The 40 yard dash and overall sprinting speed: power vs. fast twitch?

[MauriceValadonU]

Frist off, only people who know what they are talking about should reply. No e-stats, no EA sports/Sportscenter jockies who think that all H.S. skill players run sub 5. 40's. Only people that are in the know.

Alright, here it goes: I have NO formal training under my belt, YET, just some research. However, I feel that my 10 yard dash is above average for a beginer, my 20 yard dash is OKAY, but my 40 is horrific!

10 yard: 1.8-1.84 on average. Hand timed using a video camera. Stop/pause/replays!!

20 yard dash: 3.18-3.3

40 yard: 5.78-5.92

100 meter/109 yard: I won't even say, because my legs die out at about 60-80 yards, I'm basically going at a fast JOG after that.

Why is that?!?!?

My hypothesis is that my fast twitch muscles are pretty good, but it is my legs/my "power" muscles that too darn weak. My remedy is to do some squats, but I always hear from these "hardcore" fast twitch advocators that doing so won't do anything, or worse yet, make you SLOWER!! BUT, would if I did LIGHT weight and more reps.

Will this work?

If so, as my 10 yard may indicate, am I much faster than my 40 time??

PLEASE help, I'm going to join a gym TODAY!!!

 

[JimBaw]

Don't focus too much on lifting - focus on drills that build your legs for power and explosiveness. In doing so, you'll increase the stamina of your muscles. From the sounds of it, you either simply lack a good top speed or are out of shape..... My guess would be it's a healthy dose of both.

Running hills helps a lot.

Another good sprinting drill is sprint 10 yards. Stop. Reset. Sprint the 10 back to the start. Sprint 20. Stop reset, sprint back, reset, sprint 30 etc, etc until you get up to 100.

Also, doing footwork/agility drills can help you - you can only go as fast as your feet move you!

Also, try adding some light jogging to your workout regime. Nothing too big, but run a mile or 2 after lifting, just to get your legs some work, and your heart pumping. It'll do wonders to your physique, and will help you build stamina.

In any case, don't focus on your 40 time too much unless you're running track. There much more than speed drills to playing football. Sure, they can help, but doing "football" drills would be much more beneficial for you.