Two big misconceptions about strength training – lifting weights in particular – for athletic development are:
- Loss of Flexibility
- Loss of Speed
Let’s address both of these separately:
“Lifting Weights Make You Tight”
Yes and no. There is a kind of tightness that we actually want to build – muscular strength and stability around big joints especially the neck, shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, and ankles. More joint stability means more control and more control yields all of the other things that improve athletic performance such as power, agility, and resilience.
Stiffness or rigidity on the other hand is what we don’t want. You might be surprised to hear that strength training is the best way for eliminating stiffness. Why? As a distinguished physician once said, “Stiffness is always there for a reason.” The most common reason is weakness especially from muscular asymmetries caused by a sport, physical hobby, or lack thereof. If you want to unlock your joints and acquire the kind of stability and control conducive for peak athletic performance, you need to consistently become stronger.
“Weight Training Makes You Slow”
Wrong.
This idea typically stems from caricatures of bulking cycles in the sport of Bodybuilding and certain events in Strongman Competitions.
Building maximal strength relative to one’s body mass in full body and lower body training movements has a tremendous impact on short sprint times, reflexes, and balance/coordination.
Why Our Program Is 100% Individualized
Although we have a framework in place for general athletic preparedness, space must be left open for specific athletic preparedness on the individual level.
Depending on age, goals, the sport, and the role within that sport one might need to emphasize certain athletic qualities over another. Maximal strength, stability/control, speed, muscular mass all matter but in designing a program for the individual, it depends.
Interested in learning more about our Sports Performance Sessions? The next step is to fill out the form below. We’ll send you more information about our program, schedule, and how you can set up your first no-obligation visit!
If you prefer to contact us directly – Call or Text 484-356-6442!
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