Photography by Charles Hope at National Sports Development
Clothing provided by Reebok
Getting into the best shape--no matter what sport you play.
Every athlete, no matter what sport they play, thinks about whether or not they are physically and mentally ready for the competition ahead of them. It doesn't matter what sport you play; you always want to be at your best. This is true for individual sport or team sport. You prepare yourself to win. You don't want to let yourself, your fans, or your teammates down.
My sport is lacrosse. I've been playing the game since I was three and have had the opportunity to play with some of the world's best players. Lacrosse isn't like other sports; they actually give you a stick and tell you to go hit someone with it. You have to be physically and mentally strong in all sports, but lacrosse combines all types of team sports into one. It has the speed of football, with receivers sprinting to get into the open. It has the grit and toughness of hockey, with players trying to get to the middle of the net without getting hammered, while controlling the ball at all times. It has the technique of basketball, with players setting picks and getting the ball to the open net. And don't forget the fighting.
Old guys like me--I'm thirty-two--have to watch out for the next young guy trying to run me over and take my job, so fitness is a necessity. As an offensive player, I must create goals and work faster and smarter than the guy checking me. Well, I'm not sure if I'm smarter, since we have doctors, investment bankers, and teachers playing in our league, but I know I can be faster.
Here are some training exercises from some of the top lacrosse trainers that have helped me; I wouldn't be where I am today without them.
Weighted sprints.
> Sprints
• Forty-metre sprints pulling a thirty-five- to forty-five-pound weight with a one-minute rest between.
One-legged standing bench squats.
> One-legged standing bench squats
• Standing on the ground with one foot while the other
is on a bench, lift your body up and slowly lower yourself back down without touching the ground. Perform three sets of eight to ten repetitions for each leg.
Strength swings.
> Strength swings
• I like to tie some tubing or a bungee to my lacrosse stick, but you could use a hockey stick, broom handle, baseball bat, or whatever else may be handy. Then I imitate my shooting technique for five sets, twenty-five to thirty reps. You might want to experiment by adapting this to the swing or a baseball bat, golf club, tennis racket, or other swinging motion in which your body and arms move through a defined range.
Ladder drills.
> Quick feet plyometrics
• There are many different types of exercises you can do for plyometrics. One I like to do with a rope ladder is place the ladder on the ground, and then quickly step in with the left, then with the right, and then out with the left and then the right, and repeat, progressing down the length of the ladder for five to ten sets, depending on the length of the ladder.
Shoulder raises.
> TRX shoulder raises
• Attach a tubing with a handle to an anchor point. Face away from the anchor and grip the handle with one hand. Starting from a low position, lift your arm forward, keeping your arm straight. Perform three sets, ten to twelve repetitions for each arm.
• Next, turn your body to the side so that you're pulling away from the stationary object and repeat, again for three sets, ten to twelve repetitions, each arm.
• Next, lock your elbow to you side and keep you're back straight and repeat, again for three sets, ten to twelve repetitions, each arm.
6. Cardio is King!
• After my workout, I throw in some cardio. Stairmaster is my favourite, usually thirty to forty-five minutes.
About the Author
Forward Kaleb Toth enters his ninth season with the 2009 NLL Champion Calgary Roughnecks. Toth currently resides in Calgary, where he works as a sales representative with RedBull.
"Pre-Season Training" was first published in the November/December Winter Running & Fitness Issue of IMPACT Magazine. |
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