Alternate legs every other rep.  Can be done with bodyweight only. These games will satisfy the warm-up's the goals and will be very fun for the kids. Our FREE secrets to get you in the best shape of your life are just a click away. PUSH-UP | If you would like to sign up, you can do so by visiting FitnessQuest10.com,  ToddDurkin.com or use the contact form below: [easy-contact], Your email address will not be published. Check Out Our Ingredients & Product Breakdown Page To Learn All About Max Effort Supplements!! The Best Exercises for Youth Athletes Lunges. This is done to ensure technical proficiency for the movement. then perform a pulling isometric hold for 3B. Initiate the movement by sitting back and squatting down to parallel. 3. 4. 12 Crucial Strength Building Exercises For Youth Athletes. When myself, or any of our other athletic development coaches at Fitness Quest 10 design programs for youth, we want to provide the most effective and beneficial exercises possible. The key to all of these positive benefits though is an appropriate strength training program. The athletes at the upper echelons - NCAA, Olympic - require a tremendous workload to be successful. The exercises we use most for our young (and old) athlete are listed below. Keep your head in a neutral position and exhale as you press your body back to starting position. These isometric holds can be relatively short times to ensure boredom doesn't overcome the group, but it can be a very effective, challenging 20 seconds if done properly with appropriate resistance and making sure that the athlete is actually engaged in the movement. We do forward, backward, lateral, and other multidirectional lunges. Sitemap | Privacy Policy. 5 Rear Delt Exercises for Strong and Durable Shoulders, 3 Unconventional Rotational Power Exercises For Pitchers, Choosing the Right Trainer for Your Young Athlete, Strength Training For Ankle Breaking Quickness, 5 Unique Sled Exercises for Speed, Strength, and Power, Push-Up Grip Guide: How Different Hand Positions Change the Exercise, Kids Play Fewer 'Pick-Up Games,' and it's Hurting Youth Sports, Simple Rules to Follow When Training Very Young Athletes, Get Ripped With This Unconventional Barbell Workout, How to Choose the Right Private Coach for Your Youth Athlete. 7 Lessons Football Has Taught Me About Life, 5 Life Lessons, Love, & My Right Hand Man, NBA Life Optimization Coach David Nurse’s 7 Steps to Unshakable Confidence. Challenging the kids occasionally to competitions such as who can hold an Inverted Row the longest or who can perform the most Push-Ups with proper form can really ignite a session and help break up the monotony. Push-Ups Another large factor of the program is the use of various isometric pauses. PLANK With no “furniture” to support the mid-section, the “core” muscles are highly activated. Parents and athletes do not have the time or money in their schedule to come to our facility every day of the week. Nearly all of our athletes come to us a product of either no movement coaching or poor movement coaching, so we start from scratch. Touch your forehead to your hands then extend your arms, locking out at the top. Teaching proper technique and utilizing exercises that are both age and sport appropriate. More is better. | Wrestling is a grinding sport. | Examples Include Bodyweight Squat, Bodyweight Box Squat, Dumbbell Goblet Squat, Dumbbell Goblet Box Squat. Push-ups in which the pelvis stays neutral, the spine remains straight, and the nose nearly touches the ground are great for a variety of reasons. Once that athlete has shown they can easily handle the sets of 5 we can progress them to the higher rep ranges. Even though it only involves bodyweight exercises, it should not be taken lightly. Touch the opposite knee to the ground and then step up and forward. Examples include Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift, Band RDL, Dumbbell RDL. Consistency is key, and I recommend sticking to whatever movement you initially selected at least for the 4-week period. 1C) Upper Back Isometric Hold 3-4x20 seconds. Brett contributes monthly to the award-winning “TD Times” newsletter. If a strong lower back and posterior chain is required to finish a high crotch in good position, wouldn’t an athlete benefit from learning how to deadlift? Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides as you step forward into a lunge. You are absolutely right, strength training can be dangerous, for athletes of any age. Our goal with youngsters is to teach those movement patterns and develop the strength and flexibility to do them effectively. The athletes will need time to keep practicing and working to progress the movement. Moving forward with the program you can adjust or modify things based off of your resources and what you feel is appropriate for your athletes. They are a good ice-breaker and can get the kids engaged with working with one another. If your abdominals relax and hips lower, you are putting your lower back at risk. Coach Brett Klika is the Director of Athletic Performance at Todd Durkin’s Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA. Do not rush the progressions of youth athletes. For example, a good vertical jump begins with the ability to do a good body-weight squat. Examples include Push-Up Plank, Elevated Push-Up Plank, Band Chest Press Hold, Single-Arm Band Chest Press Hold. Examples Include Push-Ups, Dumbbell Floor Press, Standing Band Chest Press. Strength training has been shown to improve bone mineral density and the development of tendon and ligament strength to help better prepare the athlete for the physical demands of sport. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Examples include Reverse Hyper, Lateral Lunges, Sled Drags. The layout below is going to be an example of a four-week strength training program for athletes under the age of 13. These are probably our most-often used exercise. What Should I Do if One Side of My Body Is Stronger Than the Other? Although this is one of the most debatable topics in the field, an appropriate, structured strength training program has been proven to have several physical benefits. 1B) Band Trunk Isometric Hold Variation 3-4x 20 seconds Examples include Band Pallof Hold, Partner Pallof Holds. Again we have another myth that is rooted in truth. When designing a program it is not always a one-size-fits-all approach, so there will be a specific movement listed for the program, and the needs of the athlete will dictate which exercise is selected. Examples include seated Box Jump, Lateral Bounds, Medicine Ball Throws. Notice that a majority of the big compound movements are set at 5-10 repetitions. We have found these to be the most effective for developing coordination, strength, mobility, and stability: all pre-cursers to speed, power, and other game-related skills. This creates a demand for absolute efficiency. Manipulation of other training variables such as time under tension, alterations to the tempo or to the total volume in terms of sets and repetitions is a smarter and more manageable approach to challenging the kids. Examples include Band Tricep Pressdown, Curls, Standing Band Reverse Fly. Yes, these movements are fun, but help the kids understand each movement serves a purpose. It is different for each individual. 1B) Bodyweight Trunk Isometric Hold Variation 3-4x20 seconds. Correct push ups are an FQ10 favorite. These movement abilities are essential for performance and injury prevention for both the lower and upper body. Lay on your back in front of a bench. 1A) Press Variation 3-4x5-10 Examples Include Push-Ups, Dumbbell Floor Press, Standing Band Chest Press. We moved on down the chain to something that accomplishes the same goal and is do-able. Using the TRX suspension system or just a bar fixed about 3 feet off the ground, the athlete hangs from the bar or straps, legs straight, and pulls until their chest makes contact. Have Any Questions About Max Effort Supplements? 1B) Band Trunk Isometric Hold Variation 3-4x 20 seconds. We love pull-ups, but we have found young athletes can not do them anymore. Keep your core tight and body straight as you lower your chest to the floor. The process may require heavy weight training, bodyweight training, massage therapy, Plyometrics, speed technique, or a nearly infinite amount of tools designed to facilitate the above process. 1-Leg Balance Reaches Horizontal Pull-Ups Begin from either your knees or a Swiss Ball, slowly raising one leg and the opposite arm, holding each rep for 2 seconds at the top. Physically showing the athlete where to squeeze and what to engage is the best coaching cue you can offer. Each session will begin with a 5- to 10-minute dynamic warm-up. All of these are essential components of all athletic movement. The athletes at the upper echelons … Wall squats An athlete should be able squat until their thighs are parallel to the ground and then stand up without falling backward. If you continually switch movements and structure, the athletes won't have time to learn the pattern and reap the exercise's benefits to the fullest. The process could take weeks, months or years, depending on the individual. Grab a heavy set of dumbbells and stand up straight with your chest up and shoulders back. The leg of the reaching hand is pushed back and up to keep a flat spine. Wrestling is a grinding sport. Their are certain exercises - hang cleans, barbell back squat, any movement that loads the spine - that I do not recommend for most athletes until after puberty. This balance creates a successful training session, program and relationship with the athletes. The athlete tries to keep their hips square to the ground. There will be three full-body sessions per week and each session will emphasize basic movement patterns such as pressing, pulling, squatting, hinging, jumping and carrying.