Nov 16, 2017Train Smart to Perform Stronger
Are you looking to build stronger, more competitive athletes? Invest in your training success with methods you already know, and some you may not have tried, to build your best, strongest self.
Let’s start with the basic idea of weight training. Weight training, when done properly, is a safe way to build muscle and strength. Bigger Faster Stronger (BFS) is the premier performance program for high school and college sports that has led teams to more than 500 state championships, and now, the book Bigger Faster Stronger, Third Edition, is ready to help you take the next generation of athletes and the next level of performance.
“The truth is that weight training and competitive lifting are among the safest activities an athlete can participate in. For example, renowned Russian sport scientist Vladimir Zatsiorsky had this to say about the dangers of weight training:
‘The risk of injury from a well-coached strength training program has been estimated to be about one per 10,000 athlete-exposures,’ with an athlete-exposure being defined as one athlete taking part in one training session or competition. ‘Compared to tackle football, alpine skiing, baseball pitching, and even sprint running, strength training is almost free of risk.’”
But, developing athletic strength and power can also be done with little to no equipment.
“While the sport training and fitness industries are inundated with all types of resistance training machines and speed training devices, the combination of gravity and the human body is all that is required. Over half a century ago, coaches and sport scientists developed an approach to training that took advantage of a system of explosive athletic movements to improve the force production qualities of the human body. This system of training is now commonly referred to as plyometrics.”
Plyometric Anatomy 94 plyometric exercises, along with 78 variations that increase in difficulty for continued development over time. With content on bilateral exercises, unilateral exercises, core exercises, and plyometric combinations, it’s all there.
To build on any approach to increase muscle and strength add one of the best kept secrets in sport, training, and fitness to your training — foam rolling. Proven to stimulate blood flow, prepare muscles, improve mobility and flexibility, initiate the recovery process, and reduce muscle soreness, it is a secret worth sharing.
Complete Guide to Foam Rolling provides step-by- step instructions for 27 of the most effective foam rolling techniques for muscle preparation and recovery. Reduce pain and restore function with therapeutic movements that help rehabilitate your body and reduce the risk of injury.
“Foam rolling has been found to be an effective tool before a workout. According to a review of literature published in Current Sports Medicine Reports (ACSM) (Schroeder & Best, 2015), foam rolling appears to have a positive effect on flexibility before exercise and decreases soreness and fatigue following exercise. These findings suggest that foam rolling affects performance in a positive way.
In another study by Peacock and colleagues (2014), foam rolling before basic performance testing (such as jumping, agility drills, and heavy weightlifting) increased performance. The best results were found among participants who foam rolled followed by stretching that mimicked the workout (also referred to as dynamic stretching).”
Improving athletic performance is not so much about finding the magic bullet of training but rather about developing a comprehensive approach composed of precise exercises dispensed at the most appropriate times of the training program. Use these tools to help you develop the training program that is most effective for your athletes.
This article contains excerpts from the following texts:
Bigger Faster Stronger, Third Edition: http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Bigger-
Faster-Stronger- 3rd-Edition?associate=8515
Plyometric Anatomy: http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Plyometric-
Anatomy?associate=8515
Complete Guide to Foam Rolling: http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/Complete-
Guide-to- Foam-Rolling?associate=8515
Learn about all of our coaching and strength training/sports conditioning resources at
www.HumanKinetics.com