Get Stronger and Faster With This 5-Day Workout Routine
Every athlete wants to gain strength and improve his or her speed. Various sports make different demands on the body, so different training programs are prescribed and implemented. However, the following five-day workout routine will work for all athletes, regardless of gender or sport.
All athletes need fundamental strength and speed to compete. This can only be achieved through a progressive routine that includes basic exercises to develop your base of strength, speed and power. These are essential qualities of general athleticism. If you enhance them, you will improve at your sport. Once you develop a base, you can advance to workouts that develop specific skills you need to perform at a high level.
RELATED: Why Youth Athletes Need to Focus On Strength to Improve Speed
For best results, repeat this program for six weeks. The program works best for athletes who have some training experience, but who are not yet advanced athletes (e.g., freshmen or sophomores in high school).
Day 1 – Upper Body
Perform 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise, using a weight that’s difficult but not impossible.
- Bench Press (dumbbells or barbell)
- Bent-Over Row (barbell)
- Skull Crushers (curl bar)
- Curls (curl bar)
RELATED: Use Sled Pushes to Increase Speed, Strength and Power
Day 2 – Plyo and Core Control
- Jump Rope – 2 min. (120 jumps/minute)
- Box Jumps – 3×30 seconds
- Supine Start to Sprint – 10 yards
- Prone Start to Sprint – 10 yards
- Rock Start to Sprint – 10 yards
- Drop Step Right to Sprint – 10 yards
- Drop Step Left to Sprint – 10 yards
Day 3 – Lower Body
Perform 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise, using a weight that’s difficult but not impossible.
- Front or Back Squat – (barbell)
- Leg Press
- Hack Squat
- Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
- Leg Extension
- Weighted Walking Lunge
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Agility and Quickness
Repeat each drill 2 or 3 times. Rest for three times as long as it takes to complete each drill.
- One Step (1 foot in each rung)
- Side Step (push off back foot)
- 5 Hops and Run
- Crossover / Sideways Run (back foot steps over front foot)
- Side-Straddle Hop (2 feet in, 2 feet out each rung)
- Carioca
- Ickey Shuffle (first and second steps in rung, third step is out)
- River Dance (step in, then behind out)
- Double Trouble (two in, two out)
Day 6 – Power, Balance and Core
Perform 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise, using a weight that’s difficult but not impossible.
- Romanian Deadlift – (barbell)
- Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Weighted Forward Walking Lunge
Day 7 – Rest
This five-day workout routine is designed to build a complete athlete. Each athlete should progress at his or her own pace. Watch many of these exercises here.
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Get Stronger and Faster With This 5-Day Workout Routine
Every athlete wants to gain strength and improve his or her speed. Various sports make different demands on the body, so different training programs are prescribed and implemented. However, the following five-day workout routine will work for all athletes, regardless of gender or sport.
All athletes need fundamental strength and speed to compete. This can only be achieved through a progressive routine that includes basic exercises to develop your base of strength, speed and power. These are essential qualities of general athleticism. If you enhance them, you will improve at your sport. Once you develop a base, you can advance to workouts that develop specific skills you need to perform at a high level.
RELATED: Why Youth Athletes Need to Focus On Strength to Improve Speed
For best results, repeat this program for six weeks. The program works best for athletes who have some training experience, but who are not yet advanced athletes (e.g., freshmen or sophomores in high school).
Day 1 – Upper Body
Perform 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise, using a weight that’s difficult but not impossible.
- Bench Press (dumbbells or barbell)
- Bent-Over Row (barbell)
- Skull Crushers (curl bar)
- Curls (curl bar)
RELATED: Use Sled Pushes to Increase Speed, Strength and Power
Day 2 – Plyo and Core Control
- Jump Rope – 2 min. (120 jumps/minute)
- Box Jumps – 3×30 seconds
- Supine Start to Sprint – 10 yards
- Prone Start to Sprint – 10 yards
- Rock Start to Sprint – 10 yards
- Drop Step Right to Sprint – 10 yards
- Drop Step Left to Sprint – 10 yards
Day 3 – Lower Body
Perform 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise, using a weight that’s difficult but not impossible.
- Front or Back Squat – (barbell)
- Leg Press
- Hack Squat
- Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
- Leg Extension
- Weighted Walking Lunge
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – Agility and Quickness
Repeat each drill 2 or 3 times. Rest for three times as long as it takes to complete each drill.
- One Step (1 foot in each rung)
- Side Step (push off back foot)
- 5 Hops and Run
- Crossover / Sideways Run (back foot steps over front foot)
- Side-Straddle Hop (2 feet in, 2 feet out each rung)
- Carioca
- Ickey Shuffle (first and second steps in rung, third step is out)
- River Dance (step in, then behind out)
- Double Trouble (two in, two out)
Day 6 – Power, Balance and Core
Perform 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise, using a weight that’s difficult but not impossible.
- Romanian Deadlift – (barbell)
- Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Weighted Forward Walking Lunge
Day 7 – Rest
This five-day workout routine is designed to build a complete athlete. Each athlete should progress at his or her own pace. Watch many of these exercises here.