Photo Credit: 2010 Singapore Youth Games on Flickr.com
The 2012 London Olympics have given us a glimpse into the training programs of elite athletes from all different sports. Regardless of the event in which they participate they all follow very similar programs in the weight room. Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Hope Solo, and Kerri Walsh all use the weight room to make them better athletes.
Sport specific training plays a major role in success, but gym time should be focused on increasing your athleticism, because in every sport better athletes make better players. If the name of the game is improving athletic performance focus on these areas of performance in the gym.
1. Lighter and Stronger – The quickest way to improve your athletic performance is to increase your strength to weight ratio. Losing any excess body fat and increasing your maximal strength will allow you to better control your body and reduce the energy expenditure required to play your sport.
2. Flexibility and Mobility- The nature of sports demands flexibility and mobility in order to prevent injury and maximize power potential. In addition to using a full range motion in all weigh lifting exercises be sure to spend time working on muscle flexibility and mobility around your joints.
3. Core Stability – Your core is not a primary generator of motion, but is rather responsible from the transfer of power between your upper and lower body. Increased core stability strength will allow to better utilize the power potential of your entire body.
