Today I would like to reiterate a point that I have discussed in the past about proper training as an athlete. As an athlete you probably need to completely change your whole training program around because you have been fed so much misinformation, lies and stupidities. Most of the information that athletes use to train is outdated, ineffective and can possibly be harmful while producing minimal to no gains in sports performance.
Sports performance training is best designed around the requirements of the sport. All other factors are either secondary or completely unimportant. It is only the elements of sports performance that matters. The movements of the sport and the requisite skills needed to perform those skills are the basis for any sound sports performance training program. If it doesn’t improve the skills of the sport then it doesn’t need to be a part of the training for that sport. We are athletes. We are not beauty lifters or bodybuilders. We need to move quickly and be explosive. We need to train quickly and train explosively. Slow and controlled and “feeling the burn” does not translate into quick explosive powerful movements. Jumping, power cleans, speed drills and agility work translate into a high performance athlete.
Bodybuilding is a sport but not an athletic performance sport. It does require dedication, motivation and hard work to attain the goals and dreams that bodybuilders and figure models have. They are athletes but not sports performance athletes. They train for the look, feel, size and beauty of musculature. Sports performance athletes have no need for any of those elements. Look, feel size, and beauty are not the components of sports performance. Speed, power, maximal contraction rate, agility, quickness, explosivity, reactivity, flexibility and overall athleticism are the elements that sports performance athletes need. The training protocols for bodybuilders and sports performance athletes are on the opposite ends of the performance spectrum.
Slow and controlled is the movement of bodybuilding. Isolating a single joint and concentrating all effort to control a weight and move it through full range of motion while “feeling” the pump. That is bodybuilding. Fast, out of controlled while trying to manipulate the organized chaos around you is the element of sport and therefore the training should try to include these elements. Try to mimic the speed of the sport. Try to mimic the full body movements of the sport. Try to mimic the cardiovascular requirements of the sport. There is never a time in sport where we isolate one joint and put all of our energy and focus into one muscle and contract that muscle and move the joint through its full range of motion. Any training program that makes this a focus is not improving sports performance. Stop doing it. You are wasting your valuable time and turning your body into a slow controlled less explosive robot. Your body needs to be an explosive, reactive, quick, powerful machine.
Bodybuilding is great to have big muscle and look good naked. Maybe you like to look in the mirror all day long and admire yourself. Athletes don’t need that. Athletes need to perform. The best looking athlete will be benched if they are not performing on the field. Then where did their pretty muscles get them. Train for performance and to be the best athlete that you can become. Train proper and train hard and watch as your athleticism improves along with your game performance.
For more info and education on sports performance training be sure to check out our group page on Facebook, TrueFitness Performance Conditioning. You will learn valuable lessons to be your best and improve your athleticism.
www.facebook.com/?sk=2361831622#!/group.php?gid=162563406976
Anyone in the San Diego area is welcome to drop in at our studio at 2949 Garnet Ave. 3rd floor, Pacific Beach, CA. We would love to put you through our workout. Please feel free to call or email Spencer Aiken,CSCS (951) 296-7993 email:spencer@truefitness.biz
Article written by Spencer Aiken, CSCS, CEO, TrueFitness
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I agree completely. As an athlete, the size of your muscles and your appearance are completely inconsequential. The ability to move optimally, and react in a split second without needing to “think” about the movement is essential. Training the body for the movements of your sport, allows you to focus your thought on the randome actions occuring around you on the field, and allow your bodies movements and adjustments to be automatic keeping your focus on the game, not on whether your leg is moving the way you need to. We need to focus training on movements not muscles.