Gina DiJohn
Faulkner/Muscato
English 11
April 26, 2011
Strength Training for Lacrosse
Lacrosse strength training workouts are helpful to improve a lacrosse player’s stamina,
muscular endurance and also explosive power. There are many benefits of strength training for
lacrosse. There are many important strengthening exercises and conditioning exercise that will
improve performance of a lacrosse athlete. Different times of the year there are different types of
workouts and some different exercise will help certain positions on the field. Many strengthening
exercises will help the core put power behind the ball. An athlete’s diet should be important
factor while doing a strength training program. Lacrosse is a fast-paced sport that requires
endurance, speed, power, so therefore strength training is a good way to improve an athlete’s
performance.
There are many benefits for strength training for lacrosse. Maximal strength, explosive
power and power endurance are also important outcomes of a strength training program
(“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”). If athletes increase their strength, they will also increase
joint stability, reducing your risk of repetitive stress injuries, which shows that incorporating
moves such as squats, single-leg hops, and ab work into a workout, can not only prevent lowerbody injuries, but improve performance on the field as well (Goldman). Strength training not
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only reduces the risk of injuries but later in life it might reduce medical problems like high
cholesterol and osteoporosis which is the weakening of the bones (“Strength Training” and
“Strength Training for Teens”). Also another benefit of strength training is that when athletes
exercise they are burning more calories because of the increase in muscle mass raises a person's
resting metabolism leading to a lesser percent of body fat (“Strength Training” and “Strength
Training for Teens”).
Lacrosse is a fast-paced and physical sport that requires endurance, speed, power, so
therefore strength training is a good way to improve your performance. Having quick feet
and proper foot work in lacrosse is very important as athletes are changing directions and
running in bursts (“How to Prepare for a Lacrosse Season"). Some important weight training
and conditioning exercise for lacrosse have a lot to do with foot work (“How to Prepare for
a Lacrosse Season").Having strong calf muscles is important to have an explosive leg
(“Lacrosse Strength Training Workout”). Ladder drills help in improving faster legs. A few
possible ladder drills are simply running through the ladder, one foot per square and knees
should be high on each step and heels should not touch the ground (“How to Prepare for a
Lacrosse Season"). Running through, touching both feet in each square, leading with the
same foot every time is another ladder drill (“How to Prepare for a Lacrosse Season”). Jump
roping is also another excellent way to improve footwork and lower body coordination
(“How to Prepare for a Lacrosse Season ).Plyometric lower body exercises like squat jumps
are one of the most effective methods for improving explosive power (“Lacrosse Training &
Conditioning”). A plyometric upper body exercise is when the athlete throws the medicine
ball over their head (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”) which will improve arm strength,
upper body speed, and balance ("Bodybuilding.com” and “Lacrosse Training &
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Conditioning”). Some over all workouts like lifts such as power cleans can transfer to
increase in speed and explosiveness on the field (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”).
When athletes are training for a sport such as lacrosse there are different workouts the
players can do leading up to the lacrosse season (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”). There
is three different phase and the first is the preparation period known as pre-season where basic
strength training should occur (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”). When creating their preseason lacrosse conditioning programs lacrosse players should have their positions in mind
because different positions will require different conditioning (“Lacrosse Training”). For
instance a goalie would train different from a midfielder (“Lacrosse Training”). A lacrosse
athlete should have intense resistance training be a large part of pre-season workout as power is
going to be needed on the field soon (“Lacrosse Training”).
As the lacrosse season is starting, this is the competition period (“Lacrosse Training &
Conditioning”). The pre-season ended the maximal strength gain is going to convert into the
start of the competitive season (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”). The goal of the inseason is to maintain and use what has been gained during the off-season and pre-season
training (“Lacrosse Training”).
The final phase is the transition period which is the off season and known as the
recovery phase (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”). During the early phase of the off season
Speed and agility training should focus on technique, such as acceleration, deceleration, and
change of direction (“Lacrosse Training”). During this time period most of these drills should
take place with the stick and ball in hand (“Lacrosse Training”). During the off-season lacrosse
athletes can do things like single-leg squats, pull-ups, lunges, bench presses, push-ups and core
exercises to build basic strength (“Lacrosse Training”). Everyday a certain level conditioning
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and working out is required to keep the gains made during every phase (“Lacrosse Training &
Conditioning”).
