Quickness, Strength, Balance

Some of the basics got from yesterdays coaching clinic by 1440:

1- You don't need to be lifting large amounts of weight to get stronger.

2- Emphasis should always be on proper technique- that is how you isolate muscle groups.

3- Body weight can be used to build muscle.



4-     Rest= Loss. To effectively gain strength, you must be willing to lift in the off-season. A female athlete who lifts for three months and then takes three weeks off from lifting will be back to where they started.

5- 3 Days Per Week= Strength Gain. In order to gain strength in the off-season, you must be lifting 3 days per week. Less than three days will not build strength.

6- Muscle Exhaustion= Muscle Growth. You do not gain muscle strength by just lifting. You must be lifting a weight where when you get to the last rep, you can lift no more. It does not matter if you are doing 50 reps of light weight or 3 reps of a heavy rep- your muscle must get to exhaustion.

7- Out for Another Sport & Not Lifting= Unacceptable. It does not matter if you are out for another sport or not, you MUST be lifting. NO EXCEPTIONS.

8- Strength programs should include dynamic stretching before lifting and static stretching after lifting.

9- One leg exercises are important to eliminate leg dominance- reliance.

10- Weight exercises involving balance are important. Getting feet up on the bench press so muscles must work to balance.

11- A neglected area is shin development. Running and lifting so often involve the calves and nothing is done for the shin. Resistance exercises should be done on the shins.

12- Putting in time does get it done, players must be committed to lifting.