• Welcome to realmuscleforum.com
  • How much should athletes weigh for speed?

    Discussion in 'Sports Training' started by pustehull, Feb 24, 2012.

    1. pustehull

      pustehull Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Jul 2011
      Posts:
      960
      Likes Received:
      0
      I play hockey im 24years old 5.9.5 190ish. I quit drinking a little while back and Im really focussing on hockey and working out.

      Now I know I can find this out by trial and error but I would like to have a guideline to go by. Of course this depends on bodyfat percentage but for a reference I want to stay lean all year somewhere around 9-12% regardless of adding muscle or losing fat. So lets just say I want to be 10% for hockey season.

      So what would be the best weight for speed? I have a medium to large frame for my height. Big trunk and a medium to large upperbody. I was thinking about looking at 100m sprinters and figuring out their weight. But it seems to be anywhere from 150-180 for my height. Obviously I cant cut down to 150-160 and I wouldnt want to. But at what point does muscle hurt speed?

      Is there a site that gives you guidelines for this? I couldnt find anything. Im assuming football players can be heavier because the average play is in a shorter time frame. Hockey shifts are somewhere between 30-45 seconds.

      My guesses would be 170-175 for speed? but it might be beneficial to be somwhere in the 180-185 range to be a little stronger without hurting much speed? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

      I would look up NHL players stats but so many hockey players dont take training as seriously as they should. And many are heavier because the players in that league is so big. The league I play in have many smaller guys just for a reference.
       
    2. defelqy

      defelqy Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Jan 2011
      Posts:
      38,829
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      Weight has nothing to do with it. There's really no correlation. Just because you lose weight, doesn't mean you will run faster. It's muscle, power, genetics and many other factors.

      I ran track against a guy who was 6'2 230ish and won the california state 100m and ran a 4.3 when he went to the nfl combine 4-5 years later.
      Also ran track against a guy who was 5'10 160 and ran a 4.4 in HS and nearly won the state in the 100m.

      So the weight correlation isn't what you think it is. Everybody's body is different. The weight, muscle %, flexibility that you need to reach your optimum speed wont be the same for the person next to you
       
    3. herunder88

      herunder88 Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Dec 2010
      Posts:
      32,444
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      I understand that doing the right types of workouts and nutrition makes up the most of it. But assume one is doing that correctly obviously the right body weight and bodyfat percetage is the next most important thing. Often football players are extremely fast at heavier bodyweights but they are not the fastest people in the world and as well hockey players would have to be lighter due to longer times on the ice. Just wondering if their is a gudeline for this? IMO the right bodyweight has to be an important factor. Your not going to have a 5'9, 235lb who can reach is speed potential at that weight

      But I understand what you are saying and I guess you are suggesting the only real way to find out is by trial and error? I just like to have goals, and im trying to figure out what weight I should start with for my first trial and error. Thanks tho man.
       
    4. Capone

      Capone Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Jan 2011
      Posts:
      32,099
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      What I am saying is that there is no set weight range you need to be to be fast. you are 5'9 190. There are 5'9 220's that can run/skate faster than you. So size really doesn't have the correlation you think it does. Ya if you are overweight and a high bf%, you aren't going to be as fast as you should be.

      Also, speed and endurance are two different things and take two different training routes. That's why hockey players don't really do speed training. They mostly just focus on endurance training and footwork.

      and ya a 5'9 235lb guy can actually be at his top speed and potentially "olympic" speed. It's all about bf%, not total body weight. Just like the guy I was talking to you about. California High school State 100m champion(which means he was one of the fastest high schoolers in the country), ran a 4.3 at the nfl combine 4-5 years later....all while weight 230+. If he weighed less, could he have ran faster? probably not because he would lose that power he had, which made him fast. Trust me, this guy was a beast. Well below 10% body fat. So its your body% not your total weight. Plus, EVERYBODY'S body is different and relies on different factors to make them better.

      what is your bf%? if its high then ya you can drop it and probably gain some speed, is that a certain? no, you may not gain much speed from it. But you are a hockey player, focus on endurance.
       
    5. jailynn24hb

      jailynn24hb Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Jan 2011
      Posts:
      82,194
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      I get what your saying but I think your exagerating a quite a bit.
      . No way a guy at 5'9 235 could be at his potential speed. Have you ever seen it once in the olympics? No.

