Bound for glory

By Linda Drummond

CROSS-TRAINING can give you the on-field edge you need.

Take yourself back to those training sessions your coach forced you to suffer through when you first started a team sport: the endless plodding laps around the oval, the drills with the ball, the push-ups and, horror of horrors, the burpees (that bouncy squat, push-up, leap combo).

Were those coaches just sadistic, or is there something to all this training? You guessed it, they’d got it right. Practice might seem mind-numbingly dull, but it really does make perfect.

Regardless of the sport, you’ll find there are ways to boost your prowess. Nip down to the ocean baths in summer and you’ll see the local rugby league clubs running laps in the waist-high water before dashing up flights of stairs and back down, and up again. Or cast your eye over the golfer in the Pilates class working on her core strength to add a bit of zing to her swing. It’s cross-training like this that can add to your on-field appeal.

Exercise physiologist Trent Malcolm says you need to recognise the specific demands of your sport and then adapt your training to suit. When you train, you need to mimic movements that you perform in the game.

“Cross-training is also one area where people can heal any pre-existing injuries,” says Henry Wajswelner, sports physiotherapist from the Australian Institute of Sport and chairman of Sports Physiotherapy Australia.

Take me higher

Floating like a butterfly isn’t only for AFL players; plenty of other sports players would like to add a bit of spring to their step. Basketballers, soccer players, volleyballers and netballers all like to rise to the occasion. Here’s how they can do it.

Malcolm says the key is through plyometrics, a method of training that uses leaping, bounding and jumping exercises to enhance power. But don’t just start hopping around like a Mexican jumping bean. You need a strong muscular base for this as it is a pretty intense form of training.

“Plyometrics involves explosive types of movements, like hopping on one leg, jumping and bounding,” says Malcolm. “You need to have pretty good muscle tone or you could cause yourself injury.”

Try hopping up a set of stairs, landing lightly and feeling your thighs, calves and buttocks help to propel you off the ground.

Add 10 metres of bounding in the middle of a jog. Take off with a running bounce, bound for 10 metres then recommence jogging. Bounding up stairs is another good method.

Drop-jumping off a bench and bounding up again is tough, but good for you. Hurdles are also good if you can find them. Wear supportive shoes and where possible, do it on a cushioned surface such as grass.

Faster, faster

If you’ve got the need for speed, but worry you’re more tortoise than hare, fear not. We can all put a little nitrane in our tank and take our sprint up a notch, and players of most team sports benefit from the added razzle-dazzle.Getting to the ball quickly also helps tennis players, cricketers and hockey players.

Malcolm says the key to adding speed is to train your brain to tell your body to move faster. “To train effectively you need to look at the maximum distances you need to run fast. Try adding a few 10-, 15- or 20-metre sprints to your training, but make sure you recover fully in between sprints. Your heart rate and breathing should return to normal before you try it again,” he says.

To get your muscles really pumping, partner up with a buddy and try towing them, or a large tyre, behind you, using a length of elastic or rope. Again, make sure you recover between efforts.

Long way home

Unless you’re a 100-metre sprinter, endurance is what we all strive for. We don’t want to flop down in a heap of exhaustion in the final minutes of the game or race. Whether you play five sets of tennis, wander up hill and down dale for 18 holes of golf or kayak through white water, you need staying power.

For endurance, we need a strong heart and lungs. Long, hard runs can help, but mix it up with interval training to really feel the benefits kick in, says Malcolm.

“It’s all about timing. You need to start off slowly and gradually build up your distance over time. Heart-rate monitors are really effective; if you’re serious about training they are great tools to keep you motivated.”

Another way to train for endurance is to work to a rating of perceived exertion. “Ten is working to your capacity, while zero is at rest,” says Malcolm. Start at a rate of seven and work up to nine closer to season.

Fartlek training, where you add a couple of sprints into your longer runs, also builds endurance.

“Stairs and hills are also great for speed and endurance training,” says Malcolm, “as they provide greater resistance for your muscles. Stairs are also good for improving balance, giving you quick feet and good coordination.” All perfect attributes for martial arts, netball, squash and football.

Some like it strong

Having good, strong muscles helps with every sport but, to avoid “mirror muscles”, which look great in the mirror but have no power, you need to train them correctly. Kayakers need good upper body strength, front row forwards need to be seriously built all over, while distance runners need lean, long muscles.

For really useful muscles you need to train smarter, says Malcolm. “Functional movements, where you’re using your body weight as resistance, are great because you can do them anywhere. Try push-ups, squats, lunges, dips and Pilates movements to build strength and core stability.”

Malcolm stresses that core stability is crucial for all sports and for injury prevention. “Strength training in the gym, appropriate exercises, good technique, well-informed instruction - it’s all valuable. I prefer dumbbells and barbells over machines, because they make your body work harder, stabilise your ligaments and tendons, and build muscle.”