Free Weights and Your Strength and Conditioning Program

All strength and conditioning programs must work within the confines of their facilities, equipment and athletes. The program should consist of a variety of methods of training so that all aspects of athletic development are taken into consideration for the needs of each sport. The one common thread for all sport, though, is the use of free weights in the strength and conditioning program. Virtually every sport requires strength and power to succeed. There is no better way to develop this strength and power than through the use of free weights. The very definition of the term “power” means speed and strength combined, or explosiveness. Incorporating free weights into the program enables the athletes to train for this explosiveness. This, in turn, makes the athlete more powerful on the field of play – which is what all coaches want to see in their players. Cleans, snatches, jerks,