It’s no secret that in order to get faster, you must get stronger, specifically in the legs. The best way to achieve maximum speed and velocity is to increase single leg strength.
The reason single leg strength is so important for achieving explosive speed and acceleration is because sprinting is a single leg movement. Each leg is working on its own to explode you forward quickly.
Single leg strength also enhances agility movements, strengthens the glutes and stabilizes hip abductors, which are crucial for deceleration. Single leg strength also recruits more muscle fibers in each leg which results in stronger legs.
Single leg movements are the key in getting athletes faster and more agile. When training athletes, using single leg exercises mimics game situations. In games, athletes must push off of one foot to move and change direction.
These single leg exercises prepare the athlete to make those movements and build up the strength they need to perform movements quickly and correctly.
7 Single Leg Exercises for Explosive Speed