Athletes in any sport require development of various physical attributes to have success in competition. Strength development is necessary in athletic preparation, yet is commonly not addressed in a manner necessary to provide optimal results for the athlete. There are aspects of strength development that need to be considered based upon the demands of the sport and the experience of the athlete. While strength development for athletes is important, the level of strength and priority of it will be based on the resistance that gets encountered in the sport (Baker, 2014).
Many individuals will take the previous statement and limit exposure to strength training with external resistance claiming it is unnecessary for athletes. These same individuals will cite individuals who compete at certain levels while only undertaking certain strength modalities (i.e. bodyweight only, kettlebells, etc) and claim that is all they need to make them strong. Limiting the strength prescription to this can possibly neglect base strength development, particularly for more novice athletes (anyone not competing at an elite level- professional or Olympic). This post will focus on some basic considerations when looking to design a strength program for an athlete who does not compete in powerlifting or Olympic lifting.
1. Develop strength in basic movements first
The benefits of incorporating the power lifts (bench press, squats, and deadlifts) will be discussed; however, it is important to understand basic movements prior to doing more advanced exercises. While bodyweight exercises can accomplish this, they should not be seen as the only way to address this issue. Resistance bands, dumbbells, kettlebells can be utilized early in developing appropriate movement patterns and base levels of strength. Many individuals will require a certain amount of work be completed in certain bodyweight exercises prior to utilizing external resistance. This can possible cause certain movements and muscle groups to be neglected. Take pulling as an example; chin-ups and pull-ups are typically more difficult for younger and less experienced individuals who undertake a strength program (as opposed to push-ups). While there are certainly progression with chin-ups and pull-ups, strength in the pulling muscles may also be developed via pulling motions with external resistance (i.e. dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns, etc). Witholding those exercises until vertical bodyweight pulling can be completed at a certain level (i.e. everyone must perform 20 chin-ups before utilizing external resistance), overall strength in these muscle groups may get delayed.
2. The benefits of barbell exercises (power lifts)
Francis (2014) discusses that strength work will always be a means and not an “end.” Athletes don’t need to have numbers of elite powerlifters in the power lifts (squat, bench, and deadlift), however there is a great benefit to utilizing these exercises for physical development. Beyond what are considered the obvious adaptations to exercise, the recruitment of motors units with exercises such as these had a great benefit to an athlete. Any of these lifts performed at greater than 80% intensity are considered a high intensity stimulus (Francis, 2014). This type of motor unit recruitment can assist with power development by affecting force-velocity relationships in sport activity. This requires responsible loading of strength activities, coupled with utilizing complimentary training activities, which includes jumping activities (explosive strength) and high quality speed work. Max strength as a quality should be developed to an level to the point where it does not interfere with other athletic qualities
3. Injury prevention.
Neuromuscular coordination and soft tissue resiliency can be addressed through proper strength training. Athletes should be addressing regions of the body that are susceptible to injury based on their sport. Gender can certainly influence the impact of certain injuries and should be something to take into consideration when designing the program. Early in training, high-repetition exercises can be utilized to allow for soft tissue adaptation (Scott & Saylor, 2010).
Strength training in athletic preparation is sometimes poorly planned, or in some instances, not utilized at all. The prevailing attitude of some sports is that strength training is either unnecessary or should be kept to a minimum to prevent a decline in performance. Much of this thought is due to not having an understanding of how strength training fits into the preparation of certain types of athletes. While training for maximum strength in the weight room is not the goal of many team and individual sports, neglecting achieving an optimal level of strength will limit one’s development in other areas of sports performance.
Recommended Readings
Baker, D. (2014). Using Strength Platforms for Explosive Performance. In Joyce, D., & Lewindon D. (Eds.) High-Performance Training for Sports. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Kindle Edition
Francis, C. (2014). Training for Power and Strength in Speed. http://www.charliefrancis.com. Kindle Edition.
Scoot, S., & Saylor, J. (2010). Conditioning for Combat Sports. Santa Fe, NM: Turtle Press. Kindle Edition.
Mensinger Performance and Fitness Systems 