It may come as a surprise to many that there is very little change between fundamental lifting and sport specific routines.

In fact, according to acclaimed sport strength and conditioning coach, Jim Wendler, not much changes at all.

“I’m here to tell you that regardless of the sport being performed on the field, not much really changes. This obviously goes against the “sport specific training specialists” who are trying to convince you that each athlete and sport is a special snowflake. Let’s examine the facts.

All sports require that an athlete have strong hips, legs, shoulders, arms, and midsection. The best way to develop these areas is with a basic and effective barbell-training workout. There are no “sport specific” exercises as weight training for sports is nothing more than General Physical Preparedness (GPP).”

It is likely not surprising that the fundamental approaches to strength training generally, are also the same for elite athletes. The overall goal is efficiency so that athletes are spending less time in the weight room and more on the field/court, etc. Goals include strength, speed, agility and conditioning on top of specific skill work. So, while a specific training approach may not have merit, having a strong foundation allows for easier growth in each of these key areas.

It is important to be mobile enough to reach required positions and explosive enough to move through each position. Basic barbell routines seem to be the most efficient way to achieve this optimal status. Typically such routines include squats, deadlifts, bench press, and power cleans. Where athletes can start adding a few sport-specific exercises is within their assistance Work.

The benefits of assistance work

This is where athletes and coaches can get a little dynamic in their training plan. The goal of assistance work is to build muscle mass and assist with rehabilitation. It is also used to prevent injury in areas that are higher risk for a certain sport or to balance out a strength training regime.

Assistance work can also be accomplished using simple barbell routines. They typically include hamstring, single leg, lat/upper back, abdominal and lower back exercises.

Before and After Workout

The weight room is a great place to increase flexibility and mobility, including a comprehensive stretch and warm up practice. Wendler highly recommends the Parisi warm-up as it has a variety of options. He also recommends including stretches for the hips, piriformis and internal rotators as these areas are easily injured and often forgotten.

If you have questions about your sport-specific workout or are looking for rehabilitation tips and techniques, please don’t hesitate to reach out and we’d be happy to help put together a plan for you.