in an
appropriate manner

45. Complementary Elements

46. Strength
Proven to improve
sprint, jump, throw
and endurance
capacities

47. “...there is sufficient evidence for
strength training programs to
continue to be an integral part of
athletic preparation.”
“Do I really need to lift?”

48. BASIC GUIDELINES
FOR RESISTANCE TRAINING

49. • Muscles don’t act in isolation
• Train movements not
muscles….“sport specific
strength” is nonsense
• Address asymmetries and
imbalances
TRAIN HOLISTICALLY

50. • Multi-joint exercises through complete ranges of motion
• For strength & power, lower rep ranges, higher loads, and
moderate volumes are suggested
• ~40 / 60 split upper / lower body
• For hypertrophy, moderate reps and load with higher
volume is suggested
BASIC GUIDELINES

51. Exercise Absolute Power (Watts)
100kg Male 75kg Female
Bench Press 300
Back Squat 1100
Deadlift 1100
Snatch 3000 1750
Snatch 2nd Pull 5500 2900
Clean 2950 1750
Clean 2nd Pull 5500 2650
Jerk 5400 2600
POWER DEVELOPMENT
*Total pull: Lift-off until maximal vertical velocity
**2nd pull: Transition until maximal vertical barbell velocity

52. Exercise Absolute Power (Watts)
100kg Male 75kg Female
Bench Press 300
Back Squat 1100
Deadlift 1100
Snatch 3000 1750
Snatch 2nd Pull 5500 2900
Clean 2950 1750
Clean 2nd Pull 5500 2650
Jerk 5400 2600
POWER DEVELOPMENT
*Total pull: Lift-off until maximal vertical velocity
**2nd pull: Transition until maximal vertical barbell velocity
Even if use of Olympic lifts are
inappropriate due to lack of
equipment, low teachingexpertise, or athleteinexperience; the basicprincipals should still be
incorporated (externally
loaded, multi-joint, lower body
explosive movement)

53. Heavy-Low Rep vs. Light-High Rep

54. • 1-3x/ week
• Short but intense workouts
• 20-40 minutes per session is sufficient
• High load / low rep and / or explosive
emphasis
• Train the entire body
• Use appropriate rest intervals
Weight Training
Guidelines

55. Bodyweight strength exercises are great for muscular endurance, work capacity,
strength maintenance and when facility / equipment access is limited

56. Off-Season
• Teach first
• Development of work &
functional capacity before
strength
• Individualize to needs
• Strength and power
• Lower extremity and core
emphasis
• Full range movements

57. In-Season
• 1-3x per week
• Reduced volumes
• Eliminate novel exercises
or training stimuli
• Evolution rather than
revolution to reduce
DOMs
• On-field incorporation
sessions can be useful

58. OLYMPIC LIFTS
vary starting position. power clean emphasis. 1-3 reps / set. 5-10 sets.

59. SQUATS
all variants. full depth. 2-6 reps / set. 4-7 sets.

60. RESISTANCE TRAINING
UPPER BODY PULL, PUSH, CORE, AND UNILATERAL STRENGTH
Chelly et al (2010). Relationships between power and strength of the upper and lower limb
muscles and throwing velocity in male handball players.

62. TRAIN THE CHAIN (THE POSTERIOR CHAIN)

64. PLYOS

65. PLYOMETRIC BENEFITS
EFFECTS OF 8-WEEK IN-SEASON PLYOMETRIC
TRAINING ON UPPER AND LOWER LIMB PERFORMANCE
OF ELITE ADOLESCENT HANDBALL PLAYERS
MOHAMED SOUHAIEL CHELLY,1,2 SOUHAIL HERMASSI,2
RIDHA AOUADI,1,2 AND ROY J. SHEPHARD
3
1
Research Unit Sport Performance & Health, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saıˆd, University of La
Manouba, Tunis, Tunisia; 2
Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, University of La Manouba, Tunis,
Tunisia; and
3
Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ABSTRACT
Chelly, MS, Hermassi, S, Aouadi, R, and Shephard, RJ. Effects of
8-week in-season plyometric training on upper and lower limb
performance of elite adolescent handball players. J Strength
Cond Res 28(5): 1401–1410, 2014—We hypothesized that
replacement of a part of the normal in-season regimen of top-
evel adolescent handball players by an 8-week biweekly course
yometric training would enhance char-
ower output
INTRODUCTION
H
andball is an intermittent sport where physio-
logical characteristics, particularly the ability to
make and to repeat the explosive muscular con-
tractions required for sprinting, jumping, turn-
ing, changing pace, and throwing a ball, are important to
performance not only in adults but also in adolescent players
(5,11,35). Single-bout explosive efforts are as important as
maximal aerobic power (15); although high-speed sprinting
accounts for only 11% of the total distance covered in junior
(35), vital moments such as winning posses-
end on such actions

