Weight Training | For Athletic Performance

Over the years, weight training also known as resistance has become a fundamental aspect of an athlete's training regimen. The importance of weight training is becoming clearer to many and it's gradually looking like it's a universally accepted operating procedure for athletes.

However, it is rather unfortunate that many athletes are yet to understand the reason weight training is important for an utmost performance in their respective sport, and as a result, some athletes out there neglect weight training. This is most common among the youth athletes. Perhaps it's not their faults. It stems from uninformed parents/guardians or from misguided coaches. Nevertheless, in whichever way, here are some benefits of weight training every athlete should plug into.

It helps reduce occurrence or severity of injuries

When you think of sports, you should also think of injuries because injuries are inevitable in sports competition. Either male or female, none of them is resistant to injuries because the body will surely take its toll on the frequent, inherent pounding on the body. 

However, having a comprehensive and well-organized weight or strength training program in place all year-round could help the body develop muscle-tendon units that are more resilient to the impact forces and stresses sustained during athletic activities. 

You should also know that when you have strong muscles and connective tissues, they tend to mend better and recover faster whenever there is an injury.

Gain of Muscle mass and healthy body composition

When there is a proper combination of a well-structured strength training coupled with the right diet and proper rest, you can achieve the most productive expression of lean muscles to body fat composition. When there is an increase in lean weight, power, speed, and quickness can be exponentially heightened. This, of course, is in respect to the way you train. Low volume programs that induce little mechanical damage to the muscle tissues won’t cause too much increase while high volume to moderate intensity programs will cause you to significantly gain muscle size as a result of the sheer mechanical damage of the muscles and the required stress response.

Results in increased Bone Mineral Density (BMD)

Muscles and connective tissues are not the only part that benefits from the stress placed on the body by a properly administered weight training program. The ‘good stress’ also stretches its hands of benefit to the bone mineral.

Weight training is capable of increasing protein and mineral content of the body which significantly improves the bone density. This can be achieved over a mere four months of dedicated strength training.

Improves athletic performance

Proper administrations of strength training programs also help improve sports performances. Resistance and mobility training, as it is capable of helping you increase in lean muscles, it also has a big impact on the nervous system. It will make you get stronger due to the more functional nervous system. 

Speed, agility, quickness, and conditioning of athletes will also improve from a dedicated weight training program.

Bottom line

In a nutshell, strength training is a very important ingredient for athletic success and quality life. Therefore, engaging in a safely administered, comprehensive, progressive, and year-round weight training program is just for you.

Date Published: Tuesday, October 24, 2017