If you're a young athlete in Mississippi looking to improve your 40-yard dash time, you already know that speed can make or break your shot at the next level. Whether you're chasing a college scholarship, trying to earn a starting spot, or just want to blow past defenders on Friday night, your 40-yard dash time is one of the most watched numbers in youth sports.
At NeoFit Performance in D'Iberville, Mississippi, we work with student athletes every day who come through our doors with one goal: get faster. And the truth is, speed isn't just a gift you're born with — it's a skill you can develop with the right training program.
Here's our coach's guide to shaving time off your 40-yard dash.
Why the 40-Yard Dash Matters for Mississippi Athletes
The 40-yard dash is the gold standard for measuring explosive speed. College scouts across the SEC, Conference USA, and every division use it as a key evaluation tool. For Mississippi high school athletes competing in football, soccer, baseball, and track, a strong 40 time can open doors that talent alone might not.
But improving your time isn't about running more sprints until you're exhausted. It's about training smarter with a focus on three key areas: your start, your acceleration mechanics, and your top-end speed.
Step 1: Master Your Start Position
The first 10 yards of your 40 are where the biggest time drops happen. Most young athletes lose precious tenths of a second because of a poor starting stance.
Here's what we coach at NeoFit Performance:
Get low and stay loaded. Your front foot should be just behind the starting line. Your back foot staggers behind with your weight on the balls of your feet. Think of yourself as a coiled spring ready to explode forward.
Drive at a 45-degree angle. When you fire out, your first three steps should push you forward, not upward. A common mistake is standing straight up out of the start. You want to stay low and drive hard into the ground.
Use your arms aggressively. Your arms control your legs. Pump them hard and in sync with your stride from the very first step.
We use video analysis at NeoFit to break down each athlete's start frame by frame so they can see exactly where they're losing time.
Step 2: Build Explosive Power in the Weight Room
Speed starts in the gym. You can't sprint faster if your muscles don't produce enough force to propel you forward. That's why our sports performance training programs include strength work specifically designed for speed.
Key exercises we use with our Mississippi athletes include:
Trap bar deadlifts for total-body power production. This movement trains your posterior chain — the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back — which are the primary engines of sprint speed.
Box jumps and depth jumps for reactive power. These teach your nervous system to absorb and redirect force quickly, which is exactly what happens during each stride of a sprint.
Sled pushes and resisted sprints to build acceleration-specific strength. By adding resistance to your sprint, you train your body to produce more horizontal force — the key to a faster first 10 yards.
Single-leg Romanian deadlifts for hamstring strength and injury prevention. Hamstring injuries are one of the most common setbacks for young sprinters, and this exercise builds the resilience you need.
Step 3: Improve Your Sprint Mechanics
Once you have the power, you need the technique to use it efficiently. Bad mechanics are like driving with the parking brake on — you're working hard but not going anywhere fast.
At NeoFit Performance, we focus on these mechanical cues:
Knee drive. Bring your knees up aggressively with each stride. Higher knees mean longer strides, which means fewer steps to cover 40 yards.
Ground contact time. The fastest athletes spend the least time with their feet on the ground. Think about striking the ground and getting off it as quickly as possible, like the ground is a hot stove.
Arm action. Keep your elbows at roughly 90 degrees. Drive your hands from your cheek to your hip. Don't let your arms cross your body — that wastes energy and creates rotation.
Posture transition. After your initial drive phase (the first 10-15 yards), you need to gradually rise into an upright sprinting posture. Staying too low for too long actually slows you down after the acceleration phase.
Step 4: Don't Forget Recovery
Training hard is only half the equation. Your body gets faster during recovery, not during the workout itself. We see too many young athletes who run themselves into the ground with no plan for rest.
At NeoFit, our recovery tools include Normatec compression therapy and cold plunge sessions that help reduce inflammation, speed up muscle repair, and get athletes ready for their next training session faster.
Sleep is equally important. We tell every athlete we train: if you're not getting 8-9 hours of quality sleep per night, you're leaving speed on the table.
Step 5: Test, Track, and Adjust
You can't improve what you don't measure. At NeoFit Performance, we use timed sprints, force plate testing, and video analysis to track each athlete's progress. Every four to six weeks, we retest and adjust the training program based on the results.
This data-driven approach is what separates real sports performance training from just "working out." It gives athletes and their parents clear evidence that the program is working — and shows coaches and scouts that you're serious about your development.
How Fast Can You Get?
The answer depends on where you're starting and how committed you are. We've seen athletes shave two to three tenths of a second off their 40 time within a single off-season — and in recruiting, that kind of improvement can be the difference between a scholarship offer and being overlooked.
The key is starting with a proper assessment, building a customized plan, and sticking with it consistently.
Train Smarter at NeoFit Performance
At NeoFit Performance in D'Iberville, MS, we specialize in helping Mississippi's youth athletes get faster, stronger, and more explosive. Our coaches build individualized programs based on where you are right now and where you want to go.
We're not a regular gym. We're a sports performance training facility built specifically for athletes who want to compete at the highest level.
Ready to drop your 40 time? Book your free intro session today and let's build your speed together.
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NeoFit Performance is located in D'Iberville, Mississippi, serving athletes across the Gulf Coast including Biloxi, Gulfport, Ocean Springs, and Pascagoula.
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