Sports-Specific Training Workouts

Sports Specific Training Workouts

Larry Jusdanis is a former pro football quarterback-turned-strength coach. Larry is running without a doubt, the best strength training centers in Ontario, if not all of Canada. It’s called SST (Sport-Specific Training) with the headquarters are in Burlington, Ontario (and on the web at http://sportsspecifictraining.com/).

Larry is a coach of substance, not fluff, and is all about building sport-specific functional speed and strength for on the ice and the turf. You might even have watched Larry’s training methods featured on “The Score”, the cable sports network here in Canada.

Larry works predominantly with young athletes, but also has several select pro athletes that come to him in the off-season.

I whole-heartedly endorse Larry and SST. Each time I visit SST, I watch Larry and his staff give every single young athlete their most sincere and genuine attention.

Not only does Larry improve the athlete’s performance and self-esteem, but it is obvious that he cares about each athlete as a person and is helping to build better citizens for our future.

Now let’s raid Larry’s training knowledge to help us build better young athletes and hockey players.


CB: What do you recommend to an adolescent who is interested in working out during the off-season?

LJ:

I highly recommend that young athletes train with a personal trainer or find a training facility that specializes in sports training.

The most important thing to remember here is that the athlete needs expert guidance to create a workout that will not only get him stronger and faster but will also help to balance his physical abilities so that the likelihood of injury during the game is reduced.

A fit player is injured far less often than the poorly conditioned player.

CB: Are there certain physical attributes a teen should have before he/she begins a weight lifting program? For instance, should they be able to complete a certain number of pushups or bodyweight squats or lunges?

LJ:

There is a great debate surrounding this question but current research shows that kids who do not strength train get hurt a lot more often than the ones who strength train on a regular basis.
I believe strongly that kids between the ages of 8-13 should focus on speed development because thereafter the window of opportunity closes.

At SST every athlete’s workout is personalized to meet his/her specific needs and abilities.

Thus, you may see someone as young as 8 years old working out with weights, though he/she wouldn’t be doing the same kind of work that an 18 year old would do.

One problem that we’ve seen at other facilities is that everyone does the same cookie cutter program. At SST we take into account that every child develops at his/her own speed. What one 12 year old is capable of might prove to be dangerous for another 12 year old.

You really need to work out with someone who knows how to properly train young people.

We often have young athletes perform many one legged exercises such as split squats, step ups etc. We focus on eliminating weaknesses and imbalances. We like to focus on dumbbell work in order to incorporate the stabilizers.

Dumbbell training builds lean muscle which leads to burning more calories. This is a bonus for anyone who has a high body fat to lean muscle ratio. After a period of 8-12 weeks we may then introduce lifts that are more complex.


CB: What types of off-ice training improves on-ice performance?

LJ:

Sprinting with the sled is a great exercise for hockey players who tend to skate in an upright position.

One-legged exercises are great because they eliminate the imbalances and weaknesses in legs.

For younger athletes, we incorporate agility training but for our older athletes we prefer to use our Functional Training for Sports equipment such as tire flipping, car pushing and car dragging.

These 3 exercises, in combination with sled training, are very effective for learning how to develop explosive starts and acceleration power.

Too many coaches focus on top end speed but remember, most sports are about acceleration and starting power. Thus we work on developing these abilities quite extensively.


CB: I hear you use specialized tools at your facility that sets your system ahead of other programs out there. What do kids get at SST that they don't get elsewhere?

LJ:

The first thing our athletes get is EXCELLENT RESULTS! Our clients show such great improvement because the program they follow is based precisely on their individual strengths and weaknesses and abilities.

Yes, we do have some unique pieces of equipment such as 800 lb. tires, sleds, sledgehammers, fire hoses, farmers’ walks, and all sorts of special grip devices. Our athletes find their program is a lot of fun because of these unorthodox methods that bring them quick results.

We’ve got thick bar trap bars, 2.5inch thick bars, power runner, eccentric hooks, chains and bands and a lot more! I always tell athletes that anybody could buy this equipment but the individualized programs and outstanding coaches define the SST expertise!

One of the most important components of the SST Plan is the thorough assessment we do with each person before we create their workout program. The results of the initial assessment provide us with a baseline from which we begin to make them better athletes.


CB: What type of abdominal training should adolescents do?

LJ:

At SST we generally begin with 6 weeks of basic core exercises geared to the individual then we get in to more functional exercises such as sledgehammer work and farmers walks.

I prefer to do core work standing up since most sports are played in this manner. Remember, if you are on the ground in hockey your chance of success is severely hampered!

I cannot emphasize this next point enough. It seems to me that in the last few years everybody has been so focused on building up “THE CORE” that they have forgotten about GRIP. A strong grip is needed for the majority of sports, but we have found grip and finger strength to be a weak link in many athletes who come to us for training!


CB: And finally, what type of conditioning exercises do you recommend?

LJ:
In one word: “BLITZ”!

There isn’t a better conditioning method than the SST Blitz Program which involves pushing trucks, dragging sleds, pulling cars, flipping tires and pounding a sledgehammer.

We start with 10-15 second intervals and work up to 60-second intervals with a one-to-one work to rest ratio as we get closer to the game season. SST’s objective is to make the athlete’s Energy System Workout much more demanding than they would ever experience in a game or camp.

There are four main reasons I like to use the implements I mentioned above.

1. Our athletes get a great energy system workout with the added benefit of becoming much stronger. These are what I call Big Bang for the Buck Exercises. They give great return within a relatively short period of time.

2. In addition, all the exercises enhance grip strength, and as I mentioned, grip training is of great importance.

3. It’s really good fun.

4. Lastly I despise rhythmical cardio such as biking for a hockey player since all it does is create tighter hip flexors plus it puts a person in a catabolic state.


CB: Thanks!
LJ:
My pleasure. If you have more questions just email or give me a call at SST – http://sportsspecifictraining.com/

CB


sports specific training workouts