Speed and power come from:
- Force into the ground
- The ability to produce that force quickly
If your athlete is weak in basic movements – squats, hinges, lunges – they simply don’t have enough “engine” to convert into speed.
Why more running isn’t fixing your athlete’s speed (and what actually does in 10 weeks)
Neven Antic • February 11, 2026
When an athlete is stuck, the default advice is usually:
- “Do more running. Get fitter.”
For a lot of 15–20 year old athletes in Adelaide, more running is not the answer.
Here’s why more conditioning isn’t fixing their speed, and what actually moves the needle in our athlete strength and conditioning Adelaide parents use for results.
Problem 1: No strength base
Problem 2: Poor mechanics
We often see:
- Over striding
- Slow, heavy ground contacts
- Inefficient arm action
If nobody has ever coached their sprinting or jumping mechanics, more running just reinforces bad habits.
Problem 3: Constant niggles
More running on top of school and club sport is often why athletes:
- Get repeat hamstring or calf niggles
- Have sore knees all season
- Struggle to back up week after week
Robustness comes from proper strength and conditioning, not just extra kilometres.
What we do differently at D8
Inside the 10 Week Athlete Accelerator, our sports performance training in Adelaide, we:
- Test first:
Strength, jumps, speed / change of direction. - Build strength and power:
2x or 3x small group strength and speed training for 15–20 year olds each week with coaching on every lift. - Coach mechanics:
Sprint drills, jump and landing work, change of direction patterns. - Monitor load:
We factor in school and club training so they’re not overloaded.
We then retest in Week 10 so you can see exactly what changed.
Want clarity on what your athlete needs?
If you’ve got a 15–20 year old who wants to get faster, stronger and more robust:
- Book an Athlete Assessment & Testing session HERE
We’ll test where they are now, walk you through their results, and recommend whether the 2x/week or 3x/week Elite 10 Week Athlete Accelerator is the best fit.
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