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Train slow, be FAST...GUARANTEED!

Heavy_sled_drag

 

On Tuesday, I posted this video...

Below is part of a message/question that was sent to me (via facebook) regarding the above video and my use of HEAVY sled/prowler drags to improve an athlete's acceleration mechanics/speed...

Joe, I think you're going to be (or currently are) one of those coaches who the sports scientists are constantly trying to disprove, but fail! So much of what you do is innovative and exciting. Keep it coming mate!!

What are your thoughts on the "rule" that you shouldn't use more than 10% of your bodyweight for resistance on a sled when trying to improve acceleration technique?...

-Matt C.

 

Here's my response regarding heavy, "slow" prowler/sled drags to improve acceleration mechanics and speed...

Most people will tell you that in order to be fast, you must train fast. THAT'S why so many people will argue that super-heavy sled dragging will "train an athlete to be slow" or "ruin their sprint mechanics". Well, I am here to tell you that there's an exception to the "train fast to be fast" rule! Here's the deal...

The ability to accelerate is of utmost importance for just about every athlete and every sport. This is one of the reason's I love having all of my athletes perform 10-yard sprints. Running 10's is one of the best ways to learn how to accelerate properly, while also developing lower body power.

But, one of the "problems" I've found with running 10's is that there's no way to "practice" them at slower speeds (because proper acceleration angles can't be achieved at 'half speed').

Think about this: Most sport-specific skills and/or exercises can be practiced at slower speeds or with less weight, in order to perfect technique. Here are some examples...

Boxers spar with 'lesser opponents' to work on their technique; wrestlers and MMA athletes 'drill' at slower speeds to perfect different moves, submissions, etc.; Baseball players have batting practice or hit off a tee to work on different aspects of their swing; in the weightroom, you can perfect your technique on any given exercise just by using less weight...

I can go on and on with examples, but I think you get my point. The point is that if an athlete is having problems perfecting their acceleration technique, you can't just say, "Ok, let's practice it at half speed until you get it right." This is because it is impossible to achieve the proper acceleration angles if you're not running full speed. So, as coaches, what should we do with our athletes in order to teach them proper acceleration mechanics?? One of the answers to this dilemma is HASD's (Heavy Ass Sled Drags)!!! The reason I love making my athletes perform "HASD's" is because it's guaranteed to work the "3 KEYS" of acceleration...and the 3 KEYS I'm referring to are: forward body lean, positive shin angle, big strides (covering a lot of ground as opposed to taking short, 'quick' steps).

 

3 KEYS TO ACCELERATION AS THEY RELATE TO SLED-DRAGGING

#1) It's impossible to drag something heavy without leaning forward to get the object moving! If an athlete's able to drag the sled with an "upright posture", they're not going heavy enough to achieve the benefits of an "acceleration drag". The heavy weight enables the athlete to "feel" what a proper 'acceleration lean' feels like. This helps athletes understand what I mean when I tell them to make sure "their upper body stays in front of their lower body" when they accelerate.

At 6'6", Kevin Brock had a problem with the forward lean that was required for him to accelerate properly in order to improve upon his 40-yard dash. None of the classic "speed drills" seemed to help Kevin "get it" with regards to his 10-yard sprint. But then I introduced Kevin to HASD's and after his 1st session, he PR'd in the 10-yard sprint! Check out the video of Kevin below...notice the forward body lean and the huge amount of ground he covers with each stride! He hits the 10-yard mark in only 6 steps!

Kevin even performed HASD's before he ran his 40-yard dash at his NFL Pro Day. It worked! Kevin is currently with the Oakland Raiders. Simply put; in order for Kevin to get faster, he first had to slow down!


