The purpose of exercising is very important and there are several reasons why people exercise. Some are working out to increase muscle mass, reducing their size, or engaging in bodybuilding. Another major group of people that use the gym is athletes as exercising remains an important aspect of everybody’s life. Sportspersons are always on the lookout for something that will give them the extra advantage, especially during the off-rower period. One way of doing this is by putting into practice a workout routine for an athlete as he or she seeks to become bigger, faster, and stronger.
What Athletes Stand to Gain from Strength Training
To get better in any sport, one has to do extra work outside practices and matches hence working out is the best thing to engage in. Here are some of the best workouts for athletes of any level to perform.
1. Increase Muscular Strength
Strength to weight ratio means that the amount of force that an individual is capable of exerting is proportional to his body weight, this is important when it comes to explosiveness and speed which are essential in sports such as football.
2. Increase Muscular Endurance
Training your muscles to be more fatigue-resistant enables you to sustain performance for longer periods. Strength training for athletics will help you afford the ability to sprint just as fast the entire duration of a game without losing pace towards the later part.
3. Increase Cardiovascular Endurance
If you have ever been involved in any form of exercise, then you will realize that running is not the only activity that can enhance your cardio but weight lifting as well. There are a lot of specific weightlifting programs targeting endurance, and, in general, they are very beneficial for joints as well.
4. Increase Flexibility
In the case of athletic strength training, exercise is the best way of achieving a larger degree of joint movement. This is so especially during a structural balance phase. When those new fibers get fatigued with the increase in range, then that range is now ‘opened’.
5. Increased Body Composition
Achieving the goals of greater strength and hypertrophy will also mean a reduction in fat mass. Muscle mass is also created through the process of muscle hypertrophy; in the process of hypertrophy, the body tends to burn fat. A strength training program coupled with a nutrition plan will make you shed off that extra fat. Fewer fat cells, well you will run faster out of sheer principle.
Six Exercises of Strength Training for Athletes
1. Snatch
Every athlete should do this movement even though many coaches hate teaching it to their athletes because they claim it is difficult. It isn’t too hard. Due to the tightness of the wrist and upper back, they lift it conveniently for the snatch position and are not comfortable front rack the bar in clean. Since it is a high-speed movement, all athletes must perform the snatch. This does not mean that every athlete should be performing full snatches. Numerous kinds of snatch motions can be applied to enhance coordination abilities.
2. Landmines
Landmines is another excellent exercise that can suit any sportsperson. This exercise also involves using a barbell with some weights. However, there are many variations of the exercises that you can do, including a two-handed landmine shoulder press, landmine front squat, one-arm bent over row landmine row, and others. This way, any exercise involving the utilization of the landmine should be deemed an excellent full-body workout for an athlete.
3. Front Squat
Whether one is playing football, basketball, tennis, or any kind of sport, legs are quite instrumental; thus, squats are another of the best exercises for athletes. The two common types of squats are the frontal and the backward; the two are especially important for athletes. Remember you need to get down to 90 degrees or further, look up, and put your heels on the ground for those squats to work.
4. Ladders
Movement is another crucial element in sports and this is an area that athletes are always keen on enhancing. Performing footwork with agility ladders can be of great benefit as it gets to add many types of movements. Ladder drills can also enhance balance among athletes, minimize the chances of an athlete getting injured, improve the speed in the movement of the feet, and many others. An agility ladder is vital in conditioning athletic fitness and a perfect tool for any athlete who wants to enhance fitness levels in their sports.
5. Dot Drills
Apart from ladders, another excellent exercise for the athletes is dot drills if at all the athletes are interested in increasing their flexibility. All you need to implement this lesson are cones or markers of any type. Next, practice cutting while touching each marker and running at full speed. The thing that some people do not consider is that conditioning for athletes, for instance, requires cutting and not only cardio. An athlete must practice cutting so that they do not end up straining themselves during a game in a way that they pull something.
6. YOGA
Increasing flexibility as an athlete is an underrated tactic that you should take into consideration. One way of addressing this is by making yoga part of your training. Another workout is yoga exercises that can also be done at home without needing any equipment apart from a yoga mat.