Improving your team's performance doesn't just boil down to how hard your athletes push through practice after practice consisting of only skill-specific drills.
Read on for five workouts your team should be doing for better performance.
5 Workouts Your Team Should be Doing for Better Performance
1. HIIT
High-intensity interval training (HITT) improves VO2 max and overall cardiovascular fitness. This is especially important in sports where short bursts of speed are common, like football, hockey, and short-distance track.
2. Strength training
Getting stronger allows athletes to execute the mechanics of their sport with greater power, so team strength training will have a positive impact on your team's performance.
That doesn't mean your team has to hit the weight room (and typically isn't advised for youth athletes). Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, burpees, and squats — and many more — can all help build strength without putting excess strain on still-developing joints.
3. Single-limb exercises
These exercises help build strength and balance all over while also making any sort of poor form more noticeable and therefore easier to correct. Single-leg step-ups, pistol squats, and side planks help isolate muscle groups and force athletes to focus on the correct form to execute each move.
4. Core strengthening
Core strength is critical across all sports, but is often left on the sidelines in favour of skill-specific drills. Including core training in your regular practice sessions will help your athletes improve their mechanics, balance, and recovery after contact with other players.
5. Recovery workouts
Constant hard training leaves athletes prone to injuries. Allowing athletes the opportunity to allow their bodies to recover from the intense physical strain gives their minds and muscles time to heal.
That doesn't mean not moving altogether. Active recovery workouts like mindful walks or yoga sessions keep your athletes moving without the intense strain of regular practices.
Conclusion
Training to win requires more than just hammering sport-specific skills. You need to structure your practices more holistically. The workouts outlined above will aid your team's performance in competition.
What's your favourite workout? Tell us on Twitter (@tournkeyapp) and we'll share the best workouts.