6 weeks · 3x / week · High School
Speed & Acceleration
Six weeks of short, sharp work aimed at footplant time and stride length — the two levers that actually move a 40 time.
How to run it
- Every session is short by design. Speed work done tired becomes conditioning, and conditioning does not make you fast.
- Full recovery between reps: 60 to 90 seconds for anything under 20 yards, three minutes past 40.
- Three quality days, never on consecutive days. If your legs feel heavy at warm-up, cut the volume in half and keep the intensity.
Springbak® note
Acceleration lives in ground contact. Fit Springsoles according to each shoe's liner type before week 1 and leave them in for the whole block so your surface stays constant across every test.
Shop SpringsolesThe goal
Cut 0.10-0.15s off a 40-yard dash by improving push-off angle and ground contact quality.
How it progresses
Phase 1 · Weeks 1-2
Positions and posture — short accelerations, nothing over 20 yards.
Phase 2 · Weeks 3-4
Add distance. Flying runs and resisted starts at full intent.
Phase 3 · Weeks 5-6
Cut volume by a third, keep intensity, retest in week 6.
What you test
- 40-yard dash
- Two attempts, full recovery, same surface and shoes. Record the faster.
- 10-yard split
- From a two-point stance. This is the number acceleration work moves first.
- Standing broad jump
- Best of three. A quick read on horizontal force.
What you need
- Open 60 yards
- Stopwatch or timing gates
- Light sled or resistance band
- Low box
The week
Day 1
Acceleration
Wall drives
Rigid trunk, aggressive knee
3 x 10s per leg
Falling starts
6 x 10 yd
Resisted starts
Light resistance only
4 x 15 yd
Low-box jumps
4 x 3
Day 2
Max velocity
A-skips / B-skips
3 x 20 yd each
Flying 20s
4 reps, 20 yd runway
Straight-leg bounds
4 x 20 yd
Pogo hops
Minimum ground time
4 x 10
Day 3
Change of direction
5-10-5 shuttle
6 reps, full recovery
Reactive first step
8 x 5 yd on partner call
Lateral bounds
4 x 6 per side
Split squats
3 x 6 per leg
Questions about this block
Can I lift while running this block?
Yes. Put lifting on the same days as sprinting, after the running, and keep it to two sessions a week. Never lift heavy the day before a speed day.
How fast should I expect to see change?
Mechanics change in two to three weeks. Timed change usually shows at the week 6 retest, and it comes mostly out of the 10-yard split.
Watch the drills
Acceleration drills in action
A short clip showing the shape of the speed work in this block: low-stance starts and short acceleration sprints over cones.
Run this next
Build your next block
Tell us your sport, the number you want to move next, and the date of your first competition. We re-rank the program library against those answers and show you why each block placed where it did.
Off-season · Nothing to protect on the weekend, so this is where the heavy, high-volume blocks belong.
Best match · 8 weeks · 4x / week
Football Lineman Power
Add 4-6 inches to the standing broad jump and improve the 10-yard split out of a three-point stance.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Football and strength work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Football
- Fits off-season
Option 2 · 7 weeks · 3x / week
Football Skill-Position Speed
Improve flying 10 speed and cut deceleration distance on a 90-degree break by a full step.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Football and speed work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Football
- Fits off-season
Option 3 · 12 weeks · 2x / week
In-Season Strength
Hold off-season strength through a full competitive season with no drop in game-day legs.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Football and strength work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Football
- Fits off-season