Training athletes has been a passion of mine for decades. One thing I’ve always noticed while at games is that the most popular high school sports, including football, basketball, and baseball, require athletes to have a base level of strength to excel at the regional level and the state level. There is no hack or cheat code to getting results, and although strength gains can feel insurmountable at times, if you are willing to do these five things consistently, you will see progress in a short time.

Focus on Foundational Movements

This has been mentioned before in my writing, but in the age of social media, it may seem like you need to do the latest and greatest “exercises” with the most groundbreaking training tools. But a program looking to maximize the strength potential of a high school athlete should be focused primarily on training the fundamental movement patterns. Focusing on these areas will help athletes translate their movement capacities and skills to the game more easily. These movements will also build the muscles, ligaments, and tendons to enhance game performance and reduce injury susceptibility. Examples of these foundational movements for the high school athlete include:

Hip Hinge

• RDL- https://youtu.be/m_KpoLvRh3Y
• Kettlebell Swing- https://youtu.be/icr18yfNaAo
• Single Leg RDL- https://youtu.be/jyKeBRoiEjY

Squat

• Lateral Lunge- https://youtu.be/Kpx9D0EgsQ0
• Goblet Squat- https://youtu.be/fkEaV0XgWoU
• Step Up- https://youtu.be/l3L__Uk6NNA

Upper Body Pushing

• Yoga Push Ups- https://youtu.be/w8zeL_BxG70
• Single Arm Overhead Press- https://youtube.com/shorts/XubGkRvMFL0?feature=share
• Landmine Rotational Press- https://youtu.be/nyfia17yZVw

Upper Body Pulling

• Pull Up- https://youtu.be/vb7Shl11S7k
• Chin Up- https://youtu.be/TtBEo6TsPbM
• Chest Supported Row- https://youtu.be/BU9kVMdkpi4

Loaded Carries

• Suitcase Carry- https://youtu.be/WNOJz5QuGks
• Goblet Carry- https://youtu.be/F9kcSS7zjLE
• Zercher Carry- https://youtu.be/IFRV_OOfApQ

Proper Technique Is A Non Negotiable

While heavy half squats and jumping jack power cleans can be great for a young athlete’s (and bad coaches) ego, they are a recipe for disaster. Poor technique always always always leads to poor results, and like adults learning to train and gain strength, the basics of good exercise technique should be learned prior to increasing the resistance. Movement efficiency and learning the movements the correct way early on can have a profound effect on an athlete’s improvements, recovery, and more efficient use of energy throughout the training session.

Stick To The Program During the Season

The biggest mistake an athlete can make is getting strong and fast during the off-season, only to stop weight training once the season begins and let it all slip away. Strength and power work can be performed throughout the year without having any adverse effect on athlete recovery or performance if the correct variables are properly accounted for. In simplest terms, if an athlete simply trains for a quarter of a year when they are not playing a sport, they’re leaving significant opportunities for development on the table. Athletes can ensure they are staying strong but not overtraining by following the tips below:

• During a sports season, weight training should be performed 1-3 times per week for anywhere between 45-90 minutes
• During the sport season use a lower number of sets and lighter loads than when training during the off-season
• If adding an additional day of training, ensure it targets the upper body, since the sport itself will likely have increased demands on the lower body from practice and running
• After the sport season ends, slowly work back to normal off-season training loads and volume following a rest period

The post-season is when athletes make their names, being strong, confident, and healthy, and this is what in-season strength training helps them do. Shut down training leading into the season, and you will surely wind up detrained, slow, and beat up when it really matters.

Prioritize Hydration & Fueling

Champions understand that although training hard for 1 hour in the gym is important; you have 23 other hours in the day to either enhance or wreck the work you’ve put in. The rapidly growing and hormone-charged bodies of teenage athletes crave a steady supply of nutrient-dense whole foods. Ensuring you are consuming adequate amounts of food throughout the day will ensure your body is recovered from prior training and is ready to meet the performance needs of the next day. Some basic nutrition rules for the young athlete include:

• Drink Lots of Water- Aim to drink 1oz. of water per pound of bodyweight
• Eat 3-6 meals per day consisting of mainly whole foods over processed ingredients
• Minimize sugar intake from sports drinks and soft drinks
• Aim to eat at least .8 grams of lean protein per pound of bodyweight

There is no way to get strong and more athletic when you aren’t eating enough calories and nutrients. Your body with be stuck in self-destruct mode.

Run Your Own Race

Athletes develop at different rates, particularly at the high school level. Many of them haven’t reached their full physical maturity yet, and this delicate period of growth must be accounted for in the training because although it may seem like your progress has been stalled or you are lagging behind others, you continue to stick to the plan and run your own race. Two 15-year-olds could be training together on the same team with completely different training ages, conditioning levels, coordination, and overall mental maturity, so it’s important to compare athletes to only their baseline and not others on the team.

Getting stronger does not always mean more weight being lifted. It could mean doing the same movement with the same amount of weight but with increased coordination and stability. For example, if on Week 1 Athlete A can do five pull-ups, but his legs are kicking, and he’s barely getting over the pull-up bar, then on Week 4, he can crank out five military strict reps with no dysfunction he is making legitimate process and should not be compared to the kid who could do the five technically sound reps on Week 1. Managing expectations can be a challenge, but it is essential to the training process.

Stronger athletes display a great amplitude for playing the game at a higher level and being more durable in sports. While there are many factors that affect one’s strength development, ensuring the five keys listed above are met will produce a great result in the weight room. Along with the physical strength that comes from accomplishing these things, one can also expect growth in the areas of mental toughness, discipline, and self-confidence, which every performance professional knows directly translates to the field or court in sports.

For more articles on how high school athletes can get stronger, CLICK HERE!