Training Sport Specific Movements

Kristen Gostomski, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Founder & President
Team Fitness
3980 NW Urbandale Drive · Urbandale, IA · 50322

As athletes become more competitive, the way in which they train for their sport becomes increasingly important. Often, the difference between a great and an exceptional athlete depends on their training regimen. Many well meaning athletes and coaches look to popular health magazines and body building books for information on strength training, but very few of these resources have good information on sport specific training. Most emphasize the body building philosophy of isolating muscle groups. While body builders have impeccable physiques, many of them also have chronic injuries, and few would function well as an athlete. The body building philosophy of strength training not only produces a greater risk for injury, but has a negative impact on the key components of most sports including speed, power, balance, and, agility. Strength is not the number one goal of a sport specific training program. “Functional” strength, the kind of strength athletes utilize during competition, is what is important. A solid sport specific training program is one that closely simulates the movements and energy systems of the sport.

Multi-joint Versus Single-joint Movements

Think about how different athletes move. Running, cutting, tackling, kicking, passing, jumping, and throwing are all key athletic actions requiring the movement of several joints at one time. Multi-joint movements like squats and power cleans are preferable to single-joint movements because they train more muscle groups including the core muscles of the abdomen, back, and hips. Multi-joint movements are also more challenging, and require a higher degree of neuromuscular involvement producing more coordinated and functionally stronger athletes.

Functional strength requires muscles to work together efficiently. This efficiency is compromised when muscles are trained independently rather than allowing the body to work together as one unit. Repeatedly isolating one muscle group at a time detrains athletes to recruit multiple muscle groups with maximum efficiency. Furthermore, certain single-joint movements are just plain unsafe. For instance the leg extension, an exercise commonly used to develop the quadriceps, applies a shear force to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) of the knee. This means the ACL has forces pushing from opposite directions weakening and possibly tearing the ligament. A better alternative would be a step up or a squat which activates the hamstrings as well as the quadriceps neutralizing the tendency of the quadriceps to pull the lower leg forward.

Simulating Sport Specific Movements

An important rule to follow when developing a sport specific program is to train movements, not muscles. A typical body building program will separate muscle groups into what is called a split routine. For example, a four day split may look something like this; Day 1: Legs, Day 2: Chest & Shoulders, Day 3: Back, Day 4: Biceps & Triceps. This type of program is not practical for an athlete. Instead, look at the mechanics of most sports. The upper and lower bodies work together in nearly all aspects of movement. Does it not seem logical that in the weight room they should be trained to work together as well?

Injury Prevention Versus Performance Enhancement

Many talented athletes are forced to end their careers early due to injuries that could have been prevented. A good sport specific program should focus first and foremost on injury prevention. Performance enhancement comes second. Don’t rush into a program without first taking the time to learn the basics.

Copyright 2003, Kristen Gostomski