speed
Wild-Stan,
The answer to your question is very difficult not knowing what level of training you are at or precisely what area or technique you are seeking help in with your speed.
One of Mr. Thomas Kurz's recent articles highlighted an enthusiast who seemed to have hit a barrier in gains to his speed techniques. The simple answer was to determine whether the individual was overtraining or his muscles had retained a memory of speed from a constant drilling of the same techniques. There are many variables to speed that one should be aware of.
I first learned of different variables from a book entitled, " Tao of Jeet Kune Do" written by Bruce Lee. In this book, Mr. Lee lists 5 types of speed. One was perceptual speed. Another is Mental speed. There are also Initiation speed, Performance speed, and Alteration speed. One must be aware of each of these factors to enhance the performance of each through training. Relaxation through the movement or technique is often one of the biggest obstacles to improving speed. Another is reaction time. For me what works best is to define the muscles being used in a specific technique, then focus on how I am using each of these muscles throughout the technique. I then train on simplifying that motion and relaxation. I also do strength training on alternate days on the specific weakness I find in the applied muscle group, until I achieve a balance of strength and speed. I often find I am sacraficing strength or speed initially. Upon scrutinizing my technique, I am able to determine the imbalance and make necessary adjustments. If I hit a bag with too much speed and not enough strength, I usually get hurt. Or if I strength train my power punch too much, my speed is hindered drastically.
Mr. Thomas Kurt's book on the "Science of Sports Training" also breaks this down in sections ranging from 'Principles of economy of effort', 'Nutrition', 'Strength for Speed', 'Agility', and many other applicable areas including an in depth look at speed and the mechanics of development. If you have not yet read this book, I have to strongly recommend it as a type of bible to training. While there are other principles perscribed by others, I have never found such an array of useful technical information in one book. I refer to it often.
My best regards to your training.
Dragonno
The answer to your question is very difficult not knowing what level of training you are at or precisely what area or technique you are seeking help in with your speed.
One of Mr. Thomas Kurz's recent articles highlighted an enthusiast who seemed to have hit a barrier in gains to his speed techniques. The simple answer was to determine whether the individual was overtraining or his muscles had retained a memory of speed from a constant drilling of the same techniques. There are many variables to speed that one should be aware of.
I first learned of different variables from a book entitled, " Tao of Jeet Kune Do" written by Bruce Lee. In this book, Mr. Lee lists 5 types of speed. One was perceptual speed. Another is Mental speed. There are also Initiation speed, Performance speed, and Alteration speed. One must be aware of each of these factors to enhance the performance of each through training. Relaxation through the movement or technique is often one of the biggest obstacles to improving speed. Another is reaction time. For me what works best is to define the muscles being used in a specific technique, then focus on how I am using each of these muscles throughout the technique. I then train on simplifying that motion and relaxation. I also do strength training on alternate days on the specific weakness I find in the applied muscle group, until I achieve a balance of strength and speed. I often find I am sacraficing strength or speed initially. Upon scrutinizing my technique, I am able to determine the imbalance and make necessary adjustments. If I hit a bag with too much speed and not enough strength, I usually get hurt. Or if I strength train my power punch too much, my speed is hindered drastically.
Mr. Thomas Kurt's book on the "Science of Sports Training" also breaks this down in sections ranging from 'Principles of economy of effort', 'Nutrition', 'Strength for Speed', 'Agility', and many other applicable areas including an in depth look at speed and the mechanics of development. If you have not yet read this book, I have to strongly recommend it as a type of bible to training. While there are other principles perscribed by others, I have never found such an array of useful technical information in one book. I refer to it often.
My best regards to your training.
Dragonno
Lifes greatest challenge lies within oneself.