Lacrosse, a high-contact, high-speed game, is a sport best played by the strong and quick. In high school and college, off-season workouts contain as much weight lifting as conditioning. By beginning a weight training routine today, athletes gain a better shot of out-muscling the competition during tryouts.
Get Your Program Organized
With numerous sports commitments, young athletes are always on-the-run. Before starting weight training, athletes should begin blocking off available time.
They can get started by creating a monthly workout calendar. Since different muscles groups should be worked on different days, it helps to plan everything ahead of time. Other aspects of preseason workouts, like lacrosse training, can be plugged into the schedule around lifting.
Warm up Your Muscles
When lifting weights, lacrosse players should never underestimate the importance of warming up first. Aside from just stretching, there are many traditional exercises to do in preparation for weight lifting. These initial exercises raise an athlete’s core body temperature in preparation for the strenuous work out to follow.
- Jump Rope
- Jumping Jacks
- Lunges
- Hip Extensions
- Pushups
Upper Body Weight Training
From scoring a goal to pushing an opponent off the ball, upper body strength is important at crucial times during a lacrosse game. Players who develop a workout routine to strengthen their biceps, triceps and chest will enjoy an on-field advantage in tryouts and throughout the rest of the season.
Regular repetition of these biceps, triceps and chest exercises can add another dimension to an athlete’s game by increasing definition in their upper body.
Biceps
- Alternate Hammer Curl
- Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl
- Barbell Curl
Triceps
- Lat Pulldown
- French Press
- Overhead Extensions
Chest
- Single Arm Chest Press
- Traditional Bench Press
- Close Grip Bench Press
Lower Body Weight Training
In the multi-faceted game of lacrosse, a powerful upper body alone is not enough to get a spot on the field. Coaches like players with strong legs, because they are first to a loose ball as well as an asset in the fourth quarter.
While running and cardio training is crucial, the power of lower body weight training should never be underestimated.
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Leg Press
- Lunges
Recovery
When planning a weight lifting routine, it’s important to recognize that athletes need time for their bodies to recover. A common mistake in training is to be fast out of the gate but never finish the race. So, player should pace themselves and include enough downtime to enable muscles to grow.
- Schedule Recovery Time
- Plan a Week Off
- Sleep Well
- Keep Hydrated
- Load up on Nutrients
- Splurge on a Massage
Remember, it’s never too late for lacrosse players to start lifting. According to Sports Health, children can improve their strength by 30 to 50 percent after 8 to 12 weeks of a well-designed strength training program.
