March 06, 2020 4 min read

There are many reasons why people exercise. Some are trying to build muscle, lose weight, or compete in bodybuilding. Another major user of the gym is athletes, as working out continues to become an integral part of any sport. Athletes are always looking for that competitive edge, especially in the off-season. A great way to achieve this is by adopting a workout routine for athletes to get bigger, faster, and stronger. However, working out can also help athletes reduce the risk of injury. To get better in any sport, you must put in the work outside of practice and games, which is why working out is the perfect activity to take on. Below are some of the best exercises for athletes at any level to try.   

POWER CLEANS  

Many athletes are always looking for ways to become more explosive on the field. As such, an excellent athletic exercise is power cleans. This exercise is similar to deadlifts and requires the use of a barbell and weight plates. A power clean movement requires someone to lift the barbell under their shoulders while jumping. Doing this exercise often is a sure way to make any athlete faster.   

LANDMINES  

Another great exercise for any athlete is landmines. This exercise also utilizes a barbell with weights. There are also many different exercises you can perform, such as a two-handed landmine shoulder press, a landmine front squat, a one-arm bent over row landmine row, and more. Any landmine exercise will be an excellent full-body workout for an athlete.   

BOX JUMPS  

In addition to power cleans, another workout routine for athletes to become faster is to perform box jumps. To perform a box jump, one can choose to mount the box by going side to side, up and down, with one leg, or in a variety of other ways. Box jumps are an effective way for athletes to strengthen their lower body and leg muscles.   

BENCH PRESS  

The bench press is a staple of working out, and athletes utilize the exercise to become stronger. This workout requires a barbell and a flat bench. Whoever is doing the workout must bring the barbell towards their chest and continue moving in an up and down movement.   

SQUATS  

No matter the sport, athletes rely heavily on their legs; as such, squats are another one of the best exercises for athletes. The two most popular forms of squats are front and back—both of which are useful for athletes. To get the most out of squats, be sure you get to at least a 90-degree angle, look up, and plant your heels onto the ground.    

BURPEE  

A burpee is an athletic exercise that requires no equipment, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t difficult. All you need to perform a burpee exercise is space. You can perform a burpee exercise in four steps: standing straight up, then moving down on the ground in pushup position, then moving back up, and finally jumping as high as you can with your arms straight up. This is yet another exercise that gives you the benefit of athletic fitness; plus, it’s an excellent exercise to work into circuit training.   

DEADLIFTS  

Deadlifts are another exercise that can greatly improve an athlete’s explosiveness. This is because deadlifts build strength in the hips and grow your calves. Deadlifts also require the use of a barbell; however, many recommend that you invest in a platform, so you don’t damage the floor.   

LUNGES  

Lunges are something every athlete should be doing frequently. You can perform this exercise in several different ways, and they are great for stretching and building lower body muscle. When you are doing lunges, you want to get low, but don’t get low enough to the point where your knee is touching the ground.   

SLED PUSH  

Other athletic exercises include speed training workouts, such as a sled push. This involves someone pushing a ton of weight forward. Doing sled pushes often will allow athletes to generate more speed when they are in a game.   

MEDICINE BALL TOSS  

Medicine ball tosses don’t just help athletes improve their speed—the exercise can also offer a full-body workout and build strength. There are several ways you can use a medicine ball for a workout. You can simply throw the medicine ball back and forth against the wall, do ball slams, ball twists, as well as other variations.   

LADDERS  

Footwork is another important aspect of sports that athletes are always looking to improve. Using agility ladders can greatly improve footwork as it involves completing many different movements. Ladder drills can also improve an athlete's balance, reduce the risk of injury, develop fast feet, and more. An agility ladder is a must-have to improve athletic fitness and is ideal for any athlete who is looking to take their game to the next level.   

DOT DRILLS  

Besides ladders, dot drills are another great workout routine for athletes if they are looking to improve their agility. All you need are cones or markers of any kind. Then, work on cutting by touching each marker and running at full speed. What some people might not realize is that athletic conditioning needs to involve cutting in addition to regular cardio. It’s incredibly important for athletes to work on cutting so you don’t run the risk of getting an injury by pulling something during a game.   

YOGA  

Becoming more flexible as an athlete is an underrated tool that you should seriously consider utilizing. One way of achieving this is by adding yoga to your workout routine. Yoga exercises are also another workout that you can do from the comfort of your own home—all you need is a yoga mat.   

HIIT WORKOUTS  

It’s also crucial for athletes to build their endurance so they can perform at their best late in the games or during a long competition. High-Intensity Interval Training workouts have become a common training technique for many athletes for that exact reason—it builds endurance. HIIT workouts incorporate numerous different athletic exercises that can make athletes stronger and build game longevity.   

A huge plus about all these workouts is that you can complete all of them at home. All you need to do is invest in the proper equipment. Top Fitness Store has all the Precor home fitness equipment athletes need to become better outside of practice and games. 


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