      But hockey players do focus on speed. Many of the top NHlers in the NHL are doing short sprints and plyometrics and working on explosive lifts. The only endurance hockey players should be doing is HIIT, but that is just part of it. Hockey is highly explosive and that must be focused on first. But I get your point about endurance and that would lead me to believe that a hockey player should be lighter than say a football player which i knew but Im just trying to find a starting point.

      But ok I get your point everybody is different but if weight wasnt an issue you would see one olympic athlete at 5'9 210 one at 5'9 150, one at 6'5 250 etc etc. There has to be a reason why olympic 100m sprinters all weigh relatively the same compared to their heights.
       
    6. baletki

      baletki Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Dec 2010
      Posts:
      34,283
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      if that 6'5 250 guy has 5% bf and the 5'9 150 guy has 20% bf.....who do you think will be faster and in better shape?

      I am not exaggerating. You are just putting too much emphasis on actual weight.

      Ya you don't see much olympic sprinters weighing over 200lb because their training is different than football, different than hockey.

      The point I am trying to get across to you is don't look at your actual weight. Look at your bf%. You should actually be trying to gain weight. Gain muscle and lower bf%. So you would rather be 175 at 15% bf than 200 at 8% bf?
       
    7. herunder88

      herunder88 Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Dec 2010
      Posts:
      32,444
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      I totally understand, and I said that in my first post that I know that bodyfat percentage has alot to do with it. I totally agree with what you are saying.

      Sorryt I guess I should have made it more clear.

      Assuming I am training right, doing the right workouts, eating right, the right bodyfat percentage (im assuming its somewhere around 8-10%) then surely there has to be the correct weight. I cant just be equally fast at all weights just because Im the right bodyfat percentage and doing the right workouts.

      Somewhere has to be correct wheather its 170 at 8-10% bodyfat or 180 at 8-10% or 190 at 8-10% or 200+ at 8-10% for the right speed and that would allow enough endurance to go through a 30-45second shift.

      Like I stated I know this will probably be trial and error but since I quit drinking ive been a little bored and ive been trying to state specific goals. Im just trying to find a starting point for my trial and error process. I dont want to just bulk up way to much or cut down way to much. There has to be some kind of general guideline. Yes Im going to get lean and yes im going to do the right workouts. Do you kind of get what im saying? But yes I totally agree with you on what you stated. Of course I would rather want to be 200 at 8% than 175 at 15%. But would I rather be 190 or 180 or 170 at 8%(or whatever number just an example) instead of 200 at 8%. thats what im trying to figure out.
       
    8. alomjabpd

      alomjabpd Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Dec 2010
      Posts:
      36,946
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      I get what you are saying. but you can actually get faster by gaining weight. And you can actually become slower by losing weight.

      There is no "correct" spot for weight to be fast. Also, it all depends how you train. if you bulk the wrong way, it can slow you down. But it's also genetics. You can put all the work in for years to get faster and see barely any improvement. Then theres some people who can drink a liter of soda every day, too lazy to go to the gym but then fly past guys on the football field, ice rink, basketball court. everyone is different.

      What is your bf right now?
       
    9. laxgoaliesrhs

      laxgoaliesrhs Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Dec 2010
      Posts:
      30,235
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      Last edited by SDOptimist; Today at 02:45 PM.
       
    10. defelqy

      defelqy Well-Known Member

      Joined:
      Jan 2011
      Posts:
      38,829
      Likes Received:
      0
      How much should athletes weigh for speed?

      right now 190 at 14ish % bodyfat. Currently cutting until april.1. Im hoping to be about 12% at 185. Then from April.1 until june.15 I plan on adding a little muscle. Hopefully I gain no more than 6-7lbs. Then a very slow cut for a couple months and hopefully around 180 at 8-10%. But then I dont know where to go from there.

      Since I quit drinking Ive been completely focused and its comforting knowing that I dont screw up my progess on the weekends by being boozy the clown. Feelsgoodman.

      This is just kind of a longer term goal im looking at. I have my short term goals right now but I want it to be apart of a bigger goal.

      Just for some information its not like im slow on the rink. Im probably top 5 fastest guys in my league, and I used to break a couple of speed records when i was 16-19 years old. On the track Im not the fastest even when I was 17 at a WHL tryout and I recorded the 3rd fastest ice lap time ever at their camp but just above average in the 100m test which leads me to believe that if I get faster on the track it might help me a little on the ice.
       

    Share This Page

    1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
      Dismiss Notice