A lacrosse game has different positions that require different types of workouts to help
them be more successful on the field (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning”). All positions will
benefit from both aerobic (light training) and anaerobic (intense training) endurance training
while this may be more predominant for the midfielders as there sprinting in burst (“Lacrosse
Training & Conditioning”). Awing midfielders and attacks should have strong shoulders to assist
their stick while taking power shots (“Lacrosse Strength Training Workout”). Having Shoulder
strength will permit better arm extension in shooting and wrist strength will translate into shot
placement and accuracy (“Athletic Edge Lacrosse - The Physical Demands of Lacrosse”).
Defenders also have a great need for strength and power especially in the legs to improve
defense ability (“Lacrosse Training & Conditioning” and “Athletic Edge Lacrosse - The Physical
Demands of Lacrosse”).For defense footwork in critical as well as the core strength for balance
(“Athletic Edge Lacrosse - The Physical Demands of Lacrosse”).
Most of the movements on the lacrosse field rely on core strength and there are exercise
that will help lacrosse players get a greater core strength (Warner and “How to prepare for a
Lacrosse Season”). When working out the core focus on five key areas such as regular
abdominals, transverse abdominals, oblique (side bend), the lower back and glutes and the hip
flexor (Warner). Players that workout these areas on a consistent basis will find a greater core
strength, posture and flexibility also improvement and success on the field (Warner). Some
workouts that help hit these five areas are hip lift, oblique crunches, side plank dips, oblique
leg extensions, bridge leg lifts (Maguire). It is impossible to be a shooter with accuracy
without a stable core because it is the power house of an athlete’s body and the core targets all
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the muscles groups that stabilize the spine and pelvis (“Strength & Conditioning for
Lacrosse” and “Core Strength Training”).
While strength training for lacrosse players require a high-carbohydrate diet to maintain
stamina (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”). Stored carbohydrates are the primary fuel for energy and
when the stores are low, focus and timing begin to suffer (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”). Protein is
crucial in the diet not only for muscle repair, but also as an additional energy source
(“Nutrition for Lacrosse”).Lacrosse is an intense game, and the body may start using its own
muscle as an energy source if it is strained because it is difficult to build and maintain muscle
so athletes should be careful not to lose it (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”). During the season an
athlete’s diet should be composed of fifty five percent carbohydrates, twenty five percent of
protein and twenty percent fat (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”). A major goal of a diet for athletes is
to provide plenty energy for recovery and tissue repair quickly and efficiently, without adding
body fat (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”). Smart foods to eat that contain protein are fish and tofu or
any other seafood, non-fat yogurt or milk which is also a good snack, natural peanut butter,
mix nuts and beans, and as for meat red lean meats are good and turkey or chicken breasts
also (“Athletic Edge Lacrosse - Lacrosse Nutrition” and “Smart Snacking”). On a day of
game Eat low-glycemic foods, such as whole grain cereals, certain fruits, sandwiches made
with whole wheat bread (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”).The closer to a lacrosse players match, the
smaller the meal approximately two to three hours before a competition and this help sustain
blood-sugar levels (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”).For pregame meals also keep the protein and fat
intakes low because they digested slowly (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”).The Recommend
drinking amount is four hundred to six hundred milliliters of fluids two to three hours before
exercise depending on tolerance (“Nutrition for Lacrosse”).
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Lacrosse is a fast-paced sport that requires endurance, speed and power; therefore,
strength training is a superior way to improve an athlete’s performance. Benefits of strength
training and the important strengthening and conditioning exercises for lacrosse helps a player in
his season. Working out during different times of the year requires different exercises. Also, each
lacrosse position has different exercises that help players on the field. While strength training, an
athlete’s choice of diet is also important to consider. When it comes to improving a lacrosse
player’s performance, strength training plays a large role as lacrosse games can be physical.
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MLA formatting by BibMe.org.
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