Why are some athletes faster than others? In this Speed Training 101 lesson, I explain how genetics, training age, sprint exposure and movement competency influence sprint speed and your ability to develop faster athletes.
Are fast athletes simply born fast?
Genetics absolutely influence speed. Fibre type, limb length, neurological characteristics and other inherited qualities can affect an athlete’s potential.
But genetics only help establish the ceiling.
The bigger coaching question is:
How close is the athlete to that ceiling?
In Episode 2 of Speed Training 101, I break down why athletes with years of strength and conditioning experience can still have enormous amounts of untapped speed potential.
You’ll learn:
Why genetics don’t fully explain sprint performance
The difference between Training Age and Speed Age
Why experienced athletes can still be speed-development beginners
How structured sprint exposure develops speed
Why strength needs to transfer into sprint performance
How movement competency affects speed development
Why maximum-effort sprinting isn’t always maximum development
How I use Learn → Load → Execute to develop sprint skill
I also share the example of a 35-year-old professional rugby player who achieved lifetime best sprint performances over 10m, 20m and maximum speed after we changed how his speed training was structured.
The lesson is simple:
Your athlete’s genetic ceiling might be fixed. Their proximity to it isn’t.
0:00 Are Some Athletes Just Born Faster?
0:59 Understanding Your Athlete's Speed Potential
2:00 Does Genetics Limit Sprint Speed?
2:18 Training Age vs Speed Age
3:29 What Is Speed Age?
4:46 Why Experienced Athletes Can Still Be Slow
5:13 How a 35-Year-Old Rugby Player Got Faster
5:51 How to Increase Sprint Training Exposure
6:25 What Does Proper Sprint Training Look Like?
6:52 The Sprint Development Hierarchy
8:27 Why Strength Doesn't Always Transfer to Speed
9:14 Movement Competency and Sprint Performance
10:15 Why Maximum Speed Can Limit Learning
10:53 How Athletes Actually Learn Sprint Technique
11:40 The Learn, Load, Execute Framework
12:22 Why Some Athletes Are Faster Than Others
13:15 Should Every Athlete Sprint the Same Way?
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FREE FIELD SPEED TOOLKIT
Get the tools and frameworks to start applying the Sports Speed System with your athletes:
https://speedbysportland.com/tool-kit?video=kBsjt6KZkok
THE SPORTS SPEED SYSTEM
Learn my complete approach to developing speed that transfers to team sport:
https://www.speedbysportland.com/sportsspeedsystembook?video=kBsjt6KZkok
WATCH SPEED TRAINING 101
Start from Episode 1 and work through the complete series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMoh2cFJ0Ztk
