GUIDELINES FOR RESISTANCE TRAINING

After a needs analysis is completed, or discussed by the individual concerning his/her needs, and if any, special considerations (injuries, limitations, adaptations,physicians orders, et al) that may limit the athlete’s ability to train at full capacity; the athlete (and/or coach) can know begin to consider what exercises may fit the individual’s training needs.

First, we urge the athlete to review the principles of conditioning section for review, or to gain further insight to the goals of this given, suggested program before any resistance training starts. The following guidelines, in essence, are a review of the conditioning principles, with more, or specific detail.

PLEASE NOTE: This information is provided for your guidance only. Please consult your trainer and/or physician before you undertake any of the activities outlined below.

1. Physical Exam

Obtain a physical examination from your doctor so you will know if you have any limitations that affect your choice of exercise.

2. Training Background

1. Be certain that the athlete’s training background has been reviewed (evaluated) before prescribing any exercises. Beginners are often introduced to resistance training with machine or simple free-weight movements. Machines, although not necessarily safer, are easier to use because the athlete does not have to supply a majority of the balance and coordination. As the beginning trainee progresses, introduce him or her to more complex free-weight activities.
2. Also, coach or athlete, must weigh the value of certain exercises in terms of movement specificity (for the sport) against the time it takes to learn the new exercise? Is the new movement so important to the athlete’s training that the amount of time it takes to teach the new movement couldn’t go into some other exercises?

3. Needs Analysis

1. Is when a professional (coach, skill teacher, trainer, parent, et al) analyzes and discusses the fitness needs with the athlete concerning; the demands of the activity, or event; to be performed; and the athlete’s individual needs within this sport.
2. To develop a needs analysis, first analyze the physiological and biomechanical requirements of each activity or sport. A physiological analysis will allow you to devise a program that addresses the aspects of strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, conditioning, power, and speed required for success in each sport or activity. A biomechanical analysis will allow you to choose training activities that develop the athlete in the manner most specific to the sport and also to determine the areas of critical stress in the sport.
3. Each athlete has to have their strengths and weaknesses assessed. Different sports require various levels of fitness, for every individual athlete. Specific programs can be developed to address the needs of each sport, and the athlete’s strengths and/or weaknesses.
4. Effectively communicating to the athlete the need for particular exercises may be the most difficult skill to develop. Many athletes have misconceptions as to which exercises are important for their sport or the importance of conditioning in general. Choosing proper exercises and deploying them at the proper time during an athlete’s training cycle is an art (for both the professional, and athlete). It requires a thorough knowledge of the fitness demands of various sporting activities, along with keen knowledge of the athlete, and what exercises may be most appropriate for them at a given time.

4. Muscle Balance

1. Keep in mind muscle balance between joint agonists and antagonists when choosing exercises. For example, if the hamstrings are found out to be weaker when compared with the quadriceps; the exercise choice may need to include more exercises, for the individuals hamstrings to compensate for this imbalance.
2. Keep in mind though, that an athlete needs to spend time on all major muscle groups to insure overall development.

5. Specificity of Training

1. Specificity refers to mechanical similarity between a training activity and a sport, or event. The more similar the training activity is to the actual sport movement, the greater the likelihood of positive carryover to performance. Adaptations occur only in the muscles used in the exercise. Thus, in theory, the athlete is training more specifically, efficiently for his or her sport; and not spending valued time on exercises unrelated to their sport. Example; should a baseball outfielder spend time with the exercises a football lineman uses to increase his (or her) power? Or, would his or her time be more wisely spent with an overall strength training program that emphasizes muscular strength, endurance, and plyometrics? Some exercises will carryover and benefit a number of sports, just as some sports have similarities, similar movements. But, what exercises are most specific to your sport, your needs? The better you can narrow this focus, the more specific you can answer this question; the more efficient your training can be.

6. Body Types

1. No two human bodies are exactly the same. Even though we all have the same make up or basic equipment, there are many subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle differences. Strength and conditioning programs need to be designed so that a person’s unique morphology and training background, as well as gender and age, are considered. Human beings display a wide variety of physiques and habits of physical activity. In order to respond to this diversity amongst the population of participants in sports, coaches, parents, professionals, and athletes et al, need to be aware of and open-minded to the wide range of possible performance capabilities of every participant. Read about it in detail..
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