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12h • 📚 Book Club
📘 Training for Speed — Chapter 3 (by Charlie Francis)
This chapter is where most coaches mess up athletes…
They think more max sprinting = faster athlete
Francis shows the opposite:
Speed improves because of recovery structure, not just intensity.
1) High / Low CNS System (The Foundation)
Francis divides training days by nervous system stress:
HIGH CNS DAYS (Neural / Explosive)
- Max velocity sprinting
- Acceleration work
- Heavy lifting
- Plyometrics
- Jumps / bounds
LOW CNS DAYS (Restoration)
- Tempo runs
- Mobility
- Circuits
- Core
- General fitness
👉 You never stack high stress on high stress repeatedly
That’s how hamstrings, groins, and backs blow up.
Speed grows during recovery days — not sprint days.
2) Tempo Running — The Secret Weapon
Tempo runs are NOT conditioning punishment.
They are circulation training for recovery.
Typical Tempo Parameters
- 60–75% effort
- Grass or soft surface
- Short rest
- Smooth rhythm breathing
10 x 100m @ 65%
Rest: 30–45 sec
OR
2 x 6 x 100m
What it does:
• Flushes metabolites
• Restores nervous system
• Builds aerobic support for speed
• Helps mechanics without fatigue
💡 Faster athletes = better recovery capacity
⸻
3) Why Conditioning Can Kill Speed
Hard lactic conditioning:
• tightens muscles
• changes mechanics
• slows firing rate
• increases injury risk
Tempo gives fitness without CNS damage
Conditioning should support speed — not compete with it.
Key Takeaway:
Speed training is not about how many hard days you can survive.
It’s about how many high-quality sprint exposures you can recover from.
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📘 Training for Speed — Chapter 3 (by Charlie Francis)
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