To get faster for football and run a faster 40 yard dash, you train three things in order: an explosive start, a powerful drive phase, and clean upright top speed. Most players lose tenths of a second to a slow stance and choppy first steps, not to a lack of talent. Fix your start and first three steps, build real leg power, and sharpen your form with simple drills, and a 4.8 turns into a 4.6 faster than you think.
What actually makes you faster in the 40?
Speed is simple physics: how much force you put into the ground and how fast you apply it. Faster players are not moving their legs frantically, they are hitting the ground harder with each step and covering more distance per stride. That is why the fastest 40 times come from explosive, powerful athletes, not just from running more.
For the 40 specifically, the first 10 yards decide most of your time. A great start and drive phase lets you build speed early, so even if two players hit the same top speed, the one who accelerated faster wins. That means your training should hammer explosive starts and leg power first, then clean up your upright running form.
How do you run a faster 40 yard dash, step by step?
Break the 40 into phases and train each one. Groove this pattern in practice so it holds up when the clock is running.
Straight line speed is built on explosive leg drive, and the calves and lower legs that fire you out of your stance respond fast to overload training. Plyometric strength shoes are a simple way to load those muscles during your warmup and drive drills.
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Get Yours (From $159.99)What is a good 40 yard dash time?
A good 40 time depends on your age, level, and position. Skill players like receivers and defensive backs run the fastest, while linemen carry more mass and post higher numbers. Use the ranges below as honest targets, then chase your own personal best rather than someone else's.
| Level or position | Solid 40 time | Top tier 40 time |
|---|---|---|
| Youth (12 to 14) | 5.6 to 6.0 | 5.3 and under |
| High school skill | 4.8 to 5.1 | 4.6 and under |
| High school lineman | 5.3 to 5.7 | 5.1 and under |
| College skill | 4.5 to 4.7 | 4.4 and under |
| NFL combine skill | 4.4 to 4.6 | 4.3 and under |
Wherever you start, most players can drop one to two tenths in a training block just by cleaning up the start and drive phase and adding real leg power. That improvement is often the difference between making the team and watching from the sideline.
What drills and gear build football speed?
Speed is trainable at every level. Build the power that drives each step, then rehearse the mechanics until they are automatic. Keep sprint work fresh and full effort, since speed is built when you are rested, not gassed.
Lean into a wall and drive one knee at a time to groove the low, powerful drive angle you want in the first 10 yards.
Run 10 to 20 yard sprints at full effort with long rest. This is the single best drill for a faster 40.
Set cones as markers for acceleration zones and stride checkpoints so you rehearse a clean build up to top speed.
Bounds, broad jumps, and pogo hops teach your legs to hit the ground harder and springier, which turns into raw speed.
Cones make the cheapest, most flexible speed tool you can own. Use them to mark 10 yard splits, set up acceleration ladders, and build change of direction courses for football specific speed.
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Get Yours ($14.99)40 yard dash questions football players ask
Fix your start and drive phase first. A loaded stance, a low explosive first step, and driving instead of reaching can drop a tenth or more before you even get stronger.
Both. Full effort short sprints train the actual skill, while leg power and plyometric work raise your ceiling. Do them fresh, not at the end of a hard practice.
Technique fixes to your start can show up in a week or two. Real strength and power gains that lower your time take about 6 to 10 weeks of consistent training.
Yes, when paired with sprinting. Stronger, more explosive legs put more force into the ground, which is the root of speed. Combine strength, plyometrics, and sprint work.
Only slightly, and only at the very end. Leaning too early throws off your mechanics. In training, sprint 5 yards past the line so you never slow down early.
Build the speed that gets you noticed
Train the explosive legs and clean mechanics behind a faster 40 with speed and power gear built for athletes.
