The 3 Best Exercises Athletes Aren't Doing

The 3 Best Exercises Athletes Aren’t Doing 

Social media has done a wonderful job of bringing awareness to new exercises and training methods. It’s a great tool to find new ways to get strong, boost athleticism and rehab injuries. The downside to social media training is the emphasis on difficult exercises that are designed to appear advanced, leading athletes to believe they are superior and deliver better results. Unfortunately, most of these advanced exercises and techniques don’t provide the best results and can even lead to further injury depending on the difficulty level.

Here are the top 3 exercises that are often forgotten, but provide the best bang for your buck!

Sled Drags

The sled drag can be performed in a variety of different ways to deliver unbelievable results. Reverse sled drags done for 5-10 minutes with a moderate weight is the perfect way to warm up your glutes, hamstrings and quads for a lower body warm-up or to train through an injury or rehab phase. When the direction is changed and the sled is pushed or pulled forward, you can train for speed and power. Push a heavy sled for a short distance with a lower rep range to build power or pull the sled with less resistance for a medium distance to help build speed!

Carries

Farmers carries are a diverse exercise that will train the upper body in a unique way. Carries can be performed in a multitude of different ways: 2-arm, suitcase, overhead, etc. By choosing different variations, you can train various strength systems. A heavy carry for a short distance will help build power, while a lighter, suitcase carry will help build endurance. This is a great way to strengthen all muscles of the arm, upper back, shoulders, abdominals and lower back. 

Lunges

Popularized by Cory G, walking lunges are one of the best ways to bulletproof your lower body. Walking lunges for time or distance can help strengthen the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Start with a shorter distance, 3-5 minutes or 1-200 meters to build your tolerance. Once you get comfortable, increase the time with a 10-20 minute or 4-800 meter target. Walking lunges will help build strength, power and endurance all in one. 

If you’re an athlete looking to take your game to the next level, forget looking online for advanced techniques and throw it back to these simple and effective training methods.