Athletes have the most conditioned and fittest body because they have to be, in order to perform well in their respective sport. An athlete’s greatest weapon is his body and to achieve this, he must submit his body to an athletic conditioning regime which is tailor-made for his specific sport. Athletic conditioning is not just going to the gym but is mostly about discipline and training method. Athletic conditioning can be divided into six principles that when combined will give an athlete not only a body to die for but also excellence in his sport. These six principles are hip mobility, agility, balance, speed training, endurance and strength training. Endurance Endurance in athletic conditioning plays a vital role. This is where athletes learn how to push their bodies to the limit without sustaining injuries. Endurance training is very important but in a perfect athletic conditioning, both anaerobic endurance and aerobic endurance should be practiced equally. This will enable athletes to last long in their game. Strength training When you say strength training, it is not totally dependent on your absolute strength because being strong does not equate to being powerful. The strength training aspect of athletic conditioning develops power which refers to speed strength. Power training involves moving weights at high velocities and to do this various tools in strength training programs should be used to minimize neural burnout and boredom. Strength training increases maximal force production. Hip mobility Hip mobility is very important for athletes because this is the key in making agile movements and speed production. Hip mobility in athletic conditioning will enable athletes to move freely and easily. Ground-based sport relies heavily on hip mobility. Agility Agility is the ability to change acceleration and direction while maintaining balance. Agility training in athletic conditioning will have a dramatic change on an athlete’s movement’s ability in the field of play. Agility and quickness come hand in hand and should be done as one. Balance Balance is the ability to maintain center of body mass over a base of support. Balance training in athletic conditioning involves developing both the static balance which is maintaining balance while holding a stationary position and the dynamic balance which is maintaining balance while moving. Proper balance is necessary for any movement to be performed efficiently and for athletes, this is important. Speed training Speed training in athletic conditioning should be mistaken for agility and quickness training. Speed is influenced by the athlete’s mobility, special strength, strength endurance and technique. When training for speed alter the distance and intensity of training. The proper combination of the above mentioned aspects in athletic training will produce an athlete which a well rounded and ready for action anytime.
Gregory Evans is the author of this article on Principles in Athletic Conditioning Find more information about athletic conditioninghere.