50 Tips for Serious Athletes
by Jeremy Frisch
Note: Jeremy Frisch is the performance director at the Competitive
Athlete Training Zone in Acton, Massachusetts, where he works with
athletes from age six to college level.
50 Training Tips for Serious Athletes! 1.
Wanna get faster for your sport? You need to sprint. Work on your
acceleration first with short sprints of 5-25 yards. Later on, extend
those distances to 40-60 yards or more.
The
old school mentality of doing long distance work first to "get in
shape," then lower your distances and sprint later, is flawed. To
get fast we need to sprint, and to get to top speed we first need to
accelerate. Working on acceleration speed and mechanics should be the
first thing an athlete does to get faster. 2. In sprinting,
ground force production is the name of the game. Speed is a direct
result of strength, which is why athletes need to get strong in order
to produce enough force to run fast and be athletic. Basic
multi-joint lifts such as back squats, front squats, overhead squats,
trap bar deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, and Olympic lift
variations will help build the type of strength needed to improve speed.
The trap bar deadlift 3.
As an added bonus, each of the lifts mentioned above will also add
slabs of functional muscle to your body. These lifts are especially
effective at adding strength and size in some of the body's most
important areas including the glutes, hamstrings, erectors, and traps.
When focusing on sprinting and jumping, these muscles are responsible
for propelling the body forward and upward. 4. Technique is
first and foremost in the weightroom. Don't just dismiss a lift or
technique because it's difficult or tedious. You should learn proper
form on the major lifts such as cleans and back squats regardless of
your feelings about them. The more tools you have in your toolbox, the
more complete of an athlete you'll become. 5. Add emphasis to
the lifts you like the least. Switching your focus to those lifts you
often leave out can be beneficial. Few people really enjoy squatting,
but we all know how crucial squats are to athletes. Learn how to do
them, master them, get strong at them, and see what happens. 6.
If you're looking for a great way to work speed, leg strength,
technique, and conditioning all in one workout, look no further than
hill sprints. Hill sprints can be done anytime and anywhere
there's a big scary hill. For early off-season workouts there really is
no better way to build a base in each of the aspects listed above. Find
a 40-60 yard hill and rip it! 7. Jump! Implementing jumps in
your workout is a must. Don't go crazy, but a few strategically placed
sets of broad jumps or squat jumps before sprint sessions or lifts will
not only help your body develop explosive strength, but also help with
deceleration. As a bonus, they'll also prime the nervous system for the
workout that follows.
8.
Progress your jump work gradually. Don't simply throw in depth jumps
from your roof on a whim. Plan them and progress them intelligently. An
example of a progression would be starting with box jumps (jump onto
box) for a few weeks, then vertical jumps, followed by broad jumps and
finishing with low box depth jumps. From there you can progress even
further, but make sure you establish a base to start. Use them
correctly and wisely and jumps can be a real asset in your training
regimen. 9. If your goal is to look stronger and bigger, then
you best be doing your squats and deadlifts with heavy weight.
Somewhere in the 4-6 rep range will be ideal for this desired outcome. For
real athletes and anyone serious about training, the size you desire
accompanies the strength attached to it. I always say to my athletes,
"You'll look like you can squat 450 pounds when you can squat 450
pounds." Size and appearance really mean nothing if you can't back it
up with actual strength and power. 10. Want big guns? Don't
even talk to me about getting you arms bigger until you can do chin-ups
with 30-plus pounds for 6 reps. Similar to my point above, you'll have
big arms when your arms can move serious weight.
11.
Many sports require grip strength. Football, baseball, tennis, field
hockey, and wrestling are just a few of them. However, grip strength is
often forgotten or under-utilized in a training program. Grip
strength is important and it needs to be worked along with all other
strength points in the body. Build your hand strength through farmer's
walks, chin-up holds, thick bar usage, wrist rollers, reverse curls,
and plate pinches.
12.
Utilize unilateral work. Single-leg squats are one of the best
exercises an athlete can use for injury prevention, strength for
sprinting, and balance. Work up to 100 pounds of external load in the
single-leg squat, then watch your back squat poundages go up. Use
dumbbells for upper body unilateral work as well: one-arm presses,
one-arm push presses, one-arm bench presses, one-arm dumbbell rows
without supporting your body against anything, etc.
13.
Want scary looking traps? Then learn how to do cleans, snatches, and
high pulls. These exercises will literally transform your upper back
musculature. Oh yeah, they've also been known to increase power,
vertical jumping ability, and speed... just in case those things matter
to any athletes out there.
The high pull 14.
A great exercise for the lower body that nobody uses: snatch grip
deadlift! This gem of an exercise works the posterior chain from traps
to Achilles as well as the grip.
15. In between your main training sessions, use smaller sessions to help your body recover or promote growth. I
love doing dynamic stretching on my off days, prepping my body like I'm
going to workout, and then backing off. This really helps my recovery.
You could swim to unload the body, or do a few extra sets of an
exercise to bring up a lagging body part. 16. Regeneration is
important for an athlete, making off day work very critical. For this
reason, I always carry my small foam roller (or a tennis ball) and a
Jump Stretch band with me to do some soft tissue work and static
stretching when I feel the need. An athlete who tends to feel
constantly tight should try to roll and static stretch a couple of days
a week.
17.
Ever do hip mobility work? This is underappreciated by many athletes. I
love it so much I actually bought my own set of track hurdles.
Step-overs, step-unders, lateral movements, and leg kicks in whatever
combination you see fit will work range of motion in the hips, which is
necessary for proper running technique. 18. Adding another
variation, if you don't have hurdles you can use the power rack for the
same purpose. By setting up a couple of barbells across the safety pins
you can do the step-overs and step-unders and get the same hip mobility. 19.
Use medicine balls. Whether you're performing low intensity abdominal
work or power development through multi-throws/heaves, the use of med
balls can step your workout up a level. All athletes should have a few
of these around their gym.
20.
Don't like the Olympic lifts but seek power development? Then utilize
the dynamic method popularized by the Westside Barbell Club. Take
50-60% of your one rep max and move this weight as fast as possible for
a couple of reps per set. This emphasizes bar speed, not weight, and is
great for developing explosive power. 21. Are you a young
developing athlete? Than go out and compete for your school's track
& field team. You get to sprint, jump, and throw heavy objects.
These are the exact skills and drills that young athletes should be
doing to develop all around speed, strength, and coordination. 22.
The overhead squat is by far one of the most humbling exercises an
athlete can do. Initially, even with the lightest of weights, you'll
twist, turn, and wince from discomfort. But when performed correctly,
they're great for mobility in the hip and shoulder complex and can
build unbelievable supporting strength throughout the entire back and
legs. Learn them, love them, live them.
Accueil 
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And
36. Read the book Dinosaur Training
48. Ten great books on speed and strength training, in no particular order: