Accept the challenge to increase your athletic abilities for speed, power, and functional performance. Developing these skills will not only benefit you for this winter season’s sports, but it will also condition and prepare your body for other activities or sports you adopt in the future!
TRAIN WITH A PURPOSE
All sports have an element of functional strength, balance, coordination, speed, agility, flexibility, and power production. When the body is conditioned and trained in all realms of developmental skills, then optimal performance is achieved.
Developing strength and conditioning skills outside of the sport is just as important as performing the activity. These training skills transfer over into the actual activity by performing with better athletic ability and preventing injury. Other benefits include:
- Multidirectional joint strength
- Greater confidence
- Reaction speed
- Mental focus
- Faster recovery
Training in all aspects of fitness and performance will deliver a balance of skills needed to excel at the sport(s) you love most. An athlete lies within us all. Are you ready to develop your best skills?
Get ready to bring out your inner athletic abilities and train with a purpose to perform your best.
ATHLETIC POWER TRAINING
With the Winter Olympics recently occurring, let the excitement of sports motivate you to train for your gold status. I’ve created a set of drills and exercises that focus on functional strength, speed, and power production.
These exercises and drills are good for all winter sports including; ice skating, speed skating, skiing, cross country skiing, hockey as well as indoor winter sports such as basketball. These drills can cross over into all season sports as well!
- Follow the recommended instructions for each set of drills and exercises.
- Adjust the incline accordingly to accommodate your strength and fitness goals.
- Challenge yourself when your skills improve by adjusting the incline, increasing the timed sets, increase reps, or include other drills.
DYNAMIC WARM-UP:
Benefits: Prepares muscles in different ranges of motion for the workout ahead.
- 10 Reps / exercise, 2 Sets (5-8 min)
- Directional Jump Squats
- Split Jumps
- Toe Touches
- Push-Up Side Plank
- Rolling V-Up
SPEED DRILLS:
Benefits: Develops lateral speed and agility.
- Perform each drill for 30-45 seconds, 2-3 Sets
- Vary the time and sets to challenge your athletic goals
No accessories needed
- Lateral Hops
- Shuffle Stick
- Forward Lunge Extensions
STRENGTH, SPEED & POWER:
Benefits: Promotes isometric upper-body strength for coordination, speed and power.
- 10 Reps / exercise OR
- 20- 30 seconds / exercise, 2-3 Sets
Attach cables
- Static Back Rows
- Static Chest Press
- Static ‘L’ Shoulders
CORE POWER & REACTIVE SPEED:
Benefits: functional core power, speed, and agility production utilizing dynamic strength
- 10 Reps / exercise, 2-3 Sets
No accessories needed
- Rolling Burpie
- Incline Donkey Kicks
POST WORKOUT STRETCH
End you training with a series of stretches that lengthen the muscles worked, reduce soreness, prevent injury, and prepare them for your next workout.
Foam rolling is also an effective method to release tension in the muscles and will prevent soreness from occurring. Check out this foam rolling video to learn proper techniques: https://blog.totalgymdirect.com/foam-rolling-self-myofascial-release-techniques
LINKS TO ATHLETIC PERFORMACE
There are so many great ways to incorporate speed and power production drills into your training routine. Here are a few links to other great workouts that can assist in developing your skills as well as provide motivational information to you this season.
- Skiing and skating drills on the Total Gym: https://blog.totalgymdirect.com/skiing-and-skating-workouts-using-the-total-gym
- Tips and Drills to Staying Active through the Winter: https://blog.totalgymdirect.com/staying-active-through-winter
Be sure to watch the video to see how these speed drills and power exercises are performed on your Total Gym.
Bring out your inner athletic power in all that you do. You have the strength, speed and power within you to accomplish greatness. As they say in the Olympics, “Do what you can’t” …. and see what you really can.
Stayed tuned for Part 2 of Speed and Power Drills for Winter Sports. This additional blog will provide a variety of advanced training options to take your skills to the next level.
Best Always,
Maria
