How To Get Stronger & Faster As A Multi-Sport Athlete

If you think THIS is a challenge, just imagine the stress that a Strength and Conditioning Coach like myself goes through in designing a program that makes all the sports coaches happy and keeps the athletes focused, without getting over trained!Below I have outlined several critical elements that will not only ensure that you or your athletes are not only in top shape for one sport, but for all sports, all year round!The very first assumption is that all high school athletes, with very small exception, need to build a solid foundation of core and multi-joint strength. This simply means that there should only be a focus on getting stronger within a limited selection of movements… mainly Squats, Lunges, Presses and Pulls. The focus of your year round program should be on getting stronger (not maintaining) strength in each of these “Primal” movement patterns. Oh yea, I’m sure you caught that line about getting stronger year round not just maintaining. I meant it! The fact is, because high school athletes are in the midst of a major growth period, they can continue to make gains in-season if the training variables are adjusted properly.

By limiting the volume of training to just 3-4 majors lifts with set of 3-8 reps, you can maintain a high level of intensity (which is the most important factor). Of course you will need to adjust your parameters based on time of season, and injuries. But by keeping it flexible, and following this basic approach you can continue to make gains year-round.

Finally, nutrition and recovery are key to injury prevention as well as faster gains. Make sure you maintain the following elements 24/7 365! First, always drink ½ your bodyweight in oz. of water daily. Eat like an animal; your meals should only contain foods that ‘were here 10,000 years ago’. This means that your plate should be over flowing with meat and veggies, run like hell from anyone who tells you to eat a low-fat diet! Finally sleep, sleep and sleep, as a high school student you are going to need 8-10 hours of sleep a night in order to get bigger, faster and smarter. A rule of thumb is go to bed by 10 and wake by 6 everyday, even weekends!Many high school athletes and coaches fail to realize that it IS possible to get faster and stronger year round, weather you are in-season of off-season. Make sure that rest and recovery is maintained and lift big. By following the steps in this article you are putting yourself in the top 5% of all high school athletes in the nation, the ones who become great!Coach Elliott Hulse CSCS is Tampa Bay’s most ‘in demand’ Strength Coach and Fitness Trainer. His programs get Athletes and “Tough Guys” faster, stronger, leaner and, meaner. Get a your FREE e-course ‘Explosive Speed & Strength’ http://www.StrengthCamp.com