#2) A positive shin angle goes hand in hand with the forward body lean the athlete should be maintaining while dragging the sled. This shin angle is the key to speed/accelerating! WAY TOO MANY athlete's "reach" forward and overstride in order to increase their stride length...this is "acceleration suicide"!!! As soon as your foot lands in front of your hip, you're dead (because it creates a "breaking force" which slows you down)...and you also drastically increase your chance for a hamstring pull! The KEY to acceleration power/speed is having your foot strike the ground directly under - or behind - your hip and apply force back into the ground! Once again, it is impossible to drag a heavy sled unless you are striking your foot underneath or behind your hip and applying force in the proper direction. (If your foot lands in front of your hip, the heavy sled will stop in its tracks...guaranteed.)

To hammer home my point, check out the pictures below. Notice the similarities in forward body lean, back leg angle/force application, and how the knee of the front leg remains in front of the foot during the foot strike (which ensures force is being applied in the proper direction).

miles_accelerates
Heavy_sled_drag
Body lean & shin angles in both pictures look pretty similar, huh?

 

#3) The final aspect of sled dragging that I love is that it increases an athlete's "horsepower"! I don't give two shits what anyone says; STRENGTH builds the foundation for sprinting speed. Period.

Sports scientists will argue that the muscular contractions during HASD's aren't fast enough to transfer to sprinting, blah, blah, blah! Well, I may not wear a white lab coat to work (I prefer black or camo), but you can bet your ass that there aint ONE "researcher" who's coached more 10-yard sprints over the past 13 years than I have in my "lab". And I can tell you with 100% confidence that performing HASD's (in conjunction with jumps and sprints throughout your training week) does NOT make you slower. In fact, it's quite the contrary...HASD's will make you FASTER by specifically increasing the "horsepower" in your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Increasing your strength in this manner, enables you to apply more force into the ground when you sprint. This increased "horsepower" (along with proper hip flexor flexibility) enables you to "finish" each stride (fully extend), thus covering more ground with each and every step!


[NOTE: If you're using the sled to perform resisted sprints, you obviously won't need to go as heavy because you can "rehearse" proper technique due to the higher speeds.

FYI...I still think the "10% rule" with regards to resisted sprinting is complete bullshit for every class of athlete except high-level sprinters. "Experts" say if you use more than 10% of an athlete's bodyweight for resistance on the sled, it will "screw up their sprint mechanics". My question is, "How often does any athlete - besides a sprinter - run in a perfectly straight line with perfect form?" Running backs in football are holding a ball, bouncing off would-be tacklers, cutting, stiff-arming, etc; tennis players have a racket in their hands when they accelerate to the net; baseball players have to hit a ball, then throw the bat and run to first base (usually while looking at the ball they just hit); basketball players are either dribbling a ball or guarding another player when they accelerate; and when wrestlers accelerate forward and shoot on their opponent, do you think they're worrying about perfect "sprint technique" and proper arm action?

lebron-james-1
Having this dude worry about "proper arm mechanics" while sprinting is a complete waste of time

Hopefully - once again - you get my point. Don't be scared off by what "the masses" say about HASD's or resisted sprints...they are both extremely beneficial to 99% of the athletes out there!]

 

You now hopefully understand why - every now and then - you need to "slow down" in order to SPEED UP on the athletic field!

TRUST ME on this one.

-Joe D.


21 Comments

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  1. karlo makes this comment

    Monday, 23 January 2012

    hi joe im based in england and wanted to come over in summer with my son can you tell me if this is possible at your end to train with you all for a month and the fees and places to stay thanks karlo .

  2. Darryn makes this comment

    Thursday, 15 September 2011

    cont....The really fast athletes that I coach cover 10m in 1.55-1.60s (that's 10m not 10yards, so they would be even faster over 10yards!) Without doubt if I need to improve acceleration I focus on max strength (if this is below 1.6 - 2x BW depending on athlete), explosive strength and speed strength in both the gym and with sleds. HASD definately are part of this arsenal! Horses for courses Jerome...... T&F sprinters may never lift a weight, but that's because they need to be the first across the line at 100m NOT 10 or 20m!

