How to Balance Strength Training with Your Sport

Huntington Beach is a haven for active lifestyles, with endless opportunities for activities like Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, MMA, surfing, swimming, running, pickleball, golf, tennis, volleyball, and more. But balancing these sports with a proper strength training routine is key to enhancing performance, preventing injuries, and staying in the game longer. Here’s how to do it effectively.

Why Strength Training Matters for All Activities

Strength training isn’t just for bodybuilders/powerlifters—it’s a foundational component of fitness for athletes in every sport. It improves:

• Power and performance: Whether you’re throwing a punch, hitting a golf ball, or riding a wave, strength translates to better results.

• Injury prevention: Strong muscles stabilize your joints, reducing the risk of injuries during high-impact or repetitive activities.

• Endurance and stamina: Strength helps you maintain optimal performance, even during longer matches or training sessions.

• Flexibility and balance: Functional strength exercises improve mobility and control, critical for activities like Jiu Jitsu or surfing.

Tips for Balancing Strength Training and Your Favorite Activities

1. Prioritize Recovery

Active individuals often overlook rest, leading to burnout or overtraining. Make recovery a priority by:

• Scheduling rest days or active recovery sessions (like yoga or light stretching).

• Getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

• Incorporating foam rolling, massage, or mobility work.

2. Time Your Workouts Wisely

Plan your strength sessions to complement your activity schedule:

• High-impact sports like soccer, football, or MMA: Strength train on lighter practice days to avoid fatigue during high-performance drills.

• Skill-based activities like golf or tennis: Train strength after practice to avoid muscle fatigue affecting precision.

• Endurance sports like running or swimming: Keep strength sessions short but effective to avoid compromising your endurance goals.

3. Adjust Volume and Intensity

Match your training to the demands of your activity:

• In-season sports: Focus on maintenance with lighter weights and fewer sets. For example, golfers or surfers can do 2 full-body strength sessions weekly.

• Off-season sports: This is the time to build strength and power with heavier weights and more volume, whether you’re preparing for volleyball or baseball season.

4. Focus on Functional Strength

Functional training mimics the movement patterns of your sport, helping you perform better and stay injury-free:

• Jiu Jitsu and MMA: Incorporate rotational strength exercises like medicine ball throws and medicine ball slams.

• Surfing: Prioritize core stability and balance work, like single-leg deadlifts and plank variations.

• Tennis and Pickleball: Add shoulder and wrist strengthening to prevent overuse injuries.

• Soccer and Basketball: Emphasize explosive movements like squats, box jumps, and lunges.

5. Don’t Neglect Mobility and Flexibility

Stiffness can undermine performance, so include mobility drills in your routine:

• Dynamic stretches before strength or sport sessions.

• Static stretching or yoga on rest days to improve flexibility.

6. Listen to Your Body

Feeling drained or experiencing soreness that lasts more than a day or two? Take a step back. Overtraining can decrease performance and increase your risk of injury. Pay attention to your body’s signals and adjust your training load as needed. Learn more about Overtraining below.

Sample Weekly Schedule for Balanced Training

A good rule of thumb is keeping your high intensity sessions in the same day and have lower intensity days after to help recover from previous sessions.

Here’s a general outline for combining strength training with other activities:

• Monday: Jiu Jitsu drills + Boxing skill work. (Low intensity)

• Tuesday: Strength training (Heavy lower body) + Muay Thai skill work. (Moderate intensity)

• Wednesday: Wrestling Practice + Muay Thai Sparring. (High intensity)

• Thursday: Strength training ( Heavy upper body) + Muay Thai skill work. (Moderate intensity)

• Friday: Jiu Jitsu sparring + Sprint Intervals (e.g., hill sprints or bike sprints). (High intensity)

• Saturday: Full-body strength session (Dynamic effort) + Boxing bag work (Low intensity)

• Sunday: Active recovery (e.g., hiking, stretching/mobility, sled work or a leisurely swim).

How BMF-Training Can Help You Excel

At BMF-Training, we specialize in designing personalized strength programs that fit seamlessly into your active lifestyle. Whether you’re an MMA fighter, a surfer, or a weekend warrior playing pickleball, we’ll help you:

• Develop sport-specific strength and endurance.

• Avoid burnout with efficient, targeted workouts.

• Maximize performance in all your favorite activities.

Ready to take your training to the next level? Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and let’s create a training plan tailored to your goals.

Stay strong,

-Coach Mike