Sports Training

To get the most out of your sports training why not try to complement

them with various stratagies that are specificly designed to improve your performance in whatever discipline you may be in.

Plyometrics for example could help in sprinting. Whereas agility training could improve your performance in badmington or tennis.

You could design specific weight training routines that could aid in running, cycling or even martial arts.

Sports training can be broken down into three very distinct parts (see below). All play a role in the overall development of an athlete or sports professional.

Although much of this work is carried out in professional sports enviroments even the amatuer can take on board these methods in order to improve their own performance.

Physiology

Where fitness levels can be monitored using high tech equipment from gathering the data on heart rate, VO2 max etc a sports professional or athlete can see where improvments can be made, for example if max heart rate needs improving training for endurance could be incoporated into a tailored training plan.

Skills acquisition

This is where decision making skills are accessed. An athlete or sports professional needs to develop and perfect a specific set of perceptual, cognitive and motor skills. Again data from sophisticated equipment is gathered regarding the sports professionals quick thinking and analytical decision making which can then be studied for weakneses.

Biomechanics

The movement of the body is studied to see if improvements in an athletes or sports professionals execution and performance of technique is needed. For example a sprinters start of the block could be looked at to see if it had been performed with correct technique. From this further coaching could help correct any weak points.

Also biomechanics does not just have to stop at body movement but such questions as whether or not the sprinters footware (using the sprinter again as an example) is correct for that individual. From the way the foot lands on the floor and how much impact the foot is subject to, proper footware could be chosen for that individuals needs.

This can help boost performance and reduce injury.

Implementing the Science....

I know for most of us access to the latest sports science and professional coaches is not possible. But by thinking about each area and applying specific stratagies in more general terms you could improve your own performance as well.

If you are a runner for example you could benefit from getting trainers made to the exact measurments of your own feet. We are not all exactly the same foot size and their may be some variation between each foot as well. There are specialist sport footware outlets that provide this service and might prove to be worth the extra expense.

You may also decide that your stamina and endurance needs developing as you have decided to compete in the next marathon. Certain training stratagies could be incorporated into your normal training routine to help you achieve this more effectively.

Even if you are a keen golfer looking to improve your swing these sports training methods could still apply to you.

As well as the above I shall also look at certain motivational and physcological techniques used by the professionals, such as powerful visualization methods to help improve mental clarity and focus.

Whatever you require this section will try to cover the most popular and proven training methods.

Again their will be a relevent articles section aimed at providing the most recent science and knowledge so keep an eye on this section for all the latest news.