How Athletes Can Take their Training to the Next Level Pt 1
We see many athletes at Back and Body here in New York city. Treating this demographic has become a key service in our clinic as we help both amateur and professional athletes recover from injuries and also to provide programs and education to help prevent injuries occurring in the future.
I recently came across a blog post by Dr Craig Leibenson of LA Sports & Spine that struck me and I thought I would share the highlights from the article with you. It was quite a detailed post so this will effectively be the first of two posts that I will release.
The essence of the article was that of the overall development of the athlete in terms of all the elements that make up the “ideal” athlete. In the amateur world, we tend to focus perhaps mainly on our strengths to the detriment of other areas of development. The overall professional athlete should progressively develop each of the following elements: speed, power, strength, agility, flexibility and endurance.
So for example, an amateur golfer typically has a swing speed of 50 – 90 mph, whereas a pro golfer’s swing speed is in excess of 115 mph. Tiger Woods for example, has been clocked at 130 mph. This explosive power has been built on developing both strength and speed.
Similarly, a boxer might have all the strength in the world, but if he lacks that speed in which to deliver blows, then that strength is worthless. It’s the speed that provides that power, that extra explosiveness to overcome the opponent. By focusing on all the elements, rather than simply strength, the athlete can attain greater success.
Dr Liebenson identified several experts in the field regarding weight training and the best way to maximize results.
The overall consensus was that it wasn’t necessarily how much a person could lift, but more the maximum a person could lift in a series of quick reps. It’s the burst of effort and intensity that can help to lift the athlete to the next level. Getting the adrenalin rush going, putting the body into fight or flight mode where the extra strength and thus that extra bit of ‘X’ factor comes in which can help propel the athlete from the pack to the top of his or her game.
This edge can help make or break the athlete and turn them from second best to the best.
In our second article which follows on from this, we’ll look at some exercises which can help you to attain this higher level of performance.
In the meantime, if you have any pain or feel that you need that extra bit of support to help prevent injury, make an appointment with us at Back and Body in New York city.
Contact us now. We have three simple ways you can make an appointment at our NYC chiro office:
Call now on (212)371 2000 or text (315)873-3095 or email us at
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