Gym Training to Improve Your Athletic Performance
If you’re seriously interested in being a highly competitive athlete, it’s no surprise that a good deal of time, effort, and discipline will be required. Training to be competitive in any sport does not happen overnight. Rather, success is a combination of the right willpower and technique.Circuit training is an integral part of this training.
The first technique that any athlete must embrace is the intake of water. Water is the absolute best way to hydrate your body during an intense workout. With all of the water loss during a workout, it’s easy to become dehydrated. This, in turn, can lead to muscle cramps and other complications. Staying fully hydrated with enough water is one of the best ways to ensure your workout is successful and easy on the body, inside and out. This includes circuit training, a fast-paced, demanding workout wherein you quickly cycle through workout machines.
Make sure to avoid one of the most common workout mistakes, not switching up a workout routine. Our bodies are incredible machines that react and adapt to both stimuli and the environment. In terms of working out, this means that performing the same routine day in and day out will actually not yield the best results. Our muscles become accustomed to certain routines or patterns, and they actually don’t get as much benefit as if you switched up the workout. For example, don’t do crunches, squats, and free weights in the same order every day. Rotate machines and routines at random, and it will actually yield quicker and more effective results.
Also, never forget the importance of stretching thoroughly before a workout. Making sure you’re loose and limber will cut down on the chance of injury while working out, and it will also reduce the chance of injury while playing your specific sport. Stretching should always come before and after your workout as both a warm up and cool down. If desired, incorporate a yoga, pilates, or gymnastics routine into your workout schedule. In addition to amazing targeted muscle toning, yoga, pilates, and gymnastics also emphasize proper breathing and flexibility, both of which are invaluable when playing a sport.
When working out, always strike a balance between cardiovascular workout, endurance, and muscle building. Depending on your sport of choice, you’ll have to decide which should be emphasized, but every routine should have a place in your workout. Endurance, after all, is not just for long distance runners, just as muscle toning is not exclusive to bodybuilders. Every athlete should have proper muscle mass and overall fitness in order to perform at the peak of his or her ability.
Also, don’t push yourself too hard. Routines should be paced, measured, and increased in intensity only as your body is able to handle it. It’s easy when you’re starting a workout routine to overzealously attack the treadmill, but this mistake can lead to injury. It is also easy to get discouraged this way. Start small and build on progress. In this way, working out is much like dieting. The idea is not to crash through it for a few weeks and then forget about it. Dieting and exercise are meant to be incorporated into your life in a lasting and sustainable way. With that in mind, don’t attempt to run a marathon if you’ve never set foot on a track before. Take it slow at first, increasing your routine in intensity and difficulty as you become stronger, leaner, fitter, and more equipped to handle it.
Lastly, if you decide to join a gym or seek guidance during your workout, for your health and general safety, always ensure your instructor is fully qualified.
Weight training limits a footballer’s flexibility and agility.
NCAA Gymnastics Recruiting Information.
Sharpen and train those talents