How to Improve Speed and Power in Training

Understanding Speed & Power Training

There are many different ways to train depending on your goal. Strength, endurance, muscle size, and athletic performance all require slightly different approaches.

To build a well-rounded and capable physique, you should include multiple training methods over time.

In this guide, we’re focusing specifically on speed and power—two key components of athletic performance that are often misunderstood or trained incorrectly.

Muscle Fibres Explained

Your muscles are made up of two main types of fibres:

Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibres (Type II)

• Responsible for explosive movements
• Produce high force quickly
• Fatigue rapidly
• Used in sprinting, jumping, heavy lifting, and powerful movements

Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibres (Type I)

• Built for endurance and sustained activity
• More resistant to fatigue
• Used in long-duration efforts like running or cycling

Key point:
Speed and power primarily rely on fast-twitch muscle fibres, but overall performance improves when both fibre types are trained appropriately.

The Role of Nutrition

Before training methods, it’s important to understand that performance is heavily influenced by your diet.

To support speed, power, and recovery, your body needs:

• Protein for muscle repair and growth
• Carbohydrates as the primary fuel for high-intensity training
• Fats for hormone function and long-term energy
• Vitamins and minerals for overall body function, recovery, and performance

It’s not just about protein—a complete, balanced diet is essential for optimal results.

Training for Speed (Explosiveness)

Speed training focuses on how fast you can produce force, not just how much weight you can move.

How to Train for Speed:

• Use light to moderate weights (around 30–60% of your maximum)
• Focus on moving the weight as fast as possible with control
• Keep reps low to moderate (3–8 reps)
• Rest properly between sets to maintain performance

Best Exercises:

• Squats (speed squats)
• Bench press (explosive reps)
• Deadlifts (controlled but fast intent)
• Plyometric movements such as jumps, box jumps, and medicine ball throws

The goal is maximum speed with good form, not fatigue.

Training for Power (Force + Speed)

Power is the combination of strength and speed.

It’s not just about lifting heavy—it’s about applying force quickly.

How to Train for Power:

• Use moderate to heavy weights (around 60–85% of your maximum)
• Perform low reps (1–5 reps per set)
• Focus on explosive lifting on the way up
• Control the weight on the way down

Important Notes:

• If you need to jerk or lose control, the weight is too heavy
• Movements should be powerful but controlled
• Full recovery between sets is important

Best Exercises:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Bench press
• Olympic-style lifts (if trained properly)
• Explosive variations such as jump squats and push press

Combining Speed and Power Training

To develop strong overall athletic performance, you should combine both methods in your training.

Example Approach:

• One session focused on speed work (lighter, explosive)
• One session focused on power or strength (heavier, controlled)

Alternatively, combine both within a single session:

• Perform a heavy compound lift followed by an explosive variation of the same movement

Key Takeaways

• Speed and power rely heavily on fast-twitch muscle fibres
• High-rep training alone does not build explosiveness effectively
• Speed refers to how fast you can move
• Power refers to how fast you can apply force
• Training should include both explosive lighter work and heavier strength work
• Nutrition plays a critical role in performance and recovery

Final Thoughts

Improving speed and power is not about simply training harder—it is about training with the right intent and structure.

By focusing on proper exercise selection, appropriate weight ranges, explosive execution, and sufficient recovery, you can significantly improve performance while reducing injury risk.