The very idea of, and science behind, speed agility training is relatively new. It was believed for many years that speed and agility were in-born traits – either an athlete was fortunate enough to possess them or he was not. If a runner was able to reach incredible speed and annihilate the competition, it was a genetic endowment. If a football player was able to run, pivot, leap and stop on a dime, it was a gift from a higher power. Luckily for today’s athletes, fitness professionals and physiological researchers

have determined that not only are speed and agility not simply instances of luck, but they are teachable, trainable and, ultimately, improvable.

Once this determination was made, the science of speed agility training was born. It quickly progressed from simply observing the behaviors of the gifted and talent athlete to figuring out exactly what constituted these talents. Is a fast 40 yard dash affected by an quick reaction time? Yes. Is a soccer star’s ability to change direction in a less than a second linked not only to speed but also to a certain kind of strength? Absolutely. And can these abilities be affected by careful and calculated training programs? Without a doubt. The average athlete could become an excellent athlete. The mediocre athlete could become exceptional.

Speed agility training is actually a combination of many different components. Throughout the entire training process, a clear and strong neuromuscular base must be built for the body to react in the proper and most advantageous way. Once the neurons are firing properly, the body and mind work together to achieve the desired result with the minimum amount of effort. Getting the neurons to function at this rate of efficiency comes from targeted and repeated action that work toward the desired goal. Just as how a child is awkward as she first picks up a pencil and trys to write her name only to move to a rapid and fluid writing movement after a bit of practice, the athlete’s body can be trained to become fluid and rapid, as well. Repeated drills alone, however, cannot create the optimal results. Strength training, particularly explosive power training and plyometric training can teach the body how to transition from a sedentary state to an efficiently moving state in a minimum amount of time.

Speed agility training and the resultant increase in physiological efficiency and performance comes from a combination of distinct neurological, action-oriented and strength-based training. A proper speed agility training program combines all of these elements and builds on each of them to give the athlete the unparalleled ability to excel.