Speed Harness

Speed Harness

Account limit of 2053 requests per hour exceeded.

Speed Harness

How To Improve Your Speed -Overspeed Training Methods

Overspeed is when athletes move the whole body, or parts of the body, with speeds higher than the normal competitive speed.

Speed training basically consists of athletes trying to maintain the highest speed possible for as long as it is possible. By repeating this over and over again, the athlete will, eventually be able to extend the barrier and surpass his/ her record.

There are several different ways to get overspeed training, with variations within each group:

Running downhill

When running downhill the acceleration of the body mass provides the desirable overspeed at the bottom of the hill. The setting you need to perform the downhill overspeed training is a hill that is approximately 20 to 80 meters long. Since your purpose is to reach maximum velocity before the downward part of the hill, it is best to have a 20 meter flat area to accelerate before the hill. Also, a flat runway after running the slope of the hill helps for slowing down or you can use it as part of the workout. The slope of the hill should be between 1-2 degrees.

A variation to the downhill method is a manageable ramp where we can change the inclination of the ramp.

Towing

Another way to provide overspeed training is by using a device to pull the athlete in the direction of the movement. It's usually an electronic device, with control over the speed, to use on a track.

Even if the towing devices used now are new, overspeed techniques have been around for over 50 years in more rudimentary formats. There are numerous examples of athletes being towed behind motorbikes, scooters and cars. The latter method was used by 1956 Melbourne Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Al Lawrence, who ran overspeed by holding on to a rigid bar attached to the back of the vehicle.

Rubber bands

This type of overspeed training uses the elastic qualities of various rubber bands, stretch cords or bungee cords. Usually, the coach would have two athletes with similar top speed and body weight work together, but there are variations with more complex arrangements where as many as three to six athletes can work together at the same time.

Unweighted training equipment

The unweighted training equipment allows you to run at a fraction of your body weight.

There are several different unweighted training devices, but the basic idea in all of them is that the athlete is supported in a harness or an inflated enclosure and this way he/ she can run on a treadmill or on a track without pressure on his/ her joints and ligaments and without his legs having to support his full body weight.

Exercise physiologists reckon that it's easier to "teach" muscle cells to function at accelerated firing rates if the nerves and muscles don't have to simultaneously worry about supporting full body weight.

Unweighted training devices:

The Alter-G treadmill creates a seal around the user's waist and then inflates to create a pressurized environment that can take away up to 80% of the user's body, lessening the pounding to the joints. The running speed and incline can be adjusted, along with what percent of weight should be removed.

The GlideTrak is basically a specialized metal frame that goes over pretty much any treadmill. The athlete is strapped into the metal frame and runs on the treadmill with virtually zero impact. The straps are parachute grade 8,000 lbs tested, so the device is very stable and secure.

The GlideCycle is similar to the GlideTrak, but it is an outdoor device. The athlete is again supported by straps in a seat, but the frame he is strapped into has two wheels, just like a bicycle. The GlideCycle has no pedals, so the rider pushes himself/ herself forward using his/ her legs.

About the Author

I like hiking, reading, cooking, gardening... I love life and people. And I try to keep in a good shape, stay healthy and help others do the same by sharing health tips that I find useful. For more health tips you can visit my blog. I am also fascinated by this new trainer called the GlideCycle and what it can do for people.

Workoutz.com - How to Use a Running Speed Harness