Are your training efforts transferring to the lacrosse field?

Are your training efforts transferring to the
Lacrosse field?

Since the competitive lacrosse season has officially started it’s
probably time to post a little lax related info. Strength training
Is definitely going to play a role in the development of athletes in
most sports including lacrosse. It is probably also safe to say that
the higher the level you aspire to play at, the more important it will
become. The trick is making sure that your efforts in the gym
are not wasted and are transferring to the field. Anyone can
throw some iron around, but is it making you a better athlete?

We have been fortunate enough to work with both male and female
lacrosse athletes at the high school, collegiate, and professional level
at the Next Level Performance training facility. Listed below are a
few tips that have consistently proven successful for our athletes.

1. Balanced program: Making sure you have a balanced routine may be
the most important aspect of your training program. If your training
consists mainly of bench press and biceps curls, listen up! I’m talking
to you. When structuring your workouts make sure you follow a couple
of simple rules listed below.
* perform at least one set of upper body pulling exercises (chin-up,
or row variation) for every set of upper body pushing exercises.
* include some form of single leg exercise in your routine (lunge or
step up variation)
* Don‘t neglect the posterior chain. (RDL, good morning,
glute/ham raise, and dead lift variations)
* incorporate exercises for the external rotators and mid-trap.
* perform a simple but comprehensive stretching program
regularly.

A balanced program is the first step to a balanced body. This means optimal
performance, fewer training plateaus, and less injuries.

2. Get good at pull ups: If you want more velocity on your shot this is a must.
You can and should use multiple grips and rep patterns to develop this
strength movement. What is considered good? If you are a male at a
reasonable body fat %, a good starting goal should be 6-8 reps with
an additional 45lbs of load. Females should strive to add weight as
well. We have had multiple ladies that could perform 6 strict reps
with an additional 25 lbs. Now get to pullin!

3. Improve relative body strength: Being strong relative to your body weight is
the foundation for almost every athletic quality. This will improve every
aspect of your game, especially your first step and 10-15 yd acceleration.
The more force you are capable of putting into the ground the faster you
are going to move. A good starting point for lower body relative strength
is a squat or dead lift between 1.5 to 2.0 x body weight for males, and
1.25 to 1.5 x body weight for females. More often than not, we see
a steady improvement on speed tests as our athletes approach these numbers.

4. Avoid training with machines: Most of the machines that you will find in
your gym will have very little transfer to the field. In fact, if abused they
may actually increase the likely hood of injury. By sticking with Barbells
and dumbbells your body will work in multiple planes, stabilizers are
forced to come into play, and considerably more balance is required.
The basics win out every time!

5. Recover: We don’t get better when we train, we get better when we recover
from training. This might sound simple but it is often the most challenging
aspect to get across to our lacrosse athletes training in the summer. The
athletes who get the most out of our off-season programs are always the
ones who have mastered proper nutrition and sound sleeping habits. Bottom
line is, to perform at your best you have to train at your best, and to train
at your best you have to be fully recovered. I believe this is one of those
things that is so simple people dismiss how effective it is. Put as much
effort into your recovery as the rest of your program and both your training
and performance will improve.

Consider these tips when structuring your own program and we are confident
that you will make the most out of your training efforts. If you are interested
in learning more about our off-season lacrosse training programs go to our
Website at www.nextlevelperformancecenter.com or call 303-237-3390.
Best of luck in your training endeavors.