Strength Training for Speed Development
by Melinda Burris

There are a lot of differing opinions and outright myths out there when it comes to what the “right” type and amount of strength training for a hurdler or sprinter is. In a sport where speed and agility are paramount to success, fear of “bulking up” and becoming cumbersome or anything that impedes that agility can cause fears that block open-mindedness and even a commonsense approach to strength training. After all, isn’t a stronger runner more apt to be a faster, more powerful runner? That is the question at the heart of the debate surrounding strength training for speed development for hurdlers.

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Training Age Versus Chronological Age

When it comes to the appropriate strength training regimen, one of the chief considerations should be the subject’s age. When we say age, we mean not just chronological age but age in terms of strength training experience. Considering experience avoids newbies taking on a workout they are unready for, both physically and mentally, as doing so can overtax them and cause more harm than good.¹

Training age is calculated from when an athlete begins training. See the categories listed below for reference:¹

Newbie                < a year

Intermediate 1-3 years

Advanced         > 3 years¹

In his 2018 article for Outsideonline.com on strength training and the quest for increased speed, Alex Hutchinson, a New York Times bestseller and award-winning journalist and columnist specializing in endurance sports, cited two investigative studies. The first, published in the autumn of 2017, was a survey-based study that included 667 participants, all distance runners. The questions posed to them were all about how and why they used strength and conditioning exercises. Stretching was the most popular activity, with a reported 86.2% of respondents doing this type of exercise. 70.2% of the runners surveyed included resistance training in their workouts, and just half that number, 35.1% incorporated plyometric training into their regular exercise routine.²

The study subjects gave two primary reasons for incorporating strength/conditioning work into their exercise routines:

1. 1% cited injury risk decrease
2. 8% cited performance increase²

Interestingly, Hutchingson notes, “But the survey didn’t detect any relationship between strength and conditioning training and injury history in the runners. A survey like this can’t really say for sure, but—in keeping with the findings of dozens and dozens of previous studies—there was no obvious sign that diligently doing your stretches and drills prevents injuries. Instead, the key predictor of injury was training volume. The more you run, the more likely you are to get injured.”² It makes sense, right? The more you participate in an activity that carries risk, the more prone you are to fall prey to that risk.

The next study mentioned by Hutchingson is a systematic review, a specific type of study based on repeatable steps. It is formulated in such a way as to remove bias from the research findings.

The study in question focused on how strength training impacts running outcomes, considering the findings of 24 first-rate studies. It should be noted that all participants in all studies were trained runners. The finding was “that strength training is ‘likely to provide benefits to the performance’ of runners.”.² Why this is the case will be discussed next.

Scientific study findings over time suggest that improvement in several key areas, including running efficiency, maximum sprint speed, and overall race performance, is seen when strength training is added to workouts. It’s important to understand that capability as a runner improves, most likely not because muscles become larger, but due to neuromuscular training of the brain in how to put the muscles you have to use more effectively. Another hypothesis put forth by Hutchingson is “that strength and plyometric training make your tendons stiffer and springier, in turn making your stride more efficient. Sprint speed probably also improves thanks to neuromuscular factors. Together, the sprint speed and efficiency gains are what allow you to race faster.”² Whatever the precise reason, years of scientific studies and consistent findings point to a correlation between strength training and improved running performance and finish times.

The Argument for Heavy Strength Training

Although track coaches in the past have often argued that light strength training was the way to go to guard against having their hurdlers and sprinters bulk up, more modern studies indicate that “Heavy strength training is, indeed, key.”³ What has come to light is the importance of remembering your goals and training with those objectives in mind.

For hurdlers, a primary goal of heavy lifting is to increase their ability to jump higher and perform high-explosive movements with precision and without fatigue. Accomplishing this requires completing exercises that stimulate the nervous system while simultaneously boosting neural factors to recruit additional and larger muscle fibers and improving their timing. All of these objectives are sought to make the body more ready and resilient to high impacts.³

As always, consult an experienced trainer when adding a new element to your training regimen. Also, bear in mind that when adding the heavy lifting type of strength training referenced here, you may need to add more volume in the early stage (the initial 6-8 weeks) to get your body to the point where it can adjust to handling the kind of high-impact exercise we are talking about (example: vertical jumps). An essential element is that as you continue to develop your strength training ability, your focus should switch to maintenance, not remain on heavy lifting. In fact, Dodoo points out that “Research shows that a bit of detraining in maximal strength during periods of overreaching, when the aim is to enhance explosiveness or speed, is a part of the process.”³ Bearing this critical point in mind is essential to remaining focused on your objective of incorporating strength training into your workout in a way that allows you to increase your ability to sustain impact while retaining your agility and speed.

References:

1. Coultman, L. 20 August 2025. Strength training for increased speed and power: The most effective methods.
2. Hutchinson, A. 13 March 2018. How strength training makes you faster.
3. Dodoo, J. 2025. Can heavy strength training hinder speed development?

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