Weight Training

[SocrAddict]

I am working out in the weight room about three times a week. I feel like i am getting bigger but loosing a good amount of flexibility. I warm up and stretch before and after working out. I want to continue working out but don't want to loose my flexibility... any suggestions?

[BallerStatus90]

First of all I would suggest getting an athletic trainer to help you figure out a workout plan that suits what your trying to accomplish. As far as flexibility goes i would suggest doing less weight and more reps. This will keep your muscles lean, flexible  and continue to strengthen them.

To my experiences the types of work outs that a person does in the weight room normally depends on what sports they play. For example football players will normally do more weight and less reps to get as big as possible. A soccer player would do less weight and more reps to increase stamina, strength and sustain flexibility. Soccer players cant afford to get big and bulky and are required to run 90 minutes with almost no break.

I hope this helps and again i would recommend an athletic trainer to help you accomplish your physical goals.

[thejocdoc]

One of the things athletes do not pay attention to is posture.  Before undertaking any weight training program, you should have your posture evaluated.  Let's say you play hockey.  Your season will end in March.  You'll take a couple of weeks off and then start training again.  Before you start that training, you remember about your posture and go to a sportsmassage therapist who tells you that your right hip is high and rotated internally because of tight groin muscles.  If you started your workout with your hip in this position, you would train it to stay in that bad position...and then, when you start to play again, you could pull your groin...because your hip is now strong, but in the wrong place.

In my practice, almost 60% of the athletes who come to me with injuries have postural issues.  Check this out before working out.

One of the reasons many of us promote core work is to strengthen those muscles that attach to your spine...these are very important postural muscles.  Anyone know the names of these muscles???

[SocrAddict]

Very interesting. I have always herd it is necessary to have good posture but i never thought it would effect my athletic ability.

I would guess you are talking about abs, hip flexors, and your lower back? I'm not sure about the exact names of each muscle...

[thejocdoc]

One of the newer concepts in conditioning is called "Prehabilitation."  Prehap is an assessment process that looks at various things such as posture; weaknesses/strengths; injury history; nutrition, etc...to see where the athlete is in his/her body right now.  The results of the assessment are used to design a pre-workout program to fix any issue before starting a strength-training program.  Notice I say "strength training" rather than "weight training."  We are beginning to get away from the old idea that all an athlete needs to do is squats, cleans, etc...and that there is much more to gaining strength. If y ou are going to spend good money at a gym or center, make sure they carry out an assessment before...otherwise you are wasting your money.  You could be doing the wrong exercises, etc.

Core work focuses on postural muscles.  The major ones are:  the transverse abdominis...those muscles that attach to your spine and wrap around your sides and attach to your ribs.  These muscles are your weight belt.  Suck your navel toward your back.. These are the muscles you use to do this...and these muscles are the first to fire when you move.

The psoas is another. This is a hip flexor muscle of sorts...starts on your spine around midback and plunges from back to front and attaches just above your hip bone in your lower abs...If this muscle is too tight, it will pull up one hip causing a leg-lenght discrepancy which will cause you to be imbalanced.

The Quadratus Lumborum are the other biggie...this muscle attaches to your pelvis in the back; your ribs; and spine creating a triangular muscle.  This is the muscle you use to twist and turn.  Do you do a lot of twisting when playing soccer???

I have a full core development program on my website at www.chap.com.  Check it out.  The exercises are in three groups:  balance, stability and strength and are animated to help you learn how to execute.

[SocrAddict]

I i feel like soccer players twist to a certain extent, especially when they are shooting. I would think that the majority of a persons power  when shooting starts from the transverse abdominis, and the psoas?

Ill def check out your website.Thanks for the information!