When we’re looking at strength & conditioning optimized for a sport, of course we’re going to prioritize our power exercises like our cleans and snatches and our main lifts like our squats and bench presses.
But, in doing this, most athletes will disregard what would be traditionally bodybuilding style exercises. By this I mean high-volume single-joint isolation exercises.
But incorporating these types of moves somewhere in your training program can reap massive benefits for your overall training, and today we’re going to list three reasons why.
Transfer to Core Lifts
So when you first begin training, the best way to get better at a lift…is to keep doing that lift. But, when plateaus are inevitably hit, we need to start finding more ways to progress.
One way to do this is to isolate muscle groups that contribute to a core lift.
Here’s an example: the triceps are a huge contributor to the bench press. Once the bar leaves the chest and hits that halfway point, your triceps are going to be called upon massively to help lock the arms and finish the lift.
So this is where performing exercises like triceps kickbacks, triceps pushdowns, anything that isolates the triceps will come in handy.
Another example we can even look at is using shrugs as an accessory exercise to our cleans and our snatches for a better pull.
Injury Prevention
Let’s say you’re a tennis player and you’re frequently using a great deal of torque at the elbow joint.
As a tennis athlete, knowing that elbow pain is very common in that sport, you can incorporate exercises in your training routine like wrist curls to strengthen your forearms.
You can also perform bicep curls and triceps exercises, because both are responsible for movement of the elbow joint.
So if we isolate and strengthen those muscles, we can build better health for the shoulder joint.
Another example we can look at is an overhead athlete like a baseball player.
For a baseball player who’s constantly throwing overhead, it is top priority for the muscles that are responsible for motion of the shoulder to be well equipped for the stress that’s going to be put on them.
So a baseball might do exercises like rear delt flies, lat pulldowns, face pulls; exercises that will strengthen the rotator cuff as well as the muscles that help rotate and stabilize the scapula.
So as an athlete look at your sport, look at the joints that are under the most stress, or research the common injuries that occur in your sport, and use isolation accessory exercises to reduce your risk of injury.
Better Recovery
Look, if you’re like me you’d love to be smashing heavy weights in the gym day in and day out.
But, this can, and will, lead to overtraining. So having a couple “active rest” days during the week to separate your hard training days is a must.
Performing low-intensity isolation movements will increase the blood flow to your muscles, which will aid in recovery between high-intensity training sessions, without putting too much stress on your joints.
Active rest days also provide a sort of mental break from training.
When you’re training hard in the gym, and you’re training to be the best you can, it can be extremely stressful, and frustrating at times if you’re not seeing the results you want.
This turns athletes almost into training junkies, which is a recipe for overtraining and injury.
But, by introducing low-intensity, single-joint exercise days, this will allow you to still move your body, still get that endorphin rush, and be making responsible choices as an athlete.
If you want to have a long, athletic career, it’s important that you train smart, and you train responsible.
If you want to see our full-length video on this subject, click here.
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