How to Prepare for Collegiate Strength Training

There are a lot of things athletes who are starting their collegiate careers need to know. One important aspect of collegiate athletics is strength training. Lifting weights and running sprints shouldn’t be new concepts for athletes; most probably do either or both of these things on a regular basis. However, collegiate strength training becomes an everyday task that pushes athletes bodies and minds to their limits.

“A good place for incoming athletes to start is to reach out and ask questions before they enroll,” says Brett Price, the strength and conditioning coach for Auburn University baseball. “For example, talking with friends that are already in college or emailing coaches questions. As you know, a day in the life of a college athlete is not easy.

“From strength and conditioning, to practice, to tutors, to class, a lot is going on. High school athletes could begin to prepare for this type of day by making their daily high school routine more like what they will experience in college.”

 Some athletes prepare for the rigors of collegiate strength training by training with speed and agility coaches or a particular weight training program. These are good things to do before heading off to college. Since they help prepare you for what you’re about to experience. There are a bunch of other things athletes can do too, like waking up early in the morning or practicing proper eating habits.

Every athlete is different, and every sport requires a different type of strength and conditioning training.

Below are some tips (with the help of our collegiate strength training friends) that will help athletes prepare for strength training in college. 

Have a Good Mindset

The workouts in club or college athletics will not be the same when it comes to strength and conditioning training. The drills may still be there, but the collegiate strength training level is completely different. That is why it’s important for athletes to have an open mind when they begin training for college. According to Brandon Sanders, the softball strength and conditioning coach at North Carolina State University, “The mindset going in, pre-sets the mind for the initial actions that go on at the beginning of their first semester. Unless that athlete has been told by the coaches/staff members of the school they will be attending; they cannot have any expectation. That will, more times than not, set the athlete up for a letdown or set back. They just need to commit and go for it.”

Focus on Technique

It’s great to be strong and to work out regularly. But it’s more important that the workout is done correctly and with the right technique. Having bad technique can cause many problems. “The worst thing they could do would be to train incorrectly before arriving,” says Price. “For example, training hard but with bad technique. I would prefer a kid with minimal training experience than a kid with lots of training experience, but that experience is filled with years of bad technique.”

Soreness is Not an Excuse

Being sore is a normal feeling for college athletes, but it is not an excuse to slack off. Collegiate athletes have to push through soreness to get better, faster and stronger. “There are times in the training year where there will be an accumulation of soreness,” says Sanders. “Know that being sore is perfectly normal at certain times of the year. It is expected that the athlete will need to continue to execute both in sport and in training to continue to improve as an athlete.”

Be Active

Another thing we see athletes do before they get to college is nothing. It’s a terrible decision not to prepare your body for the rigors of college athletics. It can potentially lead to an injury, and it can make it tough to succeed. If there isn’t a place to weight train or condition, at the very least be active by running, walking or some other form of physical activity. In addition to the usual practice regimen.

Nowadays, it’s very easy to find out how to do something. A Google or Youtube search would produce all kinds of tutorials on how to do a particular weight training movement. It’s also just as easy to ask a professional. Do you have questions about what you should be doing to prepare for collegiate athletics? Ask an NSR scout today!