Reactive Speed Training with Resistance Bands

6 Keys to developing a Reactive Speed Program using Resistance Band Training

All successful athletic programs have one thing in common…. A dedicated training program to get “FIELD FAST”

Dear Coach, Trainer or Athlete,

You have probably spent a fair amount of time and money on all the latest speed training tools, books and videos only to still be scratching your head about how to develop a sound agility speed training program.

Trust me over the years I have tried everything. My closet and book shelves have the facts to prove it.

Like usual the “Speed Experts” sometimes make developing a agility speed training program too complicated. If you have gone to coaches’ clinics or seminars and have listened to all the experts you know what I mean.

Don’t get me wrong, it is not easy to implement a good agility speed training program and if athletes don’t workout, well we don’t need to go any further. However, if as a young athlete, I can feel immediate results, then I am going to be motivated to keep training hard.

Thanks to a lot of feedback about developing agility and speed training programs from my athletes, coaches and peers….

It comes down to following these 6 keys.

#1 - Create Variety and you get consistency and effort

As athletes and coaches you become bored with the same old exercises, yet buying a new speed training tool every month probabl y doesn’t fit into your budget.

I have 2 suggestions:

1. Make sure you choose tools for your speed training that makes functional sense. Hint… If you are not standing up at least 100% of the time move on. Remember, if you play on your feet you should train on your feet.

2. Choose Speed Training equipment that can train multiple aspects of speed in multiple planes of motion.

For instances, did you know that you can lunge 8 different ways? Can your training tool train all 8? Resistance Band Training can do that easily.

Speed training equipment does not have to be fancy to get the job done. Remember your muscles are not very smart and they don’t care about brand names. They can’t read!! All they do is react. So choose agility speed training equipment that is simple and makes muscles “react” not just consciously contract.

#2 There is Nothing Static about Athletics

In order to run fast, cut quickly and explode, you have to be able to quickly and effectively lengthen out your muscles and joints. As a result dynamic (not static) functional flexibility, especially through your hips and shoulder girdle, is critical.

It can hurt and take a lot of work to really lengthen out tight muscles but they have to go there during explosive movements or something will give. If you don’t take muscle and joints there manually, your momentum will during the game and could be dangerous.

Bottom line….If you are stiff through you hips and shoulder girdle you can not disassociate your arms from your legs which means you run stiff. Therefore your Agility Speed Training Program must emphasize dynamic functional flexibility. RBT for flexibility is a good place to start.

#3 Training to be faster should always smell and look like running

What do running, jumping, cutting, swinging, throwing, shooting and kicking all have in common? You do it on your feet and for the most part use all 360 plus muscles at one time.

Your body was designed and wired up neurologically to function in standing. When you train on your butt or back you deactivate that circuit and train your body to work as isolated parts.

Would you train a golfer to swing their club sitting down? So why train your body to be a runner by lying on your back? Training on your butt or your back to enhance speed just doesn’t make sense, unless it is part of your cool down.

Functional RBT is all done on your feet except for the flexibility.

#4 Deceleration always comes before Acceleration in function

The number one rule of function is “your body must load before it can explode”.

You can’t jump if you don’t squat first. You can’t throw if you don’t wind up first.

You have to be able to slow down the load (or decelerate the load) before you can accelerate or explode out of the load.

Your Speed Training Program better emphasize efficient, strong and quick deceleration, especially if you are training female athletes.

#5 Train Agility with Quickness FIRST.. and Speed will come

Agility, Quickness, than comes Speed ....That is how you want to prioritize your Speed Training Program. Sports like soccer, basketball, football, softball, baseball, tennis, rugby, wrestling, and hockey are won based on who accelerates the fastest and wins the first 5 yards.

When developing your Speed Training Program always start with agility or rhythm training first, especially when developing a youth speed training program.

Once they have rhythm, now let them try working quicker. That will create reaction which is what you need to win the first 5 yards.

#6 Speed is a Year Round Training Commitment

In the world of multi-sport high school athletes or high prof ile colleges and professional sports, year round training is a must. Develop a Speed Training Program that is adaptable enough to allow athletes to easil y train speed anywhere, anytime and with variable intensities is critical.

That means your training tools should be simple, versatile and portable. Exercises should be multi-joint, multi-plane and emphasize power training for strength where speed not high resistance is the key training variable.

Resistance Band Training does all of that and more.

Want to learn more about Resistance Band training for Linear Speed? Take a peek at Dave Schmitz's Accelerating to the Ball DVD


For our full range of resistance bands visit our store.