Three Simple Exercises that Every Adolescent Athlete Should Master

One of my greatest misfortunes as an athlete was not having proper guidance with my off-field and off-court training during my childhood and early adolescence. My strength and conditioning ended up being guided by coaches, who knew little to nothing about training, as well as gym rats that were more bodybuilders than performance experts. Inevitably, I focused on training all the wrong muscles and movements. Not only did I find my musculoskeletal system in a tangled mess, but I also became riddled with injury and was left searching for answers as I went from one surgery to the next. Fortunately, this caused me to go on a journey, which ultimately landed me in physical therapy school, and forced me to dissect what goes into sound training and fluid movement. If I were to do it all over again, I would’ve started with a few key exercises that are listed below. Until one masters these basic exercises and positions, it is preemptive to start introducing more complex movements especially when incorporating greater loads. The beauty of these exercises is that all you need to complete them is body weight and resistance tubing. I have also listed specific sets and repetitions to give you some general guidelines though please understand that there are modifications and progressions that are made based on one’s ability to properly perform these exercises.

1. Isometric Pushup in a Modified Position – 5x, 30-45sec

2. Seated Isometric Row: 5x, 45-60sec

3. Single Leg Balance with Thigh Flexed 90 degrees: 5x, 45-60sec

Tagged as: Chris Johnson PT, Exercises for Adolescent Athletes, Hip Strength, Isometric Push Up, Postural Stability, Scapulothoracic Stability, Seated Row, Simple Exercises, Single Leg Balance