Ten Reasons Athletes Should Strength Train

1) Sport-Specific Strength: When all else is equal, the strongest athlete wins every time. The key is to develop real world strength that the athlete can actually utilize in competition.

2) Speed and Agility: Sports are not just about linear movements. Sports require rapid movements and split-second changes of direction. Explosive athletes make plays, while

slow athletes are forced to stand by and watch.

3) Optimal Endurance: Exceptional athletes are well-conditioned performance machines. They can enter the late stages of competition fully confident they will not run out of gas.

4) Increased Flexibility: Muscles work best when they have an optimal length-tension relationship. Any deviation in this relationship can result in reduced force output, reduction in strength, less speed, and inferior overall performance.

5) Injury Prevention: A solid strength and conditioning program will reduce injuries. Fewer injuries increase athletic performance and lengthen playing careers. That means athletes spend time in the game, not on the sideline nursing injuries.

6) Recovery Enhancement and Nutritional support.  If an athlete can recover faster through proper training and diet, an athlete can train harder. Athletes with superior conditioning and adequate recovery maintain a high level of injury-free performance longer than poorly trained athletes.

7) Periodization: A well-designed program consisting of proper method planning ensures the athlete stays in top condition without overtraining. An athlete should achieve results by design, not by coincidence.

8) Optimal Body Composition: Whether the athlete needs to lose excess body fat, improve flexibility, make a weight class, or increase strength and muscle mass, ELITE will deliver a body that performs.

9) Improved Posture: Many athletes exhibit postural imbalances. When posture is not optimal, an athlete is beginning a movement from a weaker position. A strength and conditioning program that includes corrective exercises maximizes the body's ability to perform athletic movements from any starting position.

10) Muscle Balance: The body is a single system, not just a series of muscles. These muscles work in a linked system…a chain. It doesn’t matter how powerful an athlete’s strongest muscles are – the weakest link will determines the success of an athlete. Eliminate the weak links and dominate the competition.