Should you train “sport-specific?”

Let’s chat “sport-specific training”…

The concept of focusing your training based on specific movements found in your sport tends to be quite controversial, as it lends itself to the idea that an athlete will become very one dimensional. In fact, it is often argued that the individual might lose their ability to perform as an ‘athlete,’ trending more towards the direction of solely mastering their specific “skill or technique.”

As a trainer, my philosophy lies somewhere in the middle…the gray area if you will:

- there will always be a time and a place for functional training (whether that be for sport or daily activities)

- in fact, most times I would argue that functional training is the most important reason for any and all movement

- a well rounded athlete has the ability to adjust, react, and adapt both on and off the field

- giving the body opportunities to strengthen throughout a desired range of motion, gives way to neurological adaptations that can be better applied directly to desired sports or movement

- neglecting body parts and exercises that might not pertain directly to a sport, can result in weaknesses, imbalances, and/or injuries

What does it look like to incorporate

Whether I’m working with clients or writing programs, you’ll find I train my athletes to simply…MOVE WELL, in all aspects…with some slight modifications to drills or exercises that might pertain more to their goals/sport!

There’s a way to do both ;)