Every day and every night on our television screens, at ballparks, stadiums and hockey rinks, we witness feats so jaw dropping, so mesmerizing, so out of this world insane that we question if we’re simply mortals witnessing the reigns of athletic Gods! May it be Lebron James accelerating 88ft in 3 seconds to block a game winning dunk, or Mark Trumbo crushing a baseball over the center field wall, we see amazing spectacles performed by great athletes constantly.
Now of course these are 2 of the most elite athletes in the world in their respective sports, and they’ve reached a level that most of us can only dream of achieving. But as an athlete I’m sure you’ve asked how can I get at least get close? How can I attain just a little of the athletic prowess of the elites?
Oh heavy is the head of the performance coach who is approached countless times by athletes and parents with Usain Bolt expectations…yea…I’m that guy. And while we know genetic makeup will ultimately decide the athletic potential (notice I said athletic potential, not success) of an athlete, our job as performance coaches is to move an athlete as far along the athletic pendulum that they are genetically capable of achieving.
So how do we do that? Simply put…by leaving no stone unturned. Let me explain, Lebron James didn’t react and accelerate so quickly by having a training regimen in which he shoots 3 pointers all day, nor does Mark Trumbo hit so many home runs by hitting 100 balls 24/7.
Competition requires so many dynamic movements of the body that it would be unwise to train only one aspect of your given sport, in fact you’d only be setting yourself up for failure. Do you train for strength and stability? (Strength training is a staple for every athlete in any sport) Can you accelerate, decelerate, elevate, move laterally, backwards, circular and maintain maximum speeds? These are all elements you see in most sports and therefore they should all have their place in an athletes training regimen. Of course some of these elements are used more than others depending on the sport but the point here is that training doesn’t always have to be sport specific, and almost every movement of the body can be trained.
Unfortunately, most of us will never reach the athletic level of Lebron James, but at least our training can move us in the right direction. So consider your own regimen…is it too narrow, are you not incorporating strength, does it not work on your weaknesses, and more importantly is it dynamic? Are you covering multiple facets of development because if you’re not then you’re most definitely leaving a lot on the table. I preach this all the time to parents in my gym and to my athletes, I can make you a better ball player (whatever the sport) without ever touching a ball. The reason is that I’m not in the business of developing softball, soccer, or volleyball players, I develop athletes. And better athletes will always have a better shot at success.-Boostman
Owner, Boost Training Systems in Corona, CA
Level 1 & 2 Coach Bommarito Performance
CSCS, USAW
