There seems to be a glut of injuries in the major sports. Not only is it possible to hear about another player coming down with an injury but to read the statistics to see how many players on every team are on the disabled list.
Most often the reasons for injuries are disregarded because they are usually attributed to be “part of the game “. This is especially true when players come down with injuries that at first glance appear to be “flukes”. These are injuries that relate to movements that are thought to be second nature to the athletes.
For example, a player reaching for a wide throw pulls an oblique muscle or strains a groin muscle while swinging the bat in warm-up. Or it could be pulling a hamstring when jogging or straining the lower back muscles when bending over to pick something up, etc. Most of these injuries are usually described as tendinitis or overuse injuries.
Tendonitis is of course, caused by overuse. This means that the muscles and their tendons are not capable of withstanding the constant stress experienced in the repetitive task being performed. As a result they become inflamed and the problem is diagnosed as tendinitis.
The bottom line is that there was insufficient strength of the muscles and tissues involved to withstand the stress. This occurs very frequently whenever there is a non-contact injury. However, the injury can also be caused by improper technique which when experienced over a period of time, places excessive stress on the joint and its associated tissues.
In essence, the injury can be caused by improper technique or insufficient strength of the muscles involved in the execution of the skill. Even though almost all players today undergo a strength training program, the injuries indicate that they are not targeting the muscles involved in execution of skill (skill technique).
This in turn indicates that there is a lack of either a strong physical and technical foundation or inadequate all round physical preparation of the athlete. Examination of most strength training programs show that most are high-intensity programs that utilize only a few compound exercises. The number of single joint exercises to develop individual muscles is extremely low.
To counteract this trend and prevent such injuries, players should go through at least one cycle of all round physical training that includes both general and specialized strength exercises. In most cases this should be sufficient to prevent the multitude of injuries that are presently occurring. The best program to use at this time is the 1 x 20 RM strength training program.
This program ensures that all the major and minor muscles of every joint are strengthened and that the athlete improves his coordination, the key to more effective execution of the skills. There should also be extra work done on improving and enhancing skill technique when necessary.
For more information on the 1 x 20 RM program see The Revolutionary 1 x 20 RM Strength Training Program.