Speed and Agility Program Design

In order to design and plan a speed and agility training program, many variables need to be addressed on many different levels. The variables are:

Exercise interval - duration (time) or distance

Exercise order - sequence in which a set of reps is executed

Exercise relief - work to rest ratio

Frequency - number of training sessions in a given time period

Intensity - effort at which each repetition is completed

Relief or recovery interval - rest period between reps and sets

Repetition - movement technique

Series - group of sets and recovery intervals

Set - group of reps and relief intervals

Volume - amount of work (reps x sets) completed during a specific training session

Short-Term Planning

Fatigue is a natural occurring process of the human body that can effect performance long before complete failure happens. Individuals should use speed-endurance training to help train multiple metabolic systems in order to improve fatigue-resistance. As the body becomes better at being fatigue-resistant, special speed and agility skills can therefore be performed with greater efficiency.

By using short, intense, exercise, an individual can target phosphagen energy systems and improve their recovery. Phophasgen systems are used in virtually all athletic movements as they are vital to explosive actions and movements. These types of short, intense efforts should be completed early on in a workout before other fatiguing exercises.

Medium-Term Planning

Proper planning and design needs to be implemented into medium-term exercise program design. Research has shown that recovery efforts or growth from one form of exercise can inhibit or hinder the recovery of another form of exercise.

Long-Term Planning

As an athlete progresses through their training program, the speed or effectiveness of their progression may alter the direction of their future training.

-Tyler Robbins
B.Sc. PTS