Sport-Specific vs. General Training

Sport Specific vs. general training is a popular topic in the fitness world.  Sport-specific resistance training requires a more refined approach than simply lifting heavy weights to complete exhaustion. A physiological analysis of any game or event will confirm that most athletes require explosive power, muscular endurance, maximal strength or some combination of all three in order to excel.  At WST we use the conjugate method which requires that we rotate the lifts every two weeks.  We perform max effort lifts twice a week (lower body and upper body) followed by supplemental lifts.  All our max effort days are designed to get your nervous system to fire at faster rate.  WST trainers focus on stabilization of the three joints of the leg- the ankle, knee and hip. All athletes, regardless of sport they play, are susceptible to injuries in these three joints. One of the only proven prevention techniques is to practice properly bending and absorbing the shock these joints sustain during your chosen sport. As an added bonus, training athletes to bend at these three joints, forces them to lower their center of gravity which, in return increases their speed. Regardless of the size or age of an athlete, bending correctly at these three joints in the leg, while changing direction helps athletes of all sports and activities increase their speed.

The term “general training” can be taken in different ways and we at WST feel that it is important that every individual had their own strength program. Most individuals that train have a balance between strength, anaerobic, and aerobic training. An equal balance is not necessarily good for an athlete. Different sports have different metabolic demands; if your sport is anaerobic you should train anaerobically.  For example, if you are a power lifter you should not be running long distances.  If you are a marathon runner you should be training aerobically.  Sport-Specific training is important to every type of athlete.  General Training while good for overall fitness does not address the specific needs of athletes actively participating in sports to reduce the incidence of injuries.

Written By: WST Trainer Vicky Ziolkowski