3 Myths and Lies About Strength Training for Athletes

If I hear another athlete, coach, or parent tell me some ridiculous reason for why weight training is BAD for you, I will scream. Very loud so everyone around me hears it, too.

Yes, IMPROPERLY PERFORMED WEIGHT TRAINING IS BAD FOR YOU. This should be not confused with PROPERLY EXECUTED, WELL-COACHED, SOUND-REASON weight training. Unfortunately somewhere along the road the two got mixed together because a couple of morons got hurt deadlifting with a rounded back or not warming up at all and tearing a pec or injuring their shoulder on the bench press because they used a weight they were simply not ready for.

So, let’s go over a couple myths and lies about Strength Training for Athletes, shall we?

1. “Squats are bad for your back and knees” OK this has got to stop. Bad squatting is bad for your knees and back, this is true. Properly performed, full range of motion squats are NOT; in fact, done properly, they should be alleviating your problems. I don’t remember where I read this, but to loosely quote the author “If the exercises you are doing are making you feel like shit, evaluate your technique. If they are still making you feel like shit, STOP!” Look, we all like to making things more complicated than they really are for some reason or another. Take a look at the leg development of some of the best speed and power athletes in the world; Maurice Jones-Drew, Barry Sanders, Maurice Greene, Ben Johnson, etc. They didn’t earn legs like that overnight! I don’t care about genetics, natural athletes, etc because most of that garbage doesn’t apply to you or me! Properly executed squats will yield tremendous benefits to your athletic performance and physique. If you are unsure of what a real squat looks like, check this video out below:

2.) Machines are Safer/Easier: This drives me nuts. No athlete should ever be allowed to use traditional “fitness” machines. You know, the funny looking, expensive, space using, pieces of equipment that do most of work for you, while sitting down? Catch the last part of that sentence? DO MOST OF THE WORK FOR YOU, WHILE SITTING DOWN. Athletes need to train movement patterns that require some form of coordination, rhythm, timing, balance, mobility, strength, and speed. What machine allows you to do this? I know plenty of barbell exercises that train all of these qualities at once: Squats, Cleans, Snatches, Overhead Presses, Unilateral upper/lower body exercises, sprints, jumps, throws, etc. Yes machines are EASY because the machine has a fixed path that the resistance travels; usually up and down on some form of cable and pulley apparatus. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few machines out there such as the reverse hyperextension and glute-ham developer that have merit and are excellent for athletes and regular Joe’s to use; but if you’re looking for results, stick with free weights and body weight exercises such as push ups, jumps, pull ups, dips, etc.

3.) “Weight Training Will Make Me Slow and Bulky” I usually hear this garbage from females and inexperienced athletes in general who don’t really have a clue. I don’t blame them though, since the majority of popular media would like us to believe that women should only perform aerobics and use frilly 5 pound dumbbells, and athletes should be performing 1-leg balances on a swiss ball, juggling, while catching a football because it’s totally sport-specific (I hate that term by the way; “SPORT SPECIFIC”. I’ll touch on that topic in a future post). Let’s clear the air here; ladies you don’t have enough testosterone to turn “bulky” in the first place, and weight gain is simply a result of taking in more than you burn, simple as that. Nothing will get you “toned” faster than some good ol’ fashion weight training, coupled with a day or two of metabolic conditioning like sprints, jump rope, sled drags, etc. Same goes for athletes; getting stronger will only HELP your sprints and jumps. As long as you stay on top of mobility and flexibility (which you are, right?) and you continue to sprint and/or do some form of jump training at least once a week,  then you should see no loss in speed.

Now that I’ve had my soap box minute, what about you? I’d like to hear your thoughts below.

What myths and lies about strength training for athletes (or just people in general) frustrate you?! Leave ‘em below!

See ya,

John Cortese