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Hyde's Top 40
1 SPEED LADDER
The ladder allows athletes to increase speed and sharpen agility. "We're just trying to get him to move his feet in the most efficient manner possible," Megna says. "It gets his legs prepared for quick, explosive steps, in which his feet don't spend too much time in the air." Hyde does a straight run (one foot in every hole), two-foot run, lateral run (one foot per), lateral shuffle (two feet per) and bunny hops. Two sets of each.
2 SHORT STARTS
"The start is where you spend the most time," says Megna, which is why the seconds between the gun and the 20-yard mark are the best chance to shave time. "You want to come out low, head down and just drive," Hyde says. "Then you hit second gear, and you're just rolling." His drill? Hyde does a series of starts, bursting off the line while keeping his head down and focusing on the ground just in front of him. Six reps.
3 BELT SPRINTS
Once out of the blocks, "from the 10 to the 20 is key," says Hyde. The goal is to retain as much of the forward body lean from the start as possible while thrusting arms and legs forward aggressively. To hone those moves, Hyde practices by pulling against a fixed object while maintaining proper form. Six sets of 30 seconds each.
4 ARM PUMPS
"Arm action is crucial in the 40," Hyde says. "The faster your arms move, the faster your legs will move." To improve his arm swing, Hyde rests on one knee. He starts pumping his arms at walking speed, builds to a jog and then a sprint, concentrating on an efficient, straight back-and-forth motion. Three sets of 30 seconds each.
For more on Carlos Hyde and his preparations for May's NFL draft presented by EAS, visit SI.COM/Edge
FOUR PHOTOS
BOB CROSLIN FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (HYDE, 4)
