Most speed programs fail for one simple reason: they confuse activity with adaptation. Ladders, conditioning, endless reps, “game-speed” fatigue circuits — they look busy, but they don’t change the one thing that matters. Speed.
If your athletes aren’t getting faster, it’s not because they don’t want it badly enough. It’s because the program isn’t built to develop speed.
This is exactly why we’ve emphasized proper structure in Designing Your Speed Program . Let’s simplify this.
Speed does not emerge from being tired. Speed does not come from doing more. Speed does not come from conditioning.
Speed comes from exposure to high velocity, repeated consistently, with enough recovery to adapt. If athletes aren’t running fast in training, they won’t run fast in competition. Period.
This is why speed must be treated as its own priority — not something you hope shows up after a hard workout. (See: Speed Training Themes .)
A real speed program lives in the 95% range. Not 70%. Not “controlled.” Not fatigued.
Why? Because mechanics only hold at high speeds when the nervous system is fresh. Once fatigue sets in, mechanics change — and you start training slower patterns.
More reps after form breaks don’t help. They hurt. Speed work ends before technique degrades.
This principle is also why short, high-quality sprint work on the track remains one of the most honest tools we have. ( Why Every Athlete Needs Track Work )
Conditioning has a place. Speed sessions are not it.
When coaches chase conditioning during speed work, two things happen:
If you want faster athletes, conditioning must be secondary to speed development — not layered on top of it. This distinction alone fixes more programs than adding new drills ever will.
Strength matters. But strength alone doesn’t make athletes fast.
Strength gives athletes the ability to apply force. Speed training teaches them how fast to apply it.
A speed program without strength lacks horsepower. A strength program without speed lacks direction. They must develop together — not compete for space.
If your lifting isn’t supporting sprint mechanics, revisit Design Your Lifting Program for Speed .
Speed isn’t a six-week fix. It’s a long-term neurological adaptation.
That means:
The program should look boring on paper and obvious in results. If it feels flashy, complicated, or constantly changing — it’s probably compensating for a lack of clarity.
If your speed program feels complicated, it’s probably wrong.
Train fast. Recover. Repeat.
