All human beings divide into three body types – endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph – with the vast majority of us being some combination of two.

As a result, people do not experience speed training the same way, especially athletes who are locked within a specific body type.

And although kids grow, change and mature throughout the course of their lives, young athletes tend to get lumped together where everyone is taught the same way.

In Part 2 of this series, we will look at speed training for mesomorphs.

SEE ALSO: Body type speed training: The endomorph

COMING SOON: A look at speed training for ectomorphs

Mesomorphs tend to have a medium build that is proportioned and symmetrical. As with all body types, height plays no role. Focus just on the shape.

Mesomorphs tend to be naturally muscular without being slim. They are naturally strong for their weight and tend to easily gain muscle mass and strength.

Those gains typically come younger than the other two body types, resulting in athletes who are considered “big for their age.”

As athletes, mesomorphs are naturally gifted with strong coordination, timing and body movement synchronization skills. Toss them an apple from 20 feet when they are not ready, and they will catch it by sheer reaction.

They are naturally faster without being the fastest and naturally quick without being the quickest. Even the mesomorphs who don’t have interest in athletics tend to be natural athletes possessing all of these gifts.  

In football, many mesomorphs make great linebackers, strong safeties, running backs and cornerbacks. These positions suit them because of their natural speed burst, strength and ability to balance and leverage their bodies before their opponents can.

This helps them change direction sooner or apply force quicker. They “hit bigger.”

Speed training for this type of athlete is tricky for two reasons:

• They improve so rapidly that early improvement can seem too easy.
• They typically are already among the fastest athletes on their teams and a team captain, so why work hard to improve?

A mesomorph football player I trained thought he was doing great because he averaged one touchdown per game as a running back and often scored from his linebacker position as well.

With him, I didn’t focus on getting him faster through hard work. I focused on improving and developing supreme control over his movements. It’s about understanding the relationship of speed to your opponent.

When he allowed himself to be taught, he saw his skill sets grow and his agility go through the roof. The result was that he scored more, but he also learned how to control the game by making more big plays in critical situations.

His team won more games and his confidence improved greatly.

One specific challenge for speed training mesomorphs is that they tend to have a stride gait that is short and tight. To reach top end speed, that need to lengthen their stride – not by taking longer steps but by staying or cruising in the air a moment longer.

Mesomorphs must learn what it feels like to have patience while moving fast. Floating in the air longer increase foot strike stride and allows them to utilize their full range of motion.

To accomplish this, I taught my mesomorph athlete to run with his knees three inches higher. To do this, he let the knee rise up to a new height first before cycling down quickly.

All while running quickly.

Being patient while running fast is one of the most mentally challenging aspects of teaching speed.

Mesomorph who are high end athletes tend to be determined, driven, aggressive and intense. They do everything as strong and hard as they can.

That can work against them for speed training.

They want to work too hard to do something that is fairly easy, such as running straight ahead. I have slowed down many mesomorphs so they could get faster. They all start with funny looks on their faces when I tell them they need to slow down first. But then they get it.

Famous mesomorphs include Hall of Famers Mike Singletary and Walter Payton, both of whom I played with. Others include Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Darren Sproles and Adrian Peterson.

Mesomorphs are common in athletics, regardless of the sport.

For a mesomorph who is willing to learn the skills of running faster, the results can quickly transfer into making many more great plays. They can then influence games in ways they have only seen on TV.

Be well. Be fast.

Ken Taylor played defensive back for the Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers, helping the Bears win Super Bowl XX. A personal speed trainer in Temecula, Calif., he has worked with more than 5,000 athletes during the past 20 years. Visit his website at www.howtobefaster.com for speed training books and subscribe to TheSpeedDr1 on YouTube for free speed training videos.