66. •Introduction of bi-weekly plyometric training improves
sprinting, jumping and ball throwing velocities
EFFECTS OF 8-WEEK IN-SEASON PLYOMETRIC
TRAINING ON UPPER AND LOWER LIMB PERFORMANCE
OF ELITE ADOLESCENT HANDBALL PLAYERS
MOHAMED SOUHAIEL CHELLY,1,2 SOUHAIL HERMASSI,2
RIDHA AOUADI,1,2 AND ROY J. SHEPHARD
3
1
Research Unit Sport Performance & Health, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saıˆd, University of La
Manouba, Tunis, Tunisia; 2
Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Said, University of La Manouba, Tunis,
Tunisia; and
3
Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ABSTRACT
Chelly, MS, Hermassi, S, Aouadi, R, and Shephard, RJ. Effects of
8-week in-season plyometric training on upper and lower limb
performance of elite adolescent handball players. J Strength
Cond Res 28(5): 1401–1410, 2014—We hypothesized that
replacement of a part of the normal in-season regimen of top-
evel adolescent handball players by an 8-week biweekly course
yometric training would enhance char-
ower output
INTRODUCTION
H
andball is an intermittent sport where physio-
logical characteristics, particularly the ability to
make and to repeat the explosive muscular con-
tractions required for sprinting, jumping, turn-
ing, changing pace, and throwing a ball, are important to
performance not only in adults but also in adolescent players
(5,11,35). Single-bout explosive efforts are as important as
maximal aerobic power (15); although high-speed sprinting
accounts for only 11% of the total distance covered in junior
(35), vital moments such as winning posses-
end on such actions

67. PLYOMETRICS
• GREAT STIMULUS FOR POWER
& MAINTENANCE OF
STRENGTH
• INTENSITY DIRECTLY RELATED
TO VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT &
TYPE OF CONTACT (1 LEG VS 2)
• COMBINE WITH RUNNING &
CHANGE OF DIRECTION
• QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
• APPROPRIATE MECHANICS ARE
CRITICAL

68. Mobility

69. Endurance
•Aerobic
•Anaerobic-Glycolytic
•Repeat Sprint Ability
•Work Capacity

70. REPEAT SPRINT ABILITY

71. LIMITERS OF RSA
•Fatigue from repeat efforts is inversely correlated to initial sprint
performance
•Limitations in energy supply, which include energy available from
phosphocreatine hydrolysis, anaerobic glycolysis and oxidative
metabolism, and the intramuscular accumulation of metabolic by-
products, such as hydrogen ions are key factors in performance
decrement
•Neural factors (magnitude and strategy of recruitment) are
related to fatigue
•Stiffness regulation, hypoglycemia, muscle damage and
environmental conditions may also compromise repeat sprint ability
(Bishop et al, 2011)

72. 1. Include traditional sprint training to
improve an athlete’s capacity in a single
sprint effort
2. Some high intensity interval training is
beneficial to improve the athlete’s
ability to recover between sprint
efforts.
(Bishop et al, 2011)
TRAINING RSA

73. RSA Training Guidelines
Intensity: 95-100%
Reps: 10-30m
Volume: <300m total
Work:Rest Ratio: 1:5-10
Frequency: 1-2x / week
RSA is addressed indirectly through other training
methods but specific training is also recommended

74. Off-Season
• Aerobic qualities must be
in place first
• Speed should be
emphasized over RSA
• Immediately prior to the
season dedicated RSA
work may be useful

75. In-Season
• Very little is necessary
• HIIT + speed training may
help preserve

76. WORK CAPACITY is often
overlooked but plays an
important role in
developing speed & power
Body Weight Strength
General Endurance Circuits
Weight Circuits
Kettlebell Complexes
Med Ball Circuits

77. Understand
Game
Requirements
Use the Correct Tool
for the job
Follow Best Practice
Session Guidelines
Keep the Goal the
Goal
Consider Logistics.
Balance Art & Science.

78. MIKE@ATHLETICLAB.COM
@MIKEYOUNG