The Incredible Benefits of Choosing More Than One Sport
Photo Incorporating weight lifting into your routine will help you build muscle more quickly
When it comes to making it to the top of your game sports-wise, it’s important to pick something you have a natural flair for and stick to it. However, if you played nothing but squash your whole life, the chances are you’d get bored of it. There’s also a fair chance that there’d be some muscles that didn’t get the exercise they needed… maybe squash was a bad example! Anyway, if you’re looking to shake up your training routine and try something a little different, there are a whole host of reasons why that’s a brilliant idea. Here are some of them.
Training Different Muscle Groups
The first one we’ve already mentioned a little, but training in different sports is obviously going to impact your muscle groups differently. Most top footballers, for example, won’t just play football to keep fit, they’ll undertake intense regimes in the gym. If you’re not quite at the professional level of your chosen sport yet, then you might think hours each day at the gym is excessive and for the most part you’d be right. However, you can achieve similar results by mixing your training up with a complementary sport. Basketball players can get a real boost to their training by mixing it up with swimming. The stress on the muscles and joints from the impact of basketball will be alleviated by swimming and all of your muscle groups will be used gently.
Your Brain is a Muscle Too
When we’re training we often forget about the most important muscle of all, our brain. Many top athletes also like to engage in hobbies that challenge them mentally, as their career already challenges them physically. Tony Parker is an example of a true athlete who has managed to reach dizzying heights in multiple different sports. As well as being most famous for his basketball career, this year Parker has also qualified for the WSOP satellites. Playing poker as a sideline helps him to keep his head in the game on the court and improves core skills of logic and quick thinking, which can be used across both games. Consider taking up either a sport that is particularly mentally challenging or investing some time into giving your brain a regular workout. You’ll be surprised at how clear-headed and decisive you feel when it really counts.
Bulking and Shredding
If you play a sport that requires a very particular physique, for example bodybuilding which requires huge amounts of muscle mass and very little fat, or ballet that requires a strong but lean body, then bulking or shredding (or both) are likely to be a part of your everyday routine. This obviously involves careful planning of your diet, but a different form of exercise could help out in addition. If you’re looking to lose fat and tone up then introducing some cardio, such as running, might really make a difference to your plan. Conversely, if you’re looking to build up muscle then lifting weights in addition to hitting those all important macros will help you get to your target that little bit more easily.
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