You'll never move fast enough in the weight room to simulate max velocity sprinting. Hang Power Snatches and HP Cleans don't meet the meters per second standard, and neither do trap bar jumps.

Box jumps and med ball throws won't equate to MV sprints, either. Moving at 9 m/s in sprinting versus 3.5 m/s on a hang power snatch just doesn't add up.

But, we have to find different ways to train power in order to be strong enough to produce speed. We also have to train athletes to withstand the pounding of both team sports and max speed training.

Med ball training is a fantastic way to produce ballistic force and power with athletes. They're typically safe and efficient. Working from your feet, in all 3-planes of movement, with different movement patterns are hard to produce with a barbell or dumbbell compared to a medicine ball.

Speed Zine: Med Balls and Plyos

Of course, plyometrics are also important for building athletic athletes that can produce power and change directions (horizontally and vertically) quickly. There are intensive plyos which are lower in volume and higher in intensity and extensive plyos which are higher in volume and lower in intensity.

If you want your athletes to get fastER, you have to train for speed. Training for speed is done both on the field, track and in the weight room.

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