Stronger Athletes


In-season Considerations for the Athlete

December 1 "If a team is to reach its potential, each player must willingly subordinate his own personal goals to the good of the team." -Bud Wilkinson

Many athletes have trouble maintaining weight during the season of their sport. First, the athlete should continue to attempt to increase strength during the season. An increase in strength will lead to a larger muscle which can lead to weight gain with proper diet.

Weight loss experienced during the season could be due to the athlete not drinking enough water. Keeping well hydrated will keep your body stronger for your sport as well as in the weight room. If you are well hydrated and are still experiencing weight loss then a second consideration would be calorie intake.

If you are losing weight, chances are you may not be experiencing any strength gains. However, it should be noted that weight loss is a plausible goal for many strength training athletes. Like gaining weight it requires proper nutritional intake. Many high school and college athletes do not pay enough attention to nutrition.

Preventing weight loss could be something as simple as eating breakfast. Many athletes do not eat, or eat enough, breakfast. This could add as much as 500-800 calories to your daily caloric intake. This often will take care of any weight loss that the athlete is experiencing. If you are well hydrated and eat a good breakfast and are still experiencing weight loss, then you should try to add a mid-afternoon or late evening meal. This could add an addition 500-800 calories to you diet.

With the increased calories, you should get back on track with your progression of strength in your training sessions. It will also get you back to where you want to be in you athletic performance.

Avoid using anything marketed towards weight gain. We are often amused by the names that are given to these products. "Hard-body Weight Gainer," "Protiemite Gainer," "Meto-Cal-Gainer". We are not amused by the money kids spend on these gimmicks and the side effects they may causes as they are not regulated by the FDA.

Just make sure that you are training with a high amount of intensity and allowing enough rest between training sessions. It is necessary to train with this kind of frequency depending on you level and the sport. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments on this topic. If you have questions or comments about this web site or strength development or training please drop us a note.

If you have questions or comments about this web site or strength development or training please Contact Stronger Athletes.


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