JC's Musings

Resisted Speed Training

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How has your understanding and application of resisted speed training (RST) changed over the years? For me it is around the application of load. RST was one of my first areas of research, and in the late 1990s we thought that using loads greater than 10% body mass (BM) was a “no go” as anything heavier would disrupt sprint technique chronically.

Fast forward to the present and the use of heavy (~ 100% BM) are common and have been found to be equally effective in improving the force, power and speed of athletes as compared to light loads.

In retrospect, it was naïve to think that 2-5 minutes of actual running with loaded sleds would disrupt chronically, 1000s of hours of ingrained motor patterning. Hindsight is a great thing. Has your use of RST changed over the years?