Track & Field Workouts - Increase Muscle & Strength

Weight training and conditioning can be used for more than rehab or bodybuilding. Those who run sprints or marathons, long jump or throw javelin can benefit from a weighty training conditioning program. There are some great exercises which can be applied specially toward helping you get better conditioned toward your game or sport!

Plyoballs are now a common thing found in many gyms. Once known as medicine balls, these plyo balls come in various sizes and weight. Ideal for sport training combined with plyometrics.

Using a plyo ball during crunches, crunches on a ball, balance training on the extreme board, held while balanced on a Bosu ball in a V- sit, held for single leg hopping and many more ideas. Some simple exercises using a plyo ball would be lunges, walking lunges, lower back hyper extensions, knee raises (held between legs or calves), pushups with one hand on the ball and overhead presses. Placing a plyo ball in a back sack then practicing your sprints will guarantee that when you take that back sack off you will run faster.

Holding light dumbbells during squat or tuck leaps are an excellent enhancement to help you jump higher. Lunge switch leaps, crunches and good mornings done with light weights will make your core stronger and give your muscular endurance a boost.

Mat work is ideal for the end of your work in order to accomplish additional light core work such as oblique crunches, reverse crunches, supermans, lower back extensions, and tricep pushups. Stretches and exercises such as the plank and side plank are also excellent to do on the mat once you are done with your workout.

Body Ball training had been taken to new levels with athletes standing on top performing squats with weight. You do not have to go that far to get a great conditioning workout on the ball. Sitting on the ball with feet of during seated bicep curls helps bring the core into the mix. The body ball is a nice pad for lying over to perform lower back hyper extensions. Knee pull ins is a popular exercise second to hand to foot ball passes.
Try some lunges with one foot on the ball. Side lunges with a foot on the ball at your side will hit all the thigh and glute muscles. Put the ball in front and put one leg on top while you do lunges that way or have the ball behind you with a the back leg on the ball during the lunge. This is very advanced and needs good balance already.

Rope skipping has always been an inexpensive alternative for anyone to get some cardio work in especially martial artists, boxers and most fighters. Women have caught on about how it also helps to shape the lower body so now many women are found using skip rope as a interval to their circuit training. Learning different patterns such as single foot, alternating single foot, double and triple rope revolution are a few of the skills you can practice.

Track and field athletes need to incorporate some or all of the above choices throughout their training during appropriate cycles. These exercises can easily be applied to home or gym and will help you push those results off the charts!

By Linda Cusmano