MOBILITY TIP Give this simple ankle mobility assessment a go. Measure the maximum distance you can get your toe from the box/wall and still be able to touch your knee and keep your heel down. If you can't get a minimum of 7cm on both ankles, you need ankle mobility work daily. Good dorsiflexion is vital to the performance of so many key exercises that having poor ankle mobility is not an option. Try this test out and if needed get working on your mobility! Train smart at Sports Performance Galway Www.sportsperformance.ie #anklemobility #strengthandconditioning #galwayfitness #gaa #basketball #sportsperformance

Some core work from a couple of our running athletes. Core development is an essential physical attribute in any athlete Its importance in increasing explosive power, improving overall strength, maximizing mobility, reducing stress on the body, and minimizing your injuries. Don't be afraid to add some variations into your training. The core works as one unit, stiffening to protect the body and to transfer force from our lower body to our upper body during athletic movements. The core is also the most important factor for transferring explosive power. When your core muscles are weak, then your nervous system puts a HALT to any explosive movement as a protective mechanism to support the spine. Having good rotational and anti-rotational core strength is important as well. Some of the best exercises are listed here below. Bodyweight Hand Walk Outs – Anti-Extension Exercise Push Up Plank Alternating Shoulder Touch –Anti-Flexion and Core Stability Exercises Short Back Bridge – Core Stability and Hip Flexion Tight Rotations – Anti-Rotation – Rotational Bird Dog Variations – Anti-Lateral Flexion Exercises Side Bridge or Side Plank – Anti-Lateral Flexion Exercises Plank Bodysaw– Anti ExtensionDead bugs – Anti Extension Hip Thrusts – Hip Flexion Hanging Leg Raises – Hip Flexion #sport #core #athletes #performance #training #power #strength #velocity #biomechanics #sportsmedicine #sportscience #galway #ireland

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We always include a weightlifting derivative in all our programs here at Sports Performance Galway. Sometimes it may be focused on working on technique and other times it may be included to develop Strength-Speed or Speed -Strength of the force velocity curve. @nscaofficial ⚡️💪🏻💡 #sport #performance #training #power #strength #velocity #biomechanics #sportsmedicine #sportscience

Following on from yesterdays "Core" post, these are some Core exercises that are functional and Safe. These 3 exercises require the core to work to prevent rotation and flexion of the body. Trunk bracing and correct upright posture is vital to ensure that these exercises are done correctly. These exercises can also be used in the activation or potentiation phase of a warm up to ensure that the body is working in sync, and spinal and pelvic muscles are firing correctly !! #function #core #stability #warmup #sportsperformance #athleticperformance #performbetter #galway

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"CAN I DO SOME CORE WORK?" Everyone wants to finish their session off hitting the core and don't get me wrong it is a great way to finish off a workout and we use it ourselves here at SP Galway to get some focused core training in specific to the sport specific demands of our clients. However, the bulk of core stability is built during the proper execution of keys exercises during your workout.....but proper execution is key. When doing unilateral weighted exersises like single leg RDL/ 1 arm rows/ suitcase carrys that tax our core stability, the urge is always there to go heavier. This sometimes leads to a shoulder dropping on the weighted side of the RDL or an over exaggerated tilt during a carry to compensate for a weight that is far to heavy. When performed correctly, with optimal core activation throughout the movement and good posture, you're getting all the general core stability you need. Leaving the end of the session to work on key core rotational work. Train smart at SP Galway www.sportsperformance.ie #coretraining #stability #technique #hiddenbenefits #functionalcore #Galway #sportsperformance

Full house here at Sports Performance Galway this evening! Great seeing so many different athletes in and working on getting themselves better for their sport. If you are an athlete, whether individual or team, you need to be working on strength and power development as part of your weekly training schedule. There will be times of the year it will take a backseat, in season for example , but it should never be forgotten or you are selling your potential short! Get in contact at sportsperformance.ie for the best athlete training service in Galway. #sportsperformance #basketballll #running #athletics #strengthtraining #Galwayfitness #gaa

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Another Great diagram from @ylmsportscience on guidelines for food and supplement intake, pre, during and post exercise and competition 🍝🍜🍉🍊🍌🍎🍓 #sportsperformance #athleticperformance #food #diet #healthy #wholefoods

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One of our Youth athlete's Daniel has been putting in great work the past few weeks. A member of Maree Basketball Club, Daniel also represents Ireland on the U16 National team and is a top future prospect for Irish Basketball. Already a very good athlete, Daniel came to us looking to increase his muscle mass and overall strength and power, specific to the unique demands of Basketball. Looking forward to his retesting to see how his progress is coming along! Want to be put on an individualised plan, developed to increase your performance in your sport then contact us at sportsperformance.ie to get started. #MareeBasketball #Galwaybasketball #basketballireland #strength #power #Basketballtraining #greenshoots #sportperformance #galwayfitness #youthathlete

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Tight Hamstrings or Lower back? Try this stretch, the "Couch Stretch". Because of poor movememt mechanics, poor gym programs or just daily activities like sitting down, can cause an anterior pelvic tilt. This anterior tilt can cause hamstrings to lengthen and lower back to contract and get tight. For the most part, trying to stretch your hamstrings will not help as they are already in a lengthened position. Releasing the anterior muscles such as psoas and rectus femoris (hip flexor and quadriceps) will help restore pelvic position and restore original hamstring length. This stretch along with Glute activation can help to maintain a neutral pelvic position and improved movement ability !! #movement #injuryprevention #mobility #stretch #couchstretch #hurling #gaa #football #soccer #rugby #athletics #galway

While calf strengthening is not going to take up a huge portain of your programming, it does have an important part to play. The straight leg banded calf raise is a great exercise to develop strength and in the calf. By having the resistance over the shoulders you also get some great trunk stability work in. Adding this into your workout can help prevent against calf strains, achilles tendonitis and is also a great exercise to develope dorsiflexion in the ankle. Exercise the the calf through a full range of motion (i.e from full stretch at the bottom to full contraction at the top) and spend time in the eccentric phase (3-5sec) to get the most benefit. Perform sets with enough resistance to be tough in the 8-12 rep range, 3-4 sets. Train smart. Check out sportsperformance.ie for information on how to get started with us. #smarttraining #endurancetraining #running #marathon #roadracing #calftraining #sportsperformance #athletedevelopment #injuryprevention #galwayfitness

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Contrast Training - A match made in heaven!! For the day that's in it, contrast training is the marriage of two methods of training; Strength Training and Plyometrics, and is a powerful method of training to increase power and explosiveness in an athlete. Contrast training uses a principle known as "post-tetanic potentiation" or PTP. PTP causes an increased neuromuscular impulse in a movement (drop jump) when it is preceded by a strong muscular contraction (back squat). The heavy back squat recruits powerful fast-twitch fibers. This greater amount of fibers are then conditioned to activate during the following drop jump, leading to greater performance. This increased performance in the drop jump leads to a greater training effect and post training adaption then would have taken place if just sets of drop jumps were completed. Using this type of contrast training it is important to do the drop jumps immediately after the heavy set of squats (15-30s) and then get a good rest (2-3min) so that near complete recovery has taken place. This type of lower body contrast training superset can lead to great improvements in an athletes vertical jump and is a method of training we use a lot here at Sports Performance Galway. #contrasttraining #Valentinesdaytraining #squats loveplyometrics #Galway #s&c #verticaljumptraining #SPGalway #powertraining

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Everyday is training day. Great to have our Masters couple Keith and Amanda Horan in training together for the first time and just happens to be Valentines. Romance is still alive at Sports Performance Galway #valentines #lovebirds #sportsperformance #galway #couplegoals