The Role of Resistance Training in Integrated Athlete Programs

This report focuses on integrated training programs for athletes, with a specific emphasis on resistance training. It highlights the benefits of resistance training, also known as weight or strength training, which include building muscular strength, improving anaerobic endurance, and increasing skeletal muscle size. The report explains how resistance training can enhance athletic performance by increasing bone density, reducing the risk of injury, improving ligament and tendon strength, boosting metabolism, and promoting proper cardiac functioning. It details various exercises used in resistance training, such as free weights (barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells), resistance bands, and suspension equipment, including common exercises like squats, chin-ups, and push-ups that utilize body weight. The report references studies that support the efficacy of resistance training in enhancing athletic capabilities and overall physical health and wellbeing.

Running Head: INTEGRATED TRAINING
RESISTANCE TRAINING IN ATHLETES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1INTEGRATED TRAINING
An athlete goes through an integrated training program because it promises efficient
training that includes flexibility, balance training, core work, cardio and resistance training. It is
a customized program that uses the best training methods to utilize it for the efficiency of the
athlete’s performance.
The chosen component for integrated training is resistance training, which is also known
as weight training or strength training. Its major function is to build strength or resistance to
muscular contraction, improving anaerobic endurance and increasing the size of skeletal muscles
in athletes. The muscles of the body works in synchronization to overcome a resistant force when
there is a need to do so. The reason athletes go through resistance training is because it helps
their muscles to become stronger. When resistance training is properly conducted then an athlete
can have a high density bone, reduction of potential injury, ligament toughness and strength,
elevated strength of tendons and muscles, increased fitness and metabolism with proper cardiac
functioning. Overall it promotes physical health and wellbeing by increasing the force output of
the muscle through the help of weight increasing exercises (Granacher et al., 2016).
The type of exercises done in resistance training is using free weights such as the
barbells, dumbbells and kettle bells, resistance bands that includes giant rubber bands, which
provides resistance when it is stretched. Other exercises use suspension equipment that are
training tools, which needs gravity and weight of the person to do certain exercises. Some
common exercises are squats, chin ups and pushups that uses own body weight for convenience
(Lesinski, Prieske & Granacher, 2016).

2INTEGRATED TRAINING
References
Granacher, U., Lesinski, M., Büsch, D., Muehlbauer, T., Prieske, O., Puta, C., ... & Behm, D. G.
(2016). Effects of resistance training in youth athletes on muscular fitness and athletic
performance: a conceptual model for long-term athlete development. Frontiers in
physiology, 7, 164.
Lesinski, M., Prieske, O., & Granacher, U. (2016). Effects and dose–response relationships of
resistance training on physical performance in youth athletes: a systematic review and
meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med, 50(13), 781-795.