Best Way To Improve Speed.

wait until your older and you have knee problems

 

Quick results may cause serious injuries later. By the way these ankle weights had been already discussed briefly here, folks said this is a risky way.

 

i would normally agree, but i doubt that ankle weights would have any noticeable, negative effect if used only for walking and stuff, opposed to running.

 

Hey,

I was the one who posted the previous post, (Titled "Ankle Weights") a few weeks back in this board. I know they are unbelievable. They make you such a quick player, give you an awesome shot, and make jogging and sprinting effortless. I was really worried about getting injured, so I started a post and found out that they may cause some knee strain. Two weeks later I am having some minor knee troubles. I am really hoping that it's just because I'm 17 and I grew about 4 inches in the last six months and Im just having growing pains, etc. But my warning to you is Take it Easy and at the first sign of knee problems QUIT or reduce significantly. I havn't been using them for about a month and I'm still having pain so I think I'm going to use them sparingly after I heal.

Some advice:
Don't kick balls with them on

I liked doing some light excersices: karioke, high knees, butt kickers, etc. and I don't think their to harmfull or strenuous.

Try excersices where you lay down and do excersices like moving legs up, down, side to side. But be carefull not to hurt lower back.

I know how amazing they are. They took me from a mediocre player to a very good one in a short ammount of time, but I would hate to recomend them if they are dangerous. If someone could get a professional 100% answer on their injury potential it would make my YEAR.

-Yourself

 

karioke??? you like to sing in ankle weights?

 

lol no. It's a warm-up exercise

 

Actually spelt "cariocas" I believe. Basically the "grapevine".

I keep saying i'll ask my track coach about ankle weights since he has great knowledge in that area.

But I do agree with the others and think ankle weights are just terrible on your joints/etc. so i'd say stay away from 'em. There are plenty of other ways to improve your speed that aren't as risky as ankle weights.

 

i was only kidding by the way

 

The best way to build speed is to run on the balls of your feet. Never let your heels touch the ground. That builds up your calves. Run backwards on the balls of your feet too. Run hills on the balls of your feet...

That's the idea behind these.

(They actually work pretty well, but you have to start slowly.)

By the way, I'd never gamble with my knees by adding weight to my ankles.

 

Does this work for a while or do you have to wear these ankle weights all the time? ie. If I wore them for a week and improved my pace, would I lose my speed if I didn't wear them again?

 

Can you please explain why doing this helps

 

Your calfs must be the main muscle behind increasing your pace. So if this builds them up, it should work quite well. Although I wouldn't be seen dead in a pair of those things.

 

calves are most definitely not where speed and power come from. Assuming running technique is solid, acceleration typically comes from quads while top speed is hamstrings. Calves do play a role, but not as significant as you might think

 

Those are nowhere near shiny enough to improve your speed or skill.

 

actually the hamstring is, the calf is 2nd.


edit: but you are correct as to why they work. it forces the calves to work much harder.

 

Ok, sorry. I was just guessing to why they could work.
Anyway, I'm not fast enough, so I will be using all the tips shown on this thread. I am also working on my upper body strength too.

 

Hey cazdaspaz and anyone else who are interested in Ankle weights:

BE CAREFUL! I'm having a lot of pain recently, and although i stopped using the weights a week before the pain started they may have been the cause.

 

ok this is about improving everything in general...not just speed....

my brother played varsity since he was a freshman at his school didnt start until his sophomore year and thats still incredible...its not like we live in a little town...we live in the dfw area in texas...big soccer city...at least club wise...now that hes done with school hes been playin semi pro and is trying out for the new dallas burn team. i play for his old highschool and he was really good so naturally the coach looks to me to play like him and i am so pressured....sry i needed to vent...neways hes told me that u have to lift weights...build legs by lifting weights improves ur game so much...also do sit ups and get a strong upper body as ur strenght in ur shot comes from the abdomen....improve ur speed by running uphill(wat he used to do back in the day) now he uses one of those chutes....i dont know about the ankle weight thing...i heard it helps a lot but idk about knee problems....

 

OK, thanks, but I've already given up on them after I remembered that I already have knee problems. Chondromalacia Patella to give it it's proper name, is what causes some pain. It is due to over use but since I have been resting up the pain has gone away. But whilst I was using the ankle, my knees started hurting again.
I stopped about 5 days ago.

 

For starters i would seriously suggest running up a hill. It works so much, but once u ran up the hill you have to run down. WHen running down hill just let gravity do the work and RELAX YOUR MUSCLES, u dont need good technique on the way down you just need to get your legs used to moving so fast. During track we all it "teaching your legs to run fast" its part of a muscle memory thing and it keeps your fast twitch muscles fast. so basically what im saying is run uphill and DOWNHILL!!!!

 

All I can say is pop so pain relievers before you run and stretch stretch stretch!! idk how often u run or work out but try lifting light weights also but mostly just stretch.

 

Not sure about popping pain relievers... sure they dull the pain, but it doesn't get rid of the problem. If you do something serious to yourself then you'd never know it because of those pain relievers.

I agree though, stretch ALOT. You should do this anyways, whether you're having any problems or not. Drink alot of water.. maybe you're cramping a bit? And if so, eat bananas (or any high potassium food). Your PT should know what's wrong with you though so maybe you should ask them for a bit more advice on this issue?