STRENGTH & SPEED TRAINING MADE SIMPLE WITH THE 80/20 RULE

Every athlete knows the struggle, you need strength to hold your ground, push opponents off the ball, and win physical battles. But you also need speed—the ability to accelerate, change direction, and react in a split second.

The challenge is that most athletes think they need two separate training plans to achieve both. Strength in the gym, speed on the field. Hours of lifting, then hours of sprint drills. But here’s the problem: time is limited. Between practices, games, and recovery, athletes don’t have the luxury of doubling their workload.

The good news is you don’t have to. You can build strength and speed in the same session if you know how to structure your training. That’s where the 80/20 Method comes in.

Why Strength Alone Isn’t Enough

It’s tempting to believe that simply lifting heavy weights will make you faster. After all, stronger legs should mean faster sprints, right? Not exactly.

Strength is only one piece of the performance puzzle. A squat personal record shows you can produce force, but it doesn’t guarantee you can apply that force quickly. Sport performance is about rate of force development—how fast you can express strength in a real-world movement like sprinting, jumping, or changing direction.

Without speed-specific work, strength remains “trapped” in the gym. It makes you stronger but not necessarily more explosive.

Why Speed Alone Isn’t Enough

On the other side, some athletes avoid the weight room and focus only on sprints, agility drills, and plyometrics. While these athletes may feel “quick,” they often lack the raw force to back it up.

Think of it like this: power is the combination of strength and speed. If you only train speed, you’re working on half the equation. Without the foundation of strength, you don’t have the horsepower to generate high levels of force. That limits how much speed you can actually produce.

The 80/20 Approach to Explosive Training

So how do you train for both—without spending hours in the gym? The answer is to blend them together in the right ratio.

The 80/20 Method provides a simple framework:

• 80% Strength Work

  • Focus on the major compound lifts that build raw strength: squats, deadlifts, bench presses, rows, and overhead presses. This is where you increase force production and develop the muscular foundation needed for speed.

• 20% Power Work

  • Dedicate a small but consistent portion of your training—10 to 15 minutes—to explosive drills. These movements are done before your heavy lifts, priming your nervous system and teaching your body how to apply strength quickly.

This ratio ensures you get the best of both worlds. You’re not sacrificing strength gains, and you’re not neglecting the explosive qualities that turn strength into game-changing speed.

How to Structure a Strength + Speed Session

The order of exercises matters. Power comes before strength. If you’re fatigued, you won’t be able to move explosively, which defeats the purpose.

A typical session might look like this:

1. Dynamic Warm-Up – Mobility, activation, and movement prep

2. Power Block (10–15 minutes) – Jumps, sprints, or med ball throws

3. Main Strength Lift – Squat, deadlift, or press variation

4. Accessory Strength Work – Targeting weak links or sport-specific needs

5. Core & Stability Work – Anti-rotation, anti-extension, balance drills

This sequence ensures your body is primed for speed, and then you build strength on top of that activation.

Sample Power Blocks

Here are some examples of what a power block might look like before a heavy lift. Pick one exercise per category and perform 3–4 sets of 3-4 reps.

Jumps

• Box jumps

• Broad jumps

• Trap bar jumps

Sprints

• Sled sprints

• Resisted sprints with bands

• Short acceleration drills (10–20 yards)

Medicine Ball Throws

• Overhead backward tosses

• Rotational slams

• Scoop throws

The key is intent. These movements must be performed explosively with full effort, not just checked off the list.

Where Most Athletes Go Wrong

Even with the right framework, athletes often stumble in a few predictable ways:

• Lifting heavy without ever moving fast

  • This builds strength, but that strength stays slow. It doesn’t transfer to sport.

• Doing speed drills without a strength foundation

  • You can only apply as much speed as your strength allows. Without force behind it, speed work has limited results.

• Training explosiveness inconsistently

  • Power work isn’t something you do once in a while. It requires consistency and intent to create lasting adaptations.

Avoiding these pitfalls is what separates athletes who are strong in the gym from athletes who are explosive on the field.

The Benefits of Blending Strength and Speed

When you commit to training both qualities together, you unlock a higher level of athleticism. Some of the benefits include:

• Faster acceleration – Stronger legs paired with explosive training create quicker first steps.

• More powerful change of direction – Strength in the hips and core helps you cut harder, while speed work makes those cuts faster.

• Higher vertical jumps – Raw force from lifting plus power training translates to greater lift-off.

• Improved sport carryover – Instead of being “gym strong,” your strength shows up in competition.

Ultimately, this is what every athlete wants: not just to be stronger, but to PERFORM BETTER.

Practical Guidelines for Athletes

To implement the 80/20 Method effectively, keep these tips in mind:

• Perform explosive work when you are fresh, not fatigued.

• Keep power blocks short—10 to 15 minutes is plenty.

• Choose simple, effective movements you can execute with perfect form.

• Track progress by monitoring both strength numbers (e.g., squat max) and speed outcomes (e.g., 10-yard sprint time).

• Train consistently. Adaptations happen over WEEKS and MONTHS, NOT OVERNIGHT.

A Simple Step to Try Today

If you are currently lifting but not doing any speed or power work, try this:

Before your next squat or deadlift session, add 3 sets of broad jumps or 3 short sprints. Notice how much sharper and more explosive your body feels going into your main lifts.

If you are focused on speed but avoiding the weight room, start incorporating two strength sessions per week centered around squats, deadlifts, and presses. Use lighter weights at first if necessary, but commit to building your foundation.

Final Thoughts

Athletes often think they have to choose: get stronger in the gym or get faster on the field. The truth is, you don’t have to choose. Strength and speed can—and should—be trained together.

By following the 80/20 Method, you’ll stop wasting time on extra sessions and instead build workouts that maximize both qualities. The result is a more explosive, well-rounded athlete who can dominate not only in the weight room but where it matters most—on game day.