  3. Darryn makes this comment

    Thursday, 15 September 2011

    Hey jerome do you really believe 100m sprinters train for 10m acceleration? It is an undisputed fact that to win the 100m you must outlast your opponent NOT beat him off the line! How many times do you see Usain Bolt leading the field before the 40-50m mark? The acceleration phase of sprintng uses a lot of concentric strength and power in the sagital plane and shifts towards SSC in both the sagital and frontal plane as the athlete increases speed. Funnily enough HASD develop concentric strength and power in the sagital plane. In addition HASD do teach correct biomechanics for athletes that can't grasp te concept at higher speeds. The athletes that JD coaches and that I coach are NOT olympic T&F, but are elite (or trying to become) NFL and rugby athletes. I can tell you now for a fact that we are far more concerned with acceleration than we are with 100m speed endurance for most of our athletes. Cont.....

  4. C.H. makes this comment

    Wednesday, 30 March 2011

    Awesome article. Cant wait to improve..

  5. Scott S. makes this comment

    Sunday, 13 March 2011

    Dear Joe, First off great article like always. I am a track and field athlete that is really looking to improve my acceleration and was really struggling until I read your article on HASD's. After just one session using HASD's my acceleration mechanics were better than ever and felt so much smoother. I also read an article by Mike Boyle that you may like to read, he also believes in the heavy sled drags as the link between squats and sprinting. http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_383_A_PageName_E_articleboyleweightedsled Keep the great info coming Joe -Scott

  6. Jerome makes this comment

    Wednesday, 09 March 2011

    First off, I never said they never lifted weights. I said there are random guys from the Caribbean that would toast Joe's athletes. Kim Collins, at one pt the world leader in the 60m this year and once world champion in the 100m, is a perfect example of that. Please post the video of Powell doing heavy deadlifts. I'll happily post of the video of him doing about 10-15m of walking lunges and dying. The timing methods are completely different. It is disrespectful to elite athletes to even put the names of JD's athletes in the same sentence with regards to speed.

  7. Windu makes this comment

    Wednesday, 09 March 2011

    this will be my last post against jerome because he clearly is blind to facts, so why would i argue with a wall? so this post is aimed not at jerome but instead to educate anyone who thought of agreeing with jerome. 1. usain bolt lifts weights. he admits to it. http://magazine.stack.com/TheIssue/Article/6717/In_the_Weight_Room_With_Usain_Bolt.aspx 2. maurice greene lifts weight. he admits to it. http://www.snelkracht.nl/html/net-articles/mo_greene.html 3. asafa powell DOES do heavy dl's at least some point during his training. video of it during the last olympics. his 25lb walks were probably after a tough lactic acid build up workout. 4. both methods are electronically timed, so neither is b.s. so if the top sprinters admit weightlifting, and times show that over 10m the worlds best sprinters would be neck and neck with joe's best, joe's prob doing something right.

  8. Jerome makes this comment

    Wednesday, 09 March 2011

    Asafa Powell doesn't do heavy deadlifts. Hell, there is a video of him nearly falling over when doing walking lunges with 25lb dumbells. The way Miles Austin had his 10yd timed and the way a 100m from blocks is timed in a race is completely different. One is accurate, while the other is, at best, pure fantasy, if not outright bullshit lies. He would get incredibly toasted by the top 50-100 high school short sprinters in the country, let alone college or pro to 10m. Every single athlete Joe has ever coached would be toasted by guys who don't lift weights or 'barely' lift weights (going through the motions with girl weights doesn't count). His perspective is twisted the way it is because of his heavy bias, which is quite sad for his athletes.

  9. Windu makes this comment

    Wednesday, 09 March 2011

    Sorry...miles austin. not austin miles as i originally (incorrectly) said.

