In the NFL draft world, speed is currency. A clean 40-time doesn’t just show athleticism. It signals that your mechanics, power, and on-field translation are aligned.
Yet, too often athletes chase random drills, load up heavy sleds, or throw more sprint volume at the problem. What separates those who actually improve versus those who spin their wheels is method: profiling, diagnostic coaching, and coherent training phases.
In this post, we blend the art and science: not just what to do, but why, when, and for whom it fits. You’ll come away with a blueprint you can tailor to your athlete or yourself.
Speed isn’t a drill list—it’s a system. You assess weaknesses, segment interventions, and progress stressors. Scott Salwasser, reflecting on Spellman’s work, notes that it gives coaches a way to “look under the hood” — prescribing ratcheted interventions based on each athlete’s signature, not one-size-fits-all programs.
Some key tenets from the Spellman paradigm:
Spellman also cautions that building speed in the offseason must consider neuromuscular, mechanical, and metabolic loads — not just raw speed output.
A long-standing SimpliFaster principle that resonates in 40-yard training: you must train both the drive (acceleration) and max velocity phases to truly improve 40-time.
They argue:
Simplifaster also warns about comparing “apples to oranges”. If your timing methodology, spike usage, or surface differs, you may misinterpret progress.
To meaningfully improve speed, you must first measure and diagnose. Here’s how to set up your profiling system:
Breaking your 40 into 10m or 20m increments reveals where your deceleration or inefficiency kicks in.
Spellman and his affiliates use resisted sprints at varying loads (e.g. 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% body weight) and chart velocity drop-off to find the load that maximally stresses the athlete without technique breakdown.
In the Spellman combine protocol, after load-velocity testing, they run movement quality assessments (SMAS) and use Motion IQ to flag technical “risk zones.” All of this can be done in 4 runs (one 30-yard sprint, three resisted) to build a full speed profile.
These allow you to triangulate whether an athlete’s limiting factor is pure force, neuromuscular rate, or mechanical inefficiency — then pick drills and loads accordingly.
Here’s how modern speed coaches talk about sprint metrics and why you should, too:
These are not just lab toys. When you collect them across training cycles, you can see when the athlete is overreaching, where technique breaks down, and when they’re peaking.
| Week | Focus | Drills Emphasized |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technique Hygiene & Start | Wall drills, sub-max sled, A-skips |
| 2 | Acceleration Strength | Sled push, horizontal jump, resisted drive |
| 3 | Overspeed Prep | Assisted sprints, overspeed band work |
| 4 | Load-Velocity Phase | Resisted sprints at optimal loads |
| 5 | Combine Simulation | Full 40s, timed splits, tactical starts |
| 6 | Taper & Sharpen | Low-volume high-quality sprints, peaking work |
Educational tool. Uses your split times and sled “velocity loss” to suggest emphasis (technique hygiene, resisted work, overspeed prep, etc.). Times can be hand-timed or electronic, just be consistent.
This article breaks down why challenger sprinting brands are gaining traction, how culture and performance are converging, what the science actually says about apparel and performance, and what trends are shaping sprint gear from race-day kits to post-race identity wear.
There is a quiet assumption baked into sprinting: run fast in high school, and the future will take care of itself. The data tells a very different story.
Why sprint speed stalls, what drives acceleration and top-end velocity, and how eccentric strength and force application affect performance. It also includes practical exercises, a simple 4-week sprint training framework, and clear visuals to help athletes and coaches turn the science into action.
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