source: Life Fitness
Article Database
Many people perform strength training to look
good, but it also can help you improve your performance in athletic activities.
Fitness experts now recommend functional strength training (FST) as another way
to enhance coordination, muscular strength and endurance - and ultimately to
build a body better able to meet the challenges of sports performance.
Becoming increasingly popular in health clubs, FST is an integrated approach to
strength training focused on exercising multiple muscles and joints together
instead of working muscles in isolation as with conventional strength training.
FST emphasizes the body's core muscles - abdomen and back - as stabilizers. The
core plays an important role in nearly every sports activity.
"Functional strength training is becoming more popular because it is so
practical," said Christine Cunningham, MS, ATC/L, CSCS and a member of the Life
Fitness Academy Training Network. "This type of training is an ideal way to help
maximize sports performance."
FST should supplement traditional weight lifting and is not intended to replace
it. It provides variety and additional benefits that directly transfer to common
sport movements. For optimum results, people should perform traditional strength
training regularly and supplement this with FST. · FST uses free weights such as
dumbbells and barbells, pulley weight machines, elastic bands, stability balls
and balance boards. Conveniently, these tools now are available for use in the
home as well as the gym.
Basically, in FST, exercises should mimic the movements of the sport while
working against resistance. For best results, train with movements that follow
and are equal to or greater than the current range of motion, and are at the
same speed as the sport's movement to be performed. Research indicates that
training at high speeds improves performance on dynamic movements, such as a
vertical jump, better than training at low speeds.
Also make sure to coordinate all the muscles involved in the movement for
maximum effectiveness. With FST, you don't want to only train the shoulder to
throw better; it is important also to train the chest, back, biceps, triceps and
abdominals, as you simulate a throwing movement. Use muscular contractions and
speed of movement during training that are specific to the demands of the sport.
A personal trainer can provide you with exercises that use these contractions.
Keeping in mind that range of motion, speed of movement, coordination and type
of contraction are critical factors, the following are some examples of ways to
conduct FST for specific sports:
A golfer who wants to maximize his/her power (and thereby lengthen the distance
of his/her shots) should focus on the major muscles involved in the golf swing
from the legs and hips to the torso and through the upper body - perhaps by
using a high pulley with weights and simulating his/her swing all the way from
the beginning of the stroke to the follow-through. A soccer player who wants to
improve the speed and distance of his/her kick could use an ankle strap on a low
pulley machine to mimic the kicking motion used on the playing field,
challenging the muscles of the legs along with balance and torso stabilization.
A tennis player can develop a more powerful forehand or backhand by using a
pulley with resistance to mimic the swinging movement, including chest, shoulder
and forearm muscles and torso rotation.
To get started, check with a local health club that may have personal trainers
who can design a tailored FST routine using a variety of tools. For working out
at home, the new ParaBody 777 Cable Motion Gym System is ideal due to its
multiple pulleys and cables, unrestricted paths of movement and multitude of
exercise options. It even comes with a helpful video and a wall chart.
Strength training isn't just about improving your physique anymore.
Incorporating FST can enhance overall well-being and help you achieve your
potential in the playing arena.
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