I remember years ago having a parent approach me about training their kid for the purpose of developing speed. The kid was a football player and certainly needed speed, but most importantly he needed to develop a foundation of strength in order to be in a position to acquire speed in the first place. Of course, as a coach this was apparent to me, but to the parent this logic didn’t quite line up.
Over the years it’s been a common practice among coaches, trainers, and organizations to implement Olympic lifts with the intent on developing power and athleticism. After all, at the end of the day a stronger athlete is a more competitive athlete…OR are they? Continue reading so that we can explore this concept in deeper detail.
True strength is about honing your physical skills by being able to control and coordinate your body through certain actions. This ability to coordinate your strength is something that is necessary for everyday function, particularly if your everyday activity involves significant use of your body. In life or death the ability to hone and coordinate your physical strength can make all the difference in the world.
There is a raging fire within some of us. Some of us have a desire to push and to discover what we can do with our minds and bodies in different scenarios. The essential trait for nurturing such a spirit, or desire is patience and persistence. Patience and persistence are dying traits in today’s world…and at the same time so is the characteristic of quality. When it comes to strength this is certainly the case.
Over my 15 year career I’ve had a great deal of experience with recognizing the bread and butter of what makes an athlete, or trainee successful. The thing is that I’ve always explained to parents, trainees, and other sport specific coaches (the coaches of the specific sport being played) that my job is to not specifically make the individual a better baseball player, a better football player, or a better fighter. My job is to make that individual a better athlete…period! By doing this they will excel at their relative sport, or physical life demands.
