The 40-yard dash is one of the most important tests of speed, explosiveness, and athletic potential for football players. A fast 40-yard dash can make the difference between getting noticed by scouts and a player improving their draft stock.
Improving the 40-yard dash requires more than just running hard. You need to master start mechanics, acceleration, and horizontal force production, while building strength in the muscles responsible for driving you explosively forward. Proper acceleration mechanics involve maintaining the correct body angle, producing maximum horizontal force, and engaging your hips, legs, and core in sync. Whenever we work with an athlete to improve their 40 time, we always begin with improving their start and acceleration mechanics. This is the biggest lever we can pull to immediately improve the entire 40-yard dash.
This article covers the top 3 exercises to improve 40-yard dash performance. Each drill includes instructions and benefits to help football players train smarter and faster. If you’re serious about improving your speed, you can also check out our Athletic Speed System speed program.
Why the 40-Yard Dash Matters in Football
The 40-yard dash is more than just a number—it’s a measurement of:
- Acceleration ability: How quickly you reach top speed from a stationary start
- Explosive power: Force generation through your hips, legs, and core
- Horizontal projection: Driving your body forward efficiently for optimal stride length and frequency
- Technical efficiency: Maintaining posture and mechanics under maximal effort
A faster 40-yard dash can completely change an athlete’s recruitment opportunities or draft status. Improving your acceleration mechanics—start stance, torso angle, and stride efficiency—directly impacts your overall 40-yard dash time.
Key Mechanics to Improve 40-Yard Dash
1. Start Mechanics
The start is crucial in a 40-yard dash. Key points include:
- Knee position: Back knee on the ground, front foot loaded for a strong push
- Forward lean: Slight chest tilt to create horizontal force
- Hand placement: Hands just behind the line for optimal drive
2. Acceleration Mechanics
Acceleration involves applying force efficiently:
- Horizontal projection: Maintain a forward lean during the first 10–15 yards
- Stride mechanics: Quick, powerful steps with full ground contact
- Hip and core engagement: Synchronized leg and arm movement for maximal propulsion
3. Stance and Body Control
- Low, athletic stance: Maximizes horizontal force production
- Weight distribution: Front foot loaded, rear leg ready to drive
- Controlled push-off: Prevents wasted vertical motion and ensures forward momentum
Top 3 Exercises to Improve 40-Yard Dash
1. Half Kneeling Start
The half kneeling start develops explosive hip drive and first-step power—key for reducing your 40-yard dash time.
How to Perform
- Start in a half-kneeling position: back knee on the ground, front foot planted.
- Lean forward slightly, chest over the front knee.
- Explosively drive your back knee into the ground and push off the front leg, sprinting 5–10 yards.
- Perform 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, focusing on maximum effort and perfect mechanics.
Benefits for Football Players
- Improves initial acceleration from a stationary start
- Enhances hip extension power for strong first steps
- Reinforces proper horizontal projection at the start
- Teaches weight transfer and forward lean
- Strengthens quads, glutes, and core
2. Extended Crouching Start
This drill simulates a sprint start and emphasizes body angle, stride mechanics, and horizontal force application. The stance helps with set the sprinter up in a more aggressive horizontal trajectory.
How to Perform
- Position in a traditional sprinter’s stance: one foot forward, one back. Extend hands out further out front than a regular crouching start, keep shoulders out over the hands
- Lean forward, keeping your chest low
- Explosively drive off the back leg and sprint forward
- Perform 3–5 sets of 5–10 yards, focusing on aggressive knee drive
Benefits for Football Players
- Enhances first-step explosiveness
- Optimizes torso angle for acceleration
- Strengthens glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves
- Improves stride mechanics and ground force application
- Reinforces horizontal projection and forward drive
3. Heavy Sled Marches
Heavy sled marches develop force production, core stability, and leg drive and triple extension—critical for accelerating quickly off the line and producing more horizontal force.
How to Perform
- Load a sled HEAVY
- Stand in an athletic stance and march forward, driving your knees and pushing through your feet
- Keep your torso stable and core engaged
- Perform 3–5 sets of 15–20 yards, resting fully between sets.
Benefits for Football Players
- Builds horizontal force production for a faster start
- Strengthens posterior chain muscles: hamstrings, glutes, calves
- Trains core strength under load
- Improves stride power
- Enhances resistance to fatigue during maximal sprint efforts
Putting It All Together to Improve 40-Yard Dash
To effectively improve 40-yard dash times:
- Drill the start: Half kneeling and extended crouching starts reinforcing proper mechanics
- Focus on acceleration: Maintain horizontal projection and forward lean for the first 10–15 yards
- Build force production: Heavy sled marches develop the power needed for explosive starts
- Sprint at full speed: Apply these drills and time your 10 yard splits to track progress.
Consistency, progressive overload, and attention to technique are the keys to improving your 40-yard dash performance.
Conclusion
The 40-yard dash is a benchmark of athletic performance for football players. Improving your start, acceleration mechanics, and horizontal force production is essential for faster times. If you want more in depth of how we break down our speed sessions for pro football, check out our previous article, “Inside the Acceleration Lab: Pro Football Speed Session Breakdown.”
Integrating and progressing these drills into your training will develop stronger hips/glutes, reinforce proper start and sprint mechanics, and maximize horizontal projection. These can be used progressively in one session or strategically included throughout an athlete’s program. These are some of my favorite exercises I program to help football players improve 40-yard dash times and accelerate more explosively.
Focus on technique, consistency, and strength, and you’ll see measurable improvements in your 40-yard dash results.
If you’re ready to take your football performance to the next level this offseason, click the image below!
