getting faster

Question
i am a wide receiver at my high school. i am 2nd string. the only problem is that i am short and i am not fast enough to out run my defenders. can you pleas tell me any ways that i can get faster

Answer
Melbin -

Thanks for writing.  There are 4 main factors to increasing speed.  I will go ahead and list them here for you to take and research further.

1-  Leg strength:  Stick with the basic power leg exercises like squats, leg presses,lunges, dead lifts, extentions / leg curls, and calf machine work.  Vary up your routine for greater effect. Remember, football is a power sport.  Train for power situations.

2- Proper running form:  Like anything else, these is an efficient way to sprint, and there is an inefficient way to sprint.  Get together with a running or track coack, and make sure he has showed you the proper form to insure you are running correctly and efficiently. This will help prevent injury and will allow for faster running while expending less energy.

3-  PLYOMETRICS:  These are a group of exercises that will quickly increase your  speed and quickness.  They require little to no equipment, but are very challenging nonetheless.  Look online for a program for you needs.  A good one should include, box jumps / leaps, box leg lifts, power hops / skips, line jumps, etc.  Stick with these no matter how difficult or tiring they are, and you will see a major difference soon.

4- Flexibility:  Without proper flexibility, all of the above will mean nothing.  Your muscles, tendons, and ligaments must be able to work together for optimum speed. If you are using muscles, tendons, and ligaments without good stabilization, all of your other training will become  useless AND DANGEROUS.  Most injuries in the NFL are directly related to some sort of strain or pull.  Flexibility is a main factor in these injuries.  So do as much, get as flexible as possible, and stay that way at all times.  You will find it not only helps you get faster, but it will be huge in preventing injuries.

Get started in those 4 basics, and see how it works for you.  I am positive that if you work hard, and do the things listed above consistently and properly, you will be very happy with your results.  Get to it, and let me know how it goes.

Best Wishes

Coach Perl