World-Renowned Speed Coach Reveals 7 Strength Exercises That Make You Faster (And The Nordic Curls Is #1)

Speed isn’t just about moving fast.

According to world-renowned speed and strength coach Ferris Con, building significant strength forms the foundation for explosive velocity.

Science backs this up: athletes need robust strength levels to handle massive ground reaction forces during sprinting.

In a recent collaboration video, Con broke down seven game-changing strength exercises designed specifically to translate gym work into track dominance.

Single Leg Squats With Slow Eccentrics: Building Explosive Control

Con’s first exercise targets unilateral strength and energy control—two critical components for speed development.

The movement pattern mirrors positions athletes frequently encounter in competition. Running backs, soccer players, and hockey athletes all benefit from mastering this loaded position.

If you can control this and get comfortable you can probably get out of these situations really well.

The technique emphasizes a 3-second controlled descent followed by an explosive drive upward. That slow eccentric phase lengthens the glute, creating maximum tension before the concentric explosion.

A slight forward lean amplifies glute activation even further.

Programming Recommendations

• Sets: 4-5
• Reps: 2-3 per leg
• Tempo: 3-second eccentric, explosive concentric
• Advanced variation: Extend final rep to 4-5 second eccentric

Staggered Stance Trap Bar Deadlifts: Unilateral Loading With Full Stability

Traditional trap bar deadlifts already deliver tremendous lower body development across quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

Con’s staggered stance variation adds unilateral loading while maintaining full stabilization—a powerful combination for athletes.

Setup mirrors standard trap bar positioning, but one leg shifts directly behind. Weight concentrates entirely on the front foot while the rear leg provides stability only.

This positioning specifically targets the drive phase mechanics used during sprint acceleration. Con demonstrated this connection dramatically in footage showing him catapulting roughly 40 feet off a single-leg jump from this exact position.

When it does come to unilateral strength having that full stability full stability is crazy.

Defensive linemen coming off the edge utilize identical mechanics. Programming this movement alongside single-leg squats creates perfect complementary stress—one emphasizes squat patterns, the other hinge patterns.

Training Parameters

• Sets: 3-4
• Reps: 3-4 per side (2 reps when using heavier loads)
• Key focus: Lat engagement, controlled descent

Pin Squats With Auditory Cues: Training Reactivity From Weak Points

Con’s third exercise places athletes directly at their weakest mechanical position, then demands explosive power output.

Pin squats work exceptionally well for offensive and defensive linemen, shot putters, and swimmers. Depth varies by athlete—linemen benefit from deeper positions that build hip strength off the snap, while shot putters may work from slightly higher pins.

The unique twist? Adding auditory commands.

After descending and settling on the pins for a full two-count, athletes explode upward only after hearing a verbal cue. This mirrors sprinters reacting to starting guns, swimmers launching off blocks, or linemen responding to snap counts.

When you’re trying to use strength to improve speed you’ve got to get tricky you got to get sneaky with all the different tactics that you’re going to use inside the weight room.

Varying command timing—including deliberate delays—increases difficulty and builds genuine reactive power rather than anticipated movement.

Athletes naturally maintain tighter trunk positions due to anticipation, creating additional core stability benefits.

Suggested Protocol

• Sets: 5
• Reps: 3 (2 self-initiated, 2 command-initiated per set)
• Technique: Descend controlled, settle 2 seconds, explode on command

Hand-Supported Single Leg RDLs: Maximum Loading Without Balance Limitations

Sprinting happens unilaterally. Most athletic movements occur on one leg at a time.

Yet athletes struggling with balance or stabilization can’t load unilateral exercises sufficiently to drive strength adaptations.

Con’s solution? Add hand support.

Holding a sturdy rack or similar object eliminates balance as the limiting factor. Athletes can focus purely on strengthening the posterior chain without wobbling derailing their sets.

Tempo variations allow different training emphases. Slow eccentrics with explosive concentrics build reactive strength. Fast eccentrics and concentrics develop speed-strength qualities. Controlled tempo on both phases maximizes hypertrophy.

The stable support even enables heavier loading than free-standing variations, making this movement particularly valuable for athletes who respond well to high hamstring volume.

