We all know the impact that performance enhancing drugs have on the sports we love and the athletes we admire. Unfortunately, steroid use is a dark, ever-growing shadow, in modern day athletics and can make it difficult for we as fans to give players the respect they deserve. In the back of our minds, we are constantly wondering if their athletic prowess is the result of hard work or something extra. For every convicted steroid user, there are dozens more players who get in shape for their sports the right way. So here at All Sports Talk, we thought we’d give some of our younger readers a few tips on what exercises might be appropriate and best suited for success in each of the three major sports.
Football Players
In football, at any level, size and strength are going to be your biggest advantages. Weight lifting is obviously a huge part of their training, but sometimes athletes need an exercise routine that is more relatable to what they actually do out on the field. During the offseason, football players can train their body to adapt to the intensity and speed of professional football by participating in MMA Exercise Programs. The speed and impact of MMA exercises translates well onto the football field, and probably does a better job of prepping a player for the upcoming season than any other type of workout. Our buddies over at Jock Jerseys have also posted an article that discusses the particular exercises that Adrian Peterson does to prepare for and maintain during the season.
Baseball Players
Baseball is all about leg strength and flexibility. Baseball players, and pitchers in particular, like to keep their upper bodies a little more lean, which makes it much easier to throw the ball and swing the bat. Too much bulk up top can actually be a detriment when it comes to playing baseball. Squats and leg exercises are crucial for players in the offseason, but in a sport that is played 6 days out of the week, intense weight training isn’t an ideal practice. Instead, baseball players tend to do more resistance band exercises meant to simulate the motions they go through dozens, even hundreds of times in a single ball game. Yoga and flexibility exercises are also a big part of conditioning throughout the season.
Basketball Players
Ideal strength training for basketball players actually falls somewhere in the middle between baseball and football. Size is an advantage when playing as a forward or center down low in the post, but having to run up and down the court with all that mass really limits a player’s versatility. Because of the nature of the sport, basketball players will do well to constantly improve on their cardio and leg strength. Upper body can be important, but much like we noted with baseball players, too much bulk up top can make it difficult to have a consistent shot from mid to long range. Basketball players should focus on exercises that improve their agility and reflexes, to give them an advantage over their opponents on both sides of the ball.