Strength training is CRITICAL for athletes.
It provides a means for the athlete to become stronger, faster, more powerful, and more resilient against injury.
Few, if any, activities produce the same results that strength training does. But if an athlete wants to take up strength training, it is important that they do it CORRECTLY.
Here are 3 rules athletes must follow if they begin a strength training program.
Rule # 1 – Technique is Critical
Many athletes overlook the importance of using proper technique when learning to lift weights. Often times a greater emphasis is placed on what weight they are lifting, instead of how well they are lifting it.
The problem with this is, if you continually perform exercises with bad technique, you’ll be at a greater risk of getting injured.
Getting stronger is a process. It does not happen overnight and in order to progress, you need to focus on improving your technique so you can get stronger without getting hurt.
Rule # 2 – Follow the Progressive Overload Principle
The progressive overload principle simply means in order to get bigger and stronger, you need to force your muscles to work harder. This can be achieved by adding more weight to your lifts or being increasing the amount of reps you’re doing. The key is to never break Rule # 1, while trying to achieve Progressive Overload.
Rule # 3 – You Must Earn Your Right To Lift
We tell this to our athletes all the time – in order to do a harder, more challenging exercise, you must earn your right to do so. Strength is a kill and in to develop it you need to do the appropriate exercise for your current level of fitness and development.
This will fluctuate from athlete to athlete so it’s important to make sure they have a coach who understands what to look for and how to coach them, that way they can get stronger while also staying healthy.
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With these 3 rules, athletes can tackle strength training safely and effectively, and become better athletes in the long-run!
