Sports performance training programs are a great way for many athletes to improve their strength, speed and overall athleticism. For younger athletes, especially high school athletes, strength training is vital in pretty much every sport. Building both lower body and upper body strength will help athletes grow and excel on the field or court. However, there is one body area that is especially important to focus on while training: your core.
At Warren Academy, we provide strength and agility training programs designed to improve strength and speed, as well as educate athletes on what they can do to reach their athletic goals. In all that we do, building core strength is one of our greatest focuses. Below, we go over what “core strength” is, and why it’s essential for optimal sports performance.
What is core strength?
Our core is a complex group of muscles that extend much further than just our abs. Although “core strength” is often associated with “strong abs”, it is far beyond that. Strong core strength helps in all of our movements. It helps us transfer force and initiate movement on itself. Having a strong core is a building block to growing a strong body.
Why core strength is essential in sports performance
In athletics, an athlete’s core is involved in everything. Your core is what helps stabilize your spine and pelvis, as well as provide energy that is transferred to other muscle groups throughout your body. Having a strong core makes almost every movement easier. On the flip side, having a weak core can lead to more and easier fatigue, less endurance and can even make athletes more prone to becoming injured. Ultimately, developing core strength and stability enables athletes to maximize their power and perform complex athletic movements that require coordination, balance, strength and technical skills.
Ways to train your core
When you think “training your core,” the first thing many young athletes think of is getting on the ground and repping out a bunch of sit-ups. Although sit-ups will help build strength in your abdominal muscles, which are a part of your core, there are other efficient exercises that will hit your entire core altogether.
Planks
Planks are a very useful exercise for athletes to engage not only their core, but when done right, put their entire body through stress to keep the correct form. Planks are a great way to end a workout, and will hit a number of different muscle groups!
Full-body workouts
Outside of specific exercises and movements, focusing on full-body strength training is another way any athlete can strengthen their core. Doing lifts and exercises that make you engage multiple muscle groups will more than likely require an athlete to engage his or her core as well, ultimately improving strength.
Consistency
Lastly, the best way to improve core strength is by staying consistent with your training. Consistently focusing on engaging your core in normal exercises will help athletes get the core strength they need.
As athletes train and develop, the core is one of the most important muscle groups they should focus on. Use these tips to stay focused on training your core to improve your sports performance!
At Warren Academy, strength and agility training is what we specialize in! Visit our website to learn more about our strength and agility training programs today!
