A facet of fitness that is often overlooked is speed work. Many people think speed work is only for elite athletes or those training for a very specific fitness endeavor.
As we age, we do less and less agility work, and it often falls by the wayside. However, incorporating speed and agility work into your training regime can produce significant benefits to your overall health and fitness.
Speed and agility are skills. By training them, we can see physical gains and may also notice mental benefits.
Speed and Agility’s Effect on the Brain
Speed work doesn’t just mean running fast or performing sprints (although these are beneficial). It can also include movements like ladder drills, lateral jumps, quick changes of direction (such as cone sprints), and other movements that require our brains to make rapid decisions. It is these quick reactions and need for acute spatial awareness that challenge us in ways that improve cognitive function.
By training these neural pathways, we are strengthening our ability to react quickly. Research has shown links between speed and agility training and a decreased risk of falls in older adults. Additionally, there have been correlations with improved cognitive retention.
Additionally, agility work is difficult. It involves high-output efforts that take persistence and resilience to both learn and perform. When we face these challenges presented by speed work, we are training our mental fortitude.
So, agility work is not just for elite athletes. It challenges us to move our bodies in ways they are designed to move, but don’t get a chance to in our daily routines. It increases our reaction times and forces us into discomfort. After all, discomfort is where we grow; over time, we will notice increased discipline and mental fortitude.
The Physical Benefits
The physical benefits of speed work are more obvious.
Sprints have been shown to have better effects on VO2 Max and other measures of cardiorespiratory efficiency than steady-state cardio. High-intensity efforts that are also mentally stimulating challenge the heart and lungs, strengthening them. Overall, this leads to an increase in fitness.
Speed and agility work also trains our power output and muscle recruitment, which is hugely beneficial in any Olympic lift. It can even transfer to gymnastics movements, such as bar or ring muscle-ups, as explosive power can be instrumental here.
Speed work also increases our EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). Unlike steady-state, low-intensity cardio, we burn calories not only during the exercise but also for hours afterward as our bodies recover. This will aid in any weight loss efforts, making speed work a crucial part of any weight loss journey.
Overall, speed work can have a massive impact on our fitness. When it is dispersed into a workout program that also includes more steady-state training and low-intensity efforts, we will notice vast improvements to our athletic capacity.
Mixing in Speed work
We mix speed work in our programming if you take group classes at CrossFit Billings.
However, if you are hoping to get some extra agility work in, shoot for 1 – 2 times a week. These sessions take a toll on your body, and you will need time to recover. Be sure to be properly warmed up, as this not only prevents injury but also allows you to operate at optimal capacity.
You can mix in ladder drills, sled sprints, bike sprints, short running sprints, or any other explosive movement. Perform short work intervals and allow enough time between efforts to recover just enough to hit another set hard.
If you are interested in trying out some classes at CrossFit Billings, check out the link below.
