2023 Live Q&A 5: Sport-Specific Strength Training - is it necessary to improve reaction time & performance?

Do you need to do sport specific strength exercises to improve your reaction time and sports performance? There is a common misconception that strength training needs to be extremely sport-specific to the athlete's sport. However, this cannot be farther from the truth!   PRS Podcast Listener Question: "Fitness is a concept that can mean different things depending on the sport and/or goals.  It is often used as a synonym for endurance in soccer, for example. But more broadly it can encompass strength, quickness, speed, and explosiveness as well.    My question is regarding how to train effectively to increase or maintain  quickness. I think Barbell training addresses strength most directly.  But as I get older and slower, how can I address quickness (or speed)  as effectively as I do the strength aspect?"   In this episode we discuss the two elements that make up sports performance - strength and practice. We discuss why and how barbell strength training has direct transfer to increasing performance and quickness not just in sports but in everyday activities and the concept of "use it or lose it."   To answer this question most directly without giving away the details of the episode you can: Incorporate the olympic lifts in the younger sport highschool and collegiate athlete strength & conditioning program Increase the power generation behind your sport execution by increasing the strength of your body producing the sport movements Improve your reaction time by continuing to practice the sport in full and breaking it down into sport drills   Listen to the episode for a deeper understanding of these concepts!   Additional Resources: Dennis's Inspirational Interview     If you're enjoying our podcast, please leave us a review on Apple or Spotify.   Join our Facebook Community for free form checks, live Q&As & more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PRS.Barbell.Mastery    Got questions or guests you'd like to hear on the show? Submit them here: https://forms.gle/7Vu2HmgHoeQY9xM59    Get in touch with the show! Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com Email: [email protected] Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs