SKLZAcceleration Trainer Release Resistance Training Belt, Black

Great for drills

I liked the design of this in comparison to the Bullet Belt I use for my sprint, speed training. Easier use of allowing the release belt when its time to let the athletes run.

Items arrived as described. I love the assortment of products SKLZ has to offer for training. Incorporating the acceleration trainer into track sprinting workouts is definately paying off.

A great item for speed training. Use it on my son almost daily.

The purpose of the acceleration trainer is to create resistance, released certainly after the start of the run, to enhance speed.Holding the runner back requires a partner or coach.The runner wears a belt which incorporates a ring, and the partner holds a strap which is released after the athlete's movement begins.Included are a sturdy belt which is easy to get on overhead or up from the ground, and a strap which has bungee cord elasticity to absorb some force and prevent the partner's being knocked over. The pieces come in a carrybag, making it easy to bring to field or track.The box promised videos were included. They weren't, but SKLZ has several acceleration trainer videos posted to YouTube, which teach how to use the device and also give sport-specific workouts.I've read reviews suggesting the belt isn't as strong as it could be, and if I were a 300# football player my opinion might be different, but it seems quite sturdy to me. (I'm less than half that size :) )

Great tool for any S&C coach. Comparable to the Bullet Belt. Love SKLZ products.

Great for helping athletes develop explosive movements

If you think about sports that need explosive movements, such as the start of a sprint, or the lunge of a sport fencer, or the backpedal of a footballer–the SKLZ Acceleration Trainer can help you get faster and more powerful in those movements.The basic idea is that the athlete wears a special belt with a ring, and a coach or partner holds a stretch resistance band that loops through the ring. When the athlete starts their movement–sprint start, lateral shuffle, backpedal, etc–the band provides resistance that the athlete must overcome. Once the athlete has accelerated through the movement, the coach can release one end of the band, which slides through the ring and allows the athlete to continue with their movement safely.In the box are the special belt with ring and stretch resistance band, as well as a mesh nylon holding bag and two pages on general use.Note that while this product is ideally used by two people–the first person wears the belt and performs the accelerating movement while the second person holds the band’s handles to provide resistance to the first person–this product can be used in solo training. As an example, one of the band’s handles can be anchored to object, such as a vertical pole. The other band handle would be looped through the ring and held by the solo athlete. The athlete would then perform the desired movement, releasing the handle at the appropriate time.The belt and band are made of high quality, heavy duty materials. The belt is padded in front and is about 4.5” at its widest part–the belt sits comfortably around your waist and does not get in the way of your thighs when you run. The belt includes a metal buckle that, in my use, did not slip.The back of the belt is a simple nylon strap that the metal ring (about 3” in diameter) can slide freely along. The stretch resistance band is also meant to loop through the ring and has a middle section that identifies the middle of the stretch resistance band.The stretch resistance band has two handles that are simple nylon loops–they are meant to be thin so that the handle can move easily through the ring when the handle is released.The stretch resistance band, like a bungee cord, is made to act like a spring–when the athlete moves, the band stretches and provides resistance, and when the band is released, it returns to its original shape. The bands provide a medium level of resistance.To me, the SKLZ Acceleration Trainer is built to last and is designed well for the purpose of training in developing power and speed in accelerating movements. One minor issue is that the box says that instruction videos are included–actually, only a link to instruction videos on the web is included. But overall, this is a durable product that can be a great training tool.Thanks for reading. By the way, if my review was helpful to you in choosing or not choosing this product, please consider clicking on the "was this review helpful" link at the end of this review—this motivates me to write more reviews!