As a youth athlete, building strength is essential to enhancing performance, preventing injuries, and fostering long-term athletic development. When done properly, strength training can help athletes improve their speed, power, endurance, and overall athletic ability. The key, however, is to focus on exercises that are safe, effective, and appropriate for the age and experience level of the athlete.
In this blog post, we’ll highlight the top 5 strength training exercises that every young athlete should incorporate into their training routine. These exercises are beginner-friendly, easy to perform, and require little to no equipment, making them perfect for athletes just starting out with strength training.
1. Bodyweight Squats
Why it’s important: Squats are a foundational exercise that targets the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core. They help develop strength in the legs, improve stability, and promote good posture, which is important for almost every sport.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your chest up and shoulders back.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips down as if you are sitting in a chair, making sure your knees don’t extend past your toes.
- Keep your back straight, and lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as low as you can comfortably go.
- Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
Tip: Focus on form rather than speed. Ensure that your knees are tracking over your toes, and avoid rounding your back.
2. Push-Ups
Why it’s important: Push-ups are a great upper body exercise that strengthens the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. They also improve body control and overall strength, which is key for a variety of sports such as swimming, football, and basketball.
How to do it:
- Start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your body toward the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Push through your palms to return to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Tip: Start with modified push-ups (on your knees) if regular push-ups are too challenging, and work your way up as you gain strength. Focus on keeping your core engaged throughout the movement.
3. Lunges
Why it’s important: Lunges target the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. They are excellent for building lower body strength and improving balance and coordination. Lunges also help improve running form and jumping ability, making them a great choice for athletes in any sport.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a big step forward with one foot.
- Lower your body until both knees are at 90-degree angles. Your back knee should hover just above the ground.
- Push through the front heel to return to the standing position, then repeat with the opposite leg.
Tip: Keep your torso upright and make sure your front knee doesn’t go past your toes. If you want to make the exercise more challenging, you can add a jump when switching legs (jump lunges).
4. Planks
Why it’s important: Planks are a fantastic core-strengthening exercise that targets the abdominals, back, shoulders, and glutes. A strong core is essential for balance, posture, and power transfer, which are crucial in sports like basketball, soccer, and gymnastics.
How to do it:
- Start by lying face down on the floor, then lift your body into a plank position, supporting yourself on your forearms and toes.
- Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, engaging your core and glutes.
- Hold the position for 20-30 seconds to start, then gradually increase the time as you build strength.
Tip: Avoid letting your hips sag or your back arch. Focus on keeping your core tight and your body in a straight line.
5. Glute Bridges
Why it’s important: Glute bridges primarily target the glutes and hamstrings while also engaging the core and lower back muscles. This exercise helps to improve hip mobility, stability, and strength, which is essential for activities like sprinting, jumping, and quick directional changes in sports.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Place your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
- Press through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the floor, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Hold for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Tip: Keep your core engaged throughout the movement and avoid arching your lower back. If you want to make it more challenging, try single-leg glute bridges by lifting one leg off the ground while performing the movement.
Why These Exercises Matter for Young Athletes
These five strength training exercises are great for young athletes because they:
- Build foundational strength: These exercises target key muscle groups that are essential for athletic performance.
- Improve balance and coordination: Many of these movements require balance, which is important for developing stability on the field or court.
- Promote injury prevention: Strengthening muscles, joints, and ligaments helps protect the body against common sports injuries.
- Can be done anywhere: These exercises don’t require fancy equipment or a gym membership, making them perfect for home workouts or when on the go.
For youth athletes new to strength training, it’s important to start with the basics. Begin by performing each exercise with proper form and aim for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise. As strength improves, you can gradually increase the intensity by adding weight, increasing the number of sets or reps, or progressing to more challenging variations of the exercises.
Remember to always prioritize good technique over speed or intensity. Building a strong foundation now will set you up for long-term success in sports and prevent injuries down the road.
At Engineered Performance by DMOS, our sports performance coaches work with athletes to help them increase strength, speed, explosiveness and confidence on and off the field. Summer training starts June 2—if you’re ready to start training like the pros, secure your spot by filling out our form here.
