The Source Of Jetta's Speed

Though not the biggest player on the field, Jetta has a pre-season 1RM squat of 150kg.

Anyone who saw Lewis Jetta give his Hawthorn opponent Cyril Rioli the slip in the 2012 Grand Final knows the bloke is quick.

How fast? Back in his days in the WAFL, Jetta was once informally timed at 10 flat. Where does that speed come from? Jetta credits canines.

“When I was growing up there was a pack of wild dogs that would chase me home from school,” the 25-year-old laughs. His tip for covering the ground like a terrier? “Maybe stir up a greyhound.”
Angry mutts aside, much of Jetta’s blistering pace is due to a generous helping of fast-twitch muscle fibres. But he works hard on maintaining the lightning in his limbs with a pre-season speed routine that focuses on building the acceleration required to blast out of stoppages.

“When I grab the ball in a skill drill I go as hard as I can in the first five steps,” he says. “If you do that in a game you’ll already have three or four metres on your opponent. I know from there a lot of people will struggle to catch me.”

Whatever your sport, the ability to turn on the gas when you need it could add a transformative dimension to your game, helping you create space, slip through gaps in defences and chase down opponents. Use Jetta’s workout to torch the turf.

• Lewis Jetta is an ambassador for Aussie Bodies.

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