ENZYK Blog 2
Speed vs. Strength: Which Should Athletes Prioritize?
What’s more important for athletes—speed or strength?
It’s a question that coaches, trainers, and athletes ask all the time. Both speed and strength are essential to performance, but knowing how to balance them can be the difference between a good athlete and a great one. Whether you’re an aspiring Olympian, college athlete, or someone working toward becoming elite, the way you prioritize these two elements in your training matters.
Speed vs. Strength: What’s the Real Difference?
Speed is your ability to move quickly, whether that’s in a sprint, a fast maneuver on the field, or a quick change in direction.
Strength is the amount of force your muscles can produce, allowing you to power through resistance, lift heavier, and perform explosive movements.
For many sports, you need a combination of both. Sprinters, for example, need powerful legs to generate explosive speed, while football players need to be fast and strong to tackle and dodge opponents. But the question remains: which should you focus on first?
The Case for Speed
In most sports, speed is king. Athletes who move faster have an edge. Whether it’s sprinting past a defender in soccer or exploding off the line in football, speed often separates the elite from the rest.
Why Speed Matters:
Reaction Time: Athletes who move quickly can react faster and make better plays.
Energy Efficiency: Faster athletes tend to perform tasks more efficiently, using less energy over time.
Momentum: Once you’re moving fast, momentum helps you maintain that speed with less effort.
The Case for Strength
Strength is what powers your speed. Without enough strength, you won’t have the explosive power needed to sprint fast or change direction quickly. Strength training builds the foundation for your athletic abilities, protecting you from injury and improving your overall performance.
Why Strength Matters:
Injury Prevention: Strong muscles and joints help reduce the risk of injuries, especially in high-impact sports.
Explosive Power: Strength is needed to create explosive movements like jumping, sprinting, or powerful throws.
Endurance: Stronger athletes tend to fatigue slower, allowing them to maintain high levels of performance for longer periods.
So, Which Comes First?
Here’s the truth: both speed and strength are critical for athletes, but the way you train them matters. Most athletes should start by building a strong foundation of strength, which will allow them to unlock higher levels of speed later on.
DIY: Create a Speed-Strength Hybrid Training Routine
Here’s a DIY training routine that helps balance both speed and strength:
Strength Days (2-3 Days a Week):
Focus on Compound Lifts: Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses build overall body strength.
Explosive Movements: Incorporate plyometric exercises such as box jumps, medicine ball throws, or kettlebell swings to build explosive power.
Lower Reps, Heavier Weight: Focus on lower repetitions (3-6 reps per set) with heavier weights to build raw strength.
Speed Days (2 Days a Week):
Sprint Drills: Short-distance sprints (10-40 meters) with full recovery between reps. Try to sprint at your maximum speed to improve fast-twitch muscle fiber recruitment.
Agility Drills: Ladder drills, cone drills, or shuttle runs can enhance speed and quick direction changes.
High Reps, Lower Resistance: On speed days, if using resistance, focus on lighter weights with faster movements to build speed endurance.
Combo Day (1 Day a Week):
Sled Pushes or Hill Sprints: Combine resistance with speed for the ultimate challenge. Pushing a sled or running uphill builds both strength and speed at once.
Resistance Band Sprints: Attach a resistance band to a stable point and sprint against the resistance for an added strength element.
Tips for Balancing Speed and Strength Training
Prioritize Recovery: When you train both speed and strength, your muscles need time to recover. Be sure to get adequate rest and incorporate active recovery techniques like foam rolling or stretching.
Monitor Your Fatigue: If you feel fatigued after a strength day, avoid doing high-intensity speed drills the next day. Fatigued muscles are more prone to injury during explosive movements.
Use Periodization: Periodization is a training strategy where you focus on one aspect of fitness for a few weeks (like strength) before transitioning to another (like speed). This method helps avoid overtraining and ensures you’re improving in both areas.
Why You Need Both to Become Elite
While speed may get you noticed, strength is what keeps you performing at the top level. Elite athletes understand that speed without strength is like having a fast car with no engine—it won’t last. Similarly, strength without speed will leave you powerful but slow. The key is balance.
For sports like football, soccer, or basketball, you need to be fast and strong. But even for individual sports like track, tennis, or wrestling, having both is crucial. The best athletes in the world don’t choose between speed and strength—they dominate in both.
Final Thoughts: Finding Your Balance
The best way to find your balance between speed and strength is to assess your sport, your goals, and your current fitness level. Some athletes may need to prioritize strength first, while others should focus on speed. However, it’s important to remember that training one without the other will leave you with gaps in your overall performance.
Bonus Tip: Try a 30-day speed-strength challenge. For one month, dedicate two days to strength, two days to speed, and one hybrid day (as outlined above). Track your progress in both areas, and see how your athletic performance improves. You’ll be surprised how building strength improves your speed, and how becoming faster also boosts your strength gains!
