London, UK Posted 3 years, 12 months ago
Strength Training and Strength Exercises for Injury Prevention
Learn how strength training can prevent sports injury.
Strength training has been a part of sports conditioning for many years. It is touted for its effects on speed, strength, agility and muscle mass. Often overlooked though are its benefits for injury prevention.
What is Strength Training?
Strength training is moving the joints through a range of motion against resistance, requiring the muscles to expend energy and contract forcefully to move the bones. Strength training can be done using various types of resistance, with or without equipment. Strength training is used to strengthen the muscles, tendons, bones and ligaments and to increase muscle mass.
Strength training should be implemented in the conditioning program of all sports, not just strength sports. The increase in speed, strength, agility and muscular endurance will benefit athletes of every sport.
Strength training comes in a variety of formats. The formats are defined by the type of resistance and equipment used.
Machine weights - Machine strength training includes resistance exercises done using any of the various machines designed to produce resistance. These include machines with weight stacks, hydraulics, resistance rods or bands, and even the use of Thera-Band or resistance tubing.
The resistance (or weight) may be changed to increase the intensity of the exercise. The range of motion and position of movement is controlled by the machine. The resistance may be constant throughout the movement or may change due to the set-up of the pulley and cam systems. Machines often add a degree of safety but neglect the stabilizer, or helper, muscles in a movement.
Free weights - Free weight strength training involves using weights that are not fixed in a movement pattern by a machine. These include barbells and dumbbells. Also included in this group are kettlebells, medicine balls, ankle and wrist weights, and weight lifting chains.
The weight used, as with the machines, may be changed to increase the resistance of an exercise. The resistance at different points along the range of motion transfers to different muscles and due to angles may lessen at times. At the lockout of a joint the weight is transferred to the joint as the muscles simply stabilize the joint.
The range of motion and path of movement is not limited so the stabilizing muscles must work to keep the joints in line during the movement. Due to the fact that the movement is not fixed poor form can become an issue.
Own body weight exercises - Bodyweight exercises involve utilizing the athlete's bodyweight as resistance during the exercise. As with free weights, the range and path of motion is not fixed by a machine. Exercises such as plyometrics, push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal exercises, even sprinting and jumping rope, fall into this category.
The weight used in these exercises is constant and only changes when the athlete's body changes. The changes in resistance
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