Volume Guidelines

• Sets: 3
• Reps: 6-8 per side
• Load progression: Increase weight aggressively once comfortable with movement

Sprinter Glute-Hams: Plane-Specific Posterior Chain Power

This accessory movement targets hamstring strength and hip extension through mechanics nearly identical to the staggered trap bar deadlift—just in a different plane.

Setup requires a glute-ham machine with the top foot planted flat on an elevated plate. The working leg hooks into the machine pad. Athletes then extend through the hip while maintaining hamstring tension throughout the range of motion.

Foot plate positioning matters. Taller athletes placing feet further back feel greater lower back and hamstring involvement, while closer positioning shifts emphasis.

I like doing this as an accessory on a leg day.

Starting with the weaker leg ensures balanced development. Adding isometric holds at the top or reactive elements transforms the exercise into plyometric variations.

Implementation Strategy

• Sets: 3-4
• Reps: 7 per side
• Variations: Add top holds or partner-assisted reactive drops

Heavy Sled Marches: Acceleration-Specific Loading

Sled sprints have gained massive popularity. Con’s heavy sled marches take specificity further.

Unlike sled sprints capped at 10-15% body weight, heavy marches allow loading up to 30% or beyond. This heavier resistance builds the strength foundation that lighter, faster work later exploits.

Positioning mimics acceleration mechanics precisely—athletes maintain roughly 45-degree forward lean while marching forcefully. Foot contact happens exclusively on the ball of the foot, training the Achilles tendon to handle explosive forces without heel strikes.

This detail proves critical. Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles spent two weeks specifically eliminating heel drops during acceleration, demonstrating how technique refinements compound with strength improvements.

Harness, push, or pull variations all work effectively—choose based on available equipment.

Training Structure

• Sets: 6
• Distance: 20-30 yards
• Load: 30-40% body weight
• Emphasis: Ball-of-foot contact, 45-degree torso angle

Nordic Curls: The Ultimate Speed-Strength Exercise

Con calls nordics his all-time favorite strength exercise for speed development.

Early observations at Garage Strength revealed a pattern: fast athletes consistently excelled at nordics. Testing whether improving nordic performance in slower athletes would enhance their speed confirmed the hypothesis.

What ended up happening is the kids that were slow actually ended up running faster a lot of that was due to that slow eccentric here and then that knee flexion bringing that torso back up.

Technique emphasizes minimal hip flexion throughout the movement. Athletes lower their torso through controlled eccentric hamstring lengthening, then reverse the motion through powerful knee flexion.

Many athletes can’t perform full nordics initially. Con recommends using hands to push back up while still maintaining the full eccentric lowering phase. This regression preserves the movement’s primary benefit while building toward full execution.

Equipment barriers don’t exist. Athletes can perform nordics under loaded barbells, couches, cars, or with partner assistance. Accessibility makes consistency possible.

Recommended Approach

• Standard sets: 3-4 sets of 5-7 reps
• Finisher: 1 drop set of 10-12 reps
• Regression: Hand-assisted concentric when needed
• Key principle: Prioritize slow, controlled eccentrics

Integrating Strength For Speed Development

These seven exercises share common threads: unilateral emphasis, explosive intent, and positions mimicking athletic demands.

Programming them requires understanding force-velocity relationships. Heavy loading builds maximum strength. Moderate loading with explosive intent develops rate of force development. Lighter, faster variations enhance speed-strength qualities.

Periodization matters. Early training phases emphasize heavier loads and controlled tempos. Progressive phases shift toward lighter loads, faster tempos, and more specific movement patterns. Peak phases minimize strength work while maximizing speed qualities.

Strategic exercise pairing amplifies results. Single-leg squats complement staggered trap bar deadlifts. Hand-supported RDLs progress toward sprinter glute-hams. Heavy sled marches establish foundations for lighter sled sprints.

Recovery between high-intensity strength sessions remains crucial. Central nervous system fatigue from explosive movements requires adequate rest. Quality trumps quantity when training power.

Most importantly, these exercises work because they transfer. Strength without specificity builds impressive gym performance that fails to improve athletic outcomes. Con’s exercise selection ensures every repetition moves athletes closer to their speed goals.