Strength Training

1. Strength Training

2. STRENGTH TRAINING • A solid base of strength and lean muscle mass support an athlete's physical abilities and technical skills.This is a pre-requisite to anaerobic conditioning, power, quickness, agility, and speed. • Strength is involved in every aspect of sport. • Absolute strength: total muscular strength. • Relative Strength: strength in relation to body weight. • A proper balance of strength protects players from injury and improves athletic performance.

3. DEVELOPING A STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM • Intensity • Weight training is organized be sets and reps. A rep is one complete range of motion with a weight for a particular exercise. • A group of reps is a set, the # of reps performed without rest. • The more intense the workout the greater the strength development. • The load for a given exercise is determined by the # of reps, the rest and the amount lifted. • Rest time between sets affects the amount of weight that can be lifted, as well as the muscular response. More rest = heavier loads. • Always quality over quantity.

4. DEVELOPING A STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM • Speed of Movement • Muscle growth is related to the amount of tension developed within the muscle. • Slow velocity lifts, which produce a great amount of tension, are used to build a base of strength and muscle mass. (1-2-3 principle) • This is why high intensity training produces great results, on the last couple of reps, the muscle has to recruit more and more muscle fibres to keep moving the weight. More force is produced. • Slow velocity lifts also reduce the chance for injury.

5. DEVELOPING A STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAM • Machines Versus Free Weights • Weight machines isolate one muscle group, where free weights depend upon muscle synergy (all muscles working together) to execute the lift. • Weight machines can help you develop a good base of strength because they are safe and heavy loads can be used. • However, athletes do not execute their sport from a seated position, so do not train like it. Free weights allow the athlete to mimic movements and train the “core” of the body. Support is the key! • Sport specific functional movement is critical to proper training

6. QUICKNESS AND AGILITY TRAINING • How fast an athlete is ismeasured by their linear acceleration and maximum speed. • Quickness is the first step explosion from a stationary position. It is a read-and-react response. • Explosive speed is quickness • It is often quickness that separates a minor league player from a professional. • Quickness is an element that players use in every aspect of the game. • Agility and quickness combine to make a very effective athlete. • Quickness and agility training is ‘quality’ not ‘quantity’.

7. EXPLOSIVENESS THROUGH PLYOMETRICS • Plyowhatsics? Take a look here • More ideas and examples can be found here • Plyometricsare the best type of exercises to improve a player’s quickness and agility. • Drills are characterized by jumping, hopping, bounding, and a variety of foot patterns. • Plyo’s involve a rapid eccentric contraction immediately before a concentric contraction. Muscle is lengthened rapidly, then immediately shortened. • Sensors in your muscle (Golgi Tendon Organs and Muscle Spindles) monitor the rate and degree of stretch. • If the muscle is lengthened too quickly, then the sensors tell the muscle to contract immediately protecting it from injury. • When the muscle quickly lengthens, it stores elastic energy, then uses that energy to have a very powerful contraction.

8. EXPLOSIVENESS THROUGH PLYOMETRICS • A big, slow athlete will not magically become explosive and agile, but he/she can develop quick feet through specific training – plyometrics are the key. • Plyometrics intensity refers to the degree of impact resulting from a drill. • Greater the athlete’s weight, the greater chance of injury. • To maximize plyo benefits and minimize risk, use low intensity plyo’s such as quick feet drills and stride frequency drills.

9. EXPLOSIVENESS THROUGH PLYOMETRICS • Follow these guidelines for effective plyometrics: • Increase foot quickness by popping your feet off the ground. As soon as the foot touches the ground , pop from your toes back up. • Practice quickly reversing movement and exploding in the opposite direction. • Eliminate the pause that occurs at the exact point where the direction of movement is going to reverse. A pause between lowering and pushing off will lose the potential elastic energy and turn off the muscle sensors. • Instead of increasing vertical distances, increase both lateral and linear horizontal distances. • Add more complex movements (various foot patterns, rotations, angles, and turns) • Complete some of the lateral drills with a single leg.

10. QUICKNESS AND AGILITY CONDITIONING GUIDELINES • Use these guidelines for a safe and effective approach to conditioning for quickness and agility: • At all age and levels, teach agility before quickness. Begin with simple movement patterns and don’t increase foot speed until technique is perfect. • At young ages, agility is more movement specific than sport specific. Agility drills are not taxing on the joints or muscles like quickness and speed work is, so they are suitable for young athletes. • If an athlete has sufficient muscle mass, strength, and technique, begin to train explosiveness. Strength base criteria is squatting your own body weight. High intensity is squatting 1.5x body weight. • Always maintain ready position. Knees flexed and hips low.

11. QUICKNESS AND AGILITY CONDITIONING GUIDELINES • Use these guidelines for a safe and effective approach to conditioning for quickness and agility: • Perform at full effort until neuromuscular fatigue. Do not seek to induce physical fatigue. • Incorporate visual stimulus (balls, pucks, cones, etc) as athletes improve. • Incorporate auditory stimulus to get the athlete to read and react. Example, ball hitting the floor.

12. SPEED TRAINING • Speed development is the most critical component to an athlete’s success. • Coaches at all levels teach fundamental skills, strength development and many other parameters that are important to the sport. • Many of them never teach speed!! • Full-out speed is evident in every facet of athletics. • Quickness is described as first gear, speed is the second, third, fourth, and fifth gears. • Some athletes are naturally faster than others. • Speed development is possible for all athletes.

13. SPEED TRAINING • Most players can develop good technique at low speeds, but progress to higher speed and form and technique is lost. • Strength in the legs, hips, and abdomen/core are essential to a players speed development.

14. CONDITIONING FOR SPEED • Strength and muscle mass does not distract from speed, it improves it. • With specific training, strength, size, and muscle mass contribute to speed • Speed development drills are always done full out, using over-speed exercises, explosive strength training, and plyometrics..

15. 10 REQUISITES TO HIGH-SPEED TRAINING • Technique • Strength • Power • Quickness • Agility • Flexibility • Anaerobic Energy Supply • Aerobic Energy Supply • Body Composition • Neuromuscular

16. SPEED TRAINING GUIDELINES • Follow the guidelines below: 1. First build a strength base, increase lean muscle mass, and develop the energy systems. 2. Use a low volume of work initially, keeping intensity low. Low intensity includes using moderate speeds and, if using plyometrics, low jumping height. 3. Athlete should have good form and proper technique. You do not want them to practice incorrect movements. Asses balance, foot placement, ready positions, edges, absorption, and use of arms. 4. Break in speed development with a low volume and low frequency.

17. SPEED TRAINING GUIDELINES • Follow the guidelines below: 5. Emphasize quality over quantity. Do not confuse with the most physically exhausting workout with the best. 6. Keep speed development drills between 5 and 15 seconds – long enough to allow athletes to draw on their anaerobic energy systems. 8. Allow appropriate rest between drills. Players who get physically fatigued form and this leads to decrease in performance. 9. Encourage athletes to challenge themselves!!