Spring training with maximum efficiency means working on the energy systems players need to succeed in their sport and become a more competitive athlete. As a coach, it is up to you to guide athletes in their strength and conditioning workouts throughout the season and during the off season. Make sure you are employing these strategies for players to see large growth and exceed their potential.
Maximizing Performance
As spring training approaches, concentrate workouts on more sports-specific practices like short bursts of explosiveness, footwork and hand-eye coordination — all while still working to maintain the strength and power gained through previous training.
Rest Your Best
When strength training, in addition to reps and weight, consider how long to rest between sets. The amount of break time determines how muscles adapt to the movement, says Carwyn Sharp, Ph.D., chief science officer for the National Strength and Conditioning Association in an article for Greatist.com. “Matching rest periods and intensities places the appropriate amount of stress on the muscles and their energy systems,” he said.
Muscle Growth
Not just hitting the weights hard, but leveraging the importance of good nutrition is just as vital to reaching top muscle growth. The makeup of meals can impact the body just as much as the number of reps completed in the gym. Muscle & Fitness recommends aiming for 300-500 more calories every day than the body burns through exercise and normal functioning (multiply body weight by 17) — then split this up among six meals a day.
One-Leg Training
According to bodybuilder.com, single-leg exercises help reduce injury rates, reduce spinal compression, reduce knee pain and improve stability. These exercises are not just alternatives, they can be go-tos for engaging smaller muscles like abductors, gluteus medius and quadratus lumborum. Targeting these muscles can’t happen when training two legs at a time.
Do these tips have you thinking of ways to approach spring training differently? Is there additional equipment you need to make sure the players you coach can succeed? Legend Fitness will make sure you and the athletes you train have all the equipment you need to see maximum results and improved performance. Get in touch today!
