Increase Speed by Using Water Running
Common ways coaches use to increase leg turnover and neuromuscular response to increase speed on ground:
- Running on a downward incline.
- Being pulled by a cycle or another vehicle.
Disadvantages:
- Risk of falling and injury
- Impact on legs and balance issues
Using deep water with a buoyancy belt to increase turnover:
- Legendary sprint coach Tom Tellez used the following deep-water method with Carl Lewis, Joe Deloach, and other world record holders in the 100 Meters.
- Tom would count the number of strides taken in their fastest 100-Meter time and then have them increase that turnover rate in deep water sessions with our buoyancy belts, training their neuromuscular response to a faster turnover. Using our AJ :Hitch to keep the athlete near the pool’s edge and the sound of a metronome at the desired cadence simplifies this.
- Advantages:
- Turnover speed increased by the absence of including the ground contact portion of the cycle allows the athlete to immediately focus on the return to the knee lift position leaving out the time normally taken to contact the ground and return to the knee lift position of the cycle.
- Resistance of the water in lifting the knee increases the intensity of the neuromuscular response.
- No impact with the ground or balance issues.