One of the most common misconceptions among athletes is that they will get better at their sport simply by playing more of their sport. However, the truth is that specialized sport conditioning programs are essential training components of any athlete who wishes to improve his/her performance.
Traditional views of fitness are that one is considered fit for sport if he/she addresses the first three components of fitness: strength, endurance, and flexibility. So, it would seem that a few bench presses, some leg presses and a 30 minute jog are all you need. However, training in this manner is at best, forgoing the opportunity to maximize athletic potential and at worst, could be counterproductive to the athlete’s performance goals.
Athletes need to train functionally, which means using not just the “prime mover” muscles in isolation (i.e. biceps curls) but also training the muscles that stabilize during the movement as well. Athletes should train all the muscles involved in complex movement, in multiple planes, using multiple joints in concert with one another in the way the muscles are used in sport. Put simply, there is no movement in sport that requires an athlete to sit down on the field, body fully supported and stabilized, and perform a leg extension using no other muscles! Movements in sport involve several joints and muscles being used simultaneously in constantly changing environment. Whether it is road running where the leg muscles are adjusting for the variance in surface or whether it is a goalie jumping up using his entire body to block a goal, none of this resembles the static exercises performed during typical machine based training. Muscles must be trained to move synergistically to improve athletic performance on the field.
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