Every athlete is trying to improve their athletic ability.
Sprinting faster. Jumping higher. Lifting more weights.
But what parameters determine how you show off those athletic qualities in your sport?
I’ve listed out three physical parameters you can measure yourself, to see what areas you need to improve to see your athletic potential.
1) Hip Extension
If you are unable to fully extend at your hips, all of your athletic qualities are affected…
Our hips are the power center for all movements in athletics, and if an athlete has trouble with this, chances are, they’ll be lower on the athletic totem pole.
If you can’t fully extend your hips in a sprint, you won’t be able to finish your stride, leaving speed on the table. The same thing goes for jumping.
This can be graded by doing Trap Bar deadlifts. If the athlete isn’t able to fully extend at the hip, they will not reach their peak height at the top of the lift.
To work on hip extension, focus on stretching your hip flexors and hamstrings in exercises like a half-kneeling hip flexor stretch, or strap assisted leg lower.
2) Rate Of Force Development
If you don’t have high levels of force development, you won’t be able to make it in the athletic world.
Rate of force development is the speed at which you reach peak power. Meaning, it’s the speed of your muscle contractions.
RFD is the driving force for explosive athletic movements such as jumping, sprinting, and power.
We grade these with a broad or vertical jump.
3) Relative Strength
Relative strength is the ultimate equalizer in sports. Your relative strength is the amount of force you can output relative to your body weight.
This is why lineman can out lift the team in the weight-room, but not out sprint a receiver.
Why the biggest, most muscular guy in the gym, probably can’t do a ton of pull ups.
The higher your relative strength is the more likely that you’re athletic, explosive and powerful.
We can grade this parameter using pull ups.
All of these physical qualities matter when it comes to pure athleticism.
Relative Strength, RFD and Hip Extension is a primary focus of our Summer Sports Program.
Sweat Athletics by Sweat 60 in Santa Monica develops youth athletes by introducing them to the following:
- Foundational Strength Training in a safe environment
- Sport Specific Strength Training and Nutrition
- Resilience through the principles of developing an ironclad mindset
Run by former college athletes we have developed a clear system that gets athletes real results. For more information on securing your athlete a clear advantage email [email protected]
