Weight Training + The Novice Athlete
Athletes require many things in order to be efficient on the field, court, ring, or rink — and some of those things are health and strength. An athlete who has all the intangibles but can’t stay on the field is basically useless. We have all seen professional athletes who have all the talent in the world but can’t stay on the field due to injury. There is something to be said about consistency and durability over flash and risk as well.
Typically, the best athletes have long, relatively healthy careers. If they do get injured, they come back stronger than before and usually don’t get hurt again. Strength, of course, is important for the obvious reasons. The ability to overpower one’s opponent with shear force is a huge advantage when it comes to sports.
An athlete has to be on the field of play in order to be effective. Maintaining health is key. Core training is crucial due to the fact that the core involves your rectus abdominus, intercostals, obliques, transverse abs, lower back, and all of the deep spinal muscles located between the pelvis and the lower back. Specific core training is great but, in my opinion, overdone.
I have seen countless trainees perform basic weight training exercises on the exercise ot bosu ball. While this helps work the core it does little for the rest of the body. Trainees who perform heavy, intense, and consistent work for the large muscles of the body develop a very strong core. Exercises such as squats, deadlifts, power cleans, bench presses, shoulder presses, curls, extensions, lateral raises, chinups, dips, as well as sit-ups, crunches, and leg raises all work the core and abdominal area very effectively.
Strength is obviously very important because the ability to control your opponent at a moment’s notice is a huge advantage. No matter what sport you play, one needs to be strong in order to play effectively. Although there are many ways to increase one’s strength, weight training is the most effective way. As discussed earlier, the basic exercises are the most effective. Bench presses, squats, deadlifts, and cleans are four movements that are performed by every professional sports team in the country.
Training hard and consistent and really giving it your all is a must, but getting the proper nutrition and rest is also very important. One can train well but if the food you eat is garbage and you are into staying out late at night, you will never reach your potential. Proper training, nutrition, supplementation, and rest is crucial. Picture having the fastest car in your town but not having any gas in it. The car is not going to go anywhere. The same could be said with training.
Whether you are a serious athlete, weekend warrior, or someone who wants to get into shape quickly, weight training is a perfect way to accomplish this. For those of you who are competitive athletes, being in top shape will not only raise your game, but it will keep you in the game as well. Also, if an injury occurs, the better shape one is in, usually the faster the recuperation and return to the field of play will.