  10. Windu makes this comment

    Wednesday, 09 March 2011

    Hey Jerome...STFU. you're wrong on two fronts. 1. you're telling me asafa powell never lifts heavy weights? heavy deads for sure. they DEFINITELY do weight work. 2. they would not 'smoke' them over 10 yds. when reaction time for the gun is accounted for, not one of the last 6 sprint WR holders has less than a 1.685 sec 10m. austin miles did a 1.58 10yd = 1.727 sec 10m. hardly 'smoked.' in fact, that is faster than 3 of the last 6 record holders. plus austin has at least 10-20 lbs more of muscle on. i'll take that any day.

  11. Jerome makes this comment

    Tuesday, 08 March 2011

    Too bad every single one of your athletes doing heavy drags would get their asses toasted to 10yd (let alone 40yd or 100yd) by random guys from the Caribbean who have never done a heavy sled drag in their lives and likely never touched a weight.

  12. Matt makes this comment

    Wednesday, 16 February 2011

    Awesome post and explanation Joe! I recently went to a track & field clinic put on by ""THE (what a joke) Ohio State University... The sprinters coach told me FB coaches think they know everything and that they were wrong about larger, more powerful strides as opposed to increased stride turnover (when coaching acceleration). I agree with YOU as opposed to him but he did make a good argument... his reasoning was, due to larger strides, your feet are in the air longer, and in turn you cant accelerate as quickly as if you had a higher turnover rate and more ground contact in which to accelerate. What are your thoughts?

  13. Shane Doll makes this comment

    Saturday, 11 December 2010

    Great post Joe. I couldn't agree more with the HASD's. You did a great job of explaining the benefits and why we should be doing these with our athletes. Keep up the good work- Shane

  14. Brian S makes this comment

    Wednesday, 08 December 2010

    I just implemented HASD's after reading. My question is how much weight in relation to body weight should I load on the sled? Also, do you have a preference as to arm action when performing them? I noticed on the video that you had the athletes pulling the sleds with their arms dragging it, would it be beneficial using a harness and having the athlete use an arm swing while dragging the sled. Thanks again for everything you do for "real world" training.

  15. chris makes this comment

    Friday, 03 December 2010

    Great post Joe! I agree that the heavy sled drags help and it has to be HEAVY for the lean and helps with extension. I do the same with my athletes and load them up, as your video showed. But i find many coaches loading the sprints (not walks) with too heavy of a load (regardless of the % rule)- where the athlete is moving their legs but now not covering ground and/or no extension. Which in my opinion defeats the point...wanted to get your opinion on that matter? Always enjoy reading your posts!

  16. Mike P. makes this comment

    Tuesday, 23 November 2010

    Joe, Would you do HASD's as the ME exercise on ME leg day or is this something done on conditioning days? Great Article

  17. Joe P makes this comment

    Monday, 22 November 2010

    When doing sled drags for strength and speed work, obviously performance is the priority rather than all out conditioning work, like in the prowler flu videos. With keeping that in mind, how do you generally set up some HASP programming? I've done it a bit, usually 20yd pulls with a weight that can still be moved somewhat smoothly (instead of hitting the wall halfway through) and enough rest to allow good performance. How close is this to something you would do? Also, I've tried emphasizing a good glute contraction at the peak of each stride, so each stride covers more ground. I don't have much formal training in sport science, but I'm pretty sure this is desirable. Thanks for all your awesome articles, keep em coming!

  18. Brad makes this comment

    Monday, 22 November 2010

    Joe Great post and so true. As a professor and a strength coach we must look at breaking down movements. To do this we have to make them slower movement wise to teach them. Just like using wall sprints with pauses. It is essential with athletes to correct and reinforce mechanics and movement patterns. Great post as always

  19. Joe Hashey makes this comment

    Sunday, 21 November 2010

    Awesome explanation - thanks Joe!

  20. JD makes this comment

    Sunday, 21 November 2010

    awesome post. I am glad you throw in the last bit about track & field and other athletes - it is dead on. It bothers me that so many coaches train everyone like T&F sprinters ..

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