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The Question: There is no point in having the perfect athletic body if you have no skill. There is also no point in having all the skill and no athletic body. What should be the balance between gym time and skill work? Which is more important? Why? Bonus Question: What do you enjoy more, gym time or skill work? Why? Show off your knowledge to the world! The Winners:
2nd place - 50 in store credit. 3rd place - 25 in store credit. To use your credit, e-mail Will @ will@bodybuilding.com for more info.
In preparation for any sport, a balance between time spent in the gym and time spent on skill work for the competition is very important. The key question is; what is this proper balance exactly? I will try and help you understand that right now. First you must access a few factors about yourself and the sport you are in? After each question a brief sketch of its implications will be addressed.
1) Is The Sport Seasonal? Does It Have An In-Season & An Off-Season?
Also, as you draw closer to the season you should gradually shift time away from the gym to skill work. Remember you should always be doing both but the ratio at which you do them is important. 2) Do You Have The Athletic Base Required For The Competition?
Here, additional gym time may be needed on the treadmill or on the track to improve your endurance. Also strength training is a must so that you are not physically pushed around by your competitors. In this situation you may benefit more from training more, rather than developing yours skills. 3) Do You Feel That Conditioning & Strength Wise You Are Already Equal Or Superior To Your Athletic Peers?
For example, how many power lifters would be good at football? Not very many unless they had the necessary skills and techniques needed to play the sport effectively. 4) Are There Certain Weight Conditions For Your Sport?
You will probably fatigue much quicker in the event and may be able to utilize less of your skills because of that condition. In sports such as these extra attention needs to be paid towards gym time because of these weight factors. 5) Does The Sport Require More Focus On Skill Or Raw Power?
Take for instance tennis and offensive lineman in football. In tennis the ability to score points with precise shots is very important. Yes, strength and conditioning due to gym time is important but a player than can win with many aces and good shots does not need to be as conditioned. A lineman on the other hand does require technique but many athletes, especially at the collegiate level who show superior power to their opponent may be able to excel because their physical strength and endurance is far superior to their opponent. In this case, more time should be spent towards strength and conditioning as opposed to skill work. 6) What Ability Level Are You In The Sport You Play?
1) Beginner/Novice
It is much more difficult to unlearn bad habits than to develop strength and conditioning in an individual. 2) Intermediate
Since the athlete now has an effective skill base the athlete can afford to shift more time to the gym to become at least as physically gifted as their competitors or at least come as close as they genetically can. 3) Expert
Think about a football players transition from high school, to college, and finally to the NFL. Most successful players develop good playing habits in high school, then in college they are physically developed (even though they are still learning new techniques), and finally in the NFL where most players are equal physically, more advanced techniques are needed for success.
The key question everyone wants to know - Which is more important? If you really read and understood what was discussed earlier then the answer should become clear. Both are equally important but the emphasis of either depends on the current situation of the athlete. If the coach sees that the athlete will develop better due to physical training and gym time then that's what should be done, but if technique is not up to speed then focus should be placed more on that. Time considerations are also very important when deciding which is more important. You don't want to go into a season without first getting out some rust during the off-season. You need to practice technique work especially leading into the new season. As you can see what is more important is actually specific for that particular person and cannot be generalized to everyone.
Me personally; I definitely enjoy time in the gym more than time spent refining my technique. With gym training it is more readily apparent the gains you make. If you become faster you can measure it. If you are stronger you can measure it. With technique training the results are not as evident. For me, this is why I think I like gym time better. I can track my progress and see my results a lot quicker than with technique training and skill work.
Dieting, training, skill work, school and a social life can take a toll on any athlete. How often do you find yourself wondering if you are getting enough time in the weight room, are you shooting enough 3's (or throwing baseball, football, etc, whatever your sport requires). There's only 24 hours in a day, with school and everything else where can we find a balance in the weight room and doing skill work.
Obviously this will vary. Most people will only need one hour in the weight room a day. During this time they should be able to lift successfully. Remember when it comes to the weight room, more is not always better. However some people may require more work doing skill specific work. These people are usually lacking in the skills needed to perform in their sport. For the average athlete though 2 hours a day of skill specific drills will increase their performance.
I was once told,
"It is not always how much time you put in, it is how much effort you put into this time."
Ok let's look at this saying, compare the following:
Now "Athlete A" spent 4 hours and "Athlete B" only spent 2, who is working harder and getting better results? Obviously it is "Athlete B." Remember it is not always how long you put in it is how hard you work during that time. It is more important to set a standard of time that you can go in and put your max effort in, then go at half effort for a longer amount of time. Remember this when you decide how long to do you skill work. This is why I suggest no more then 2 hours at a time.
Two hours also is good on your body nutritional wise. After two hours of increased physical activity your body will need a break. The body will also need to be replaced its carbohydrate source and protein burned during activities. This will prevent muscle break down from your body going to long without carbs and protein.
I suggest Westside 2, also known as WS4SB. It is a 4-day routine designed for athletes who do both skill and weight training. It is designed to increase strength and performance on the field as well as in the weight room.
 Click Here For A Printable Log For Monday.
Click Here For A Printable Log For Tuesday.
Click Here For A Printable Log For Thursday.
Click Here For A Printable Log For Friday. This should allow you to complete your workout in an hour. Keep all rest times to 45 seconds except for max effort lifts (bench and squat); they will be one and a half minute.
You should spend your 2 hours of skill time focusing on half speed and acceleration and the other half skill specific drills. For the speed and acceleration I will outline a basic routine. I will also give help with sports specific drills.
Everyone knows speed kills that is why it is vital to every athlete. Speed can make or break a play. Focusing on speed should take up around 45 minutes to 1 hour of your skill work.
Plyometrics should not be overlooked, they are vital in increasing overall power output and explosiveness. I personally like simple plyometrics routines. I believe you should use them as a focus on learning how your body moves, and to create rhythm. Here is the plyometrics routine I suggest:
Plyometrics Explained
     Click To Enlarge. Frog Leaps
Shorter sprints will prepare you for the actual 40 test and help more in the speed department.
Speed is possibly one of the most vital stats to an athlete. Not only does an individual's speed tell how fast someone is it also shows their explosiveness and acceleration. Many colleges look at a person's 40 time to see not only how fast a person is, but how fast they can get up to speed. For instance, an extremely fast athlete could have a slow 40 time if it takes them twenty yards to get up to full speed. Whereas another athlete could be slower than the first but have a better 40 time simply because they can accelerate quicker. This is why, when we train for a sport we must include both speed and acceleration training.
I believe an hour in the weight room and two hours doing sports specific drills is optimal. Let's recap why:
I personally enjoy lifting weights more. I like the rush I get when I pumping iron. I find myself more motivated to workout because it not only helps me in my sport; it changes my body and makes me healthier. Skill work is not as fun to me, however nothing beats game day.
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