Athletes Wish List

12 years ago I was asked by the parent of an athlete about Holiday gifts that would help athletic performance. We made a list of items that would be great for his home training. After the fact I'm afraid that all the kid got for Christmas was exercise equipment.

Times have changed and so has the available equipment, not to mention the knowledge of how to better prepare the body for athletic activity. My recommendations have also changed. In fact several of the items I suggested would no longer qualify.

Here are my top recommendations for athlete gifts this year.

1- My top Pick would be a TRX. Available from Fitness Anywhere. The TRX is a gym that goes wherever you go. Take to the gym, the beach, the park, your house. The TRX attaches to virtually anything. You can hang it over a door, or anchor it to a tree. Once its attached the sky is the limit. Great tool for strengthening the core.

2- Furniture Sliders. Available almost everywhere. A great tool to move heavy items around the house. An even better tool for developing core stability. The core functions in two ways. Its a power producer that can be developed using the medicine ball, but its also a stabilizer. A strong core ties the arms and legs together and allows each to do their jobs more effectively. Crunches are out- Alligator walk is IN.

3- A medicine ball. Medicine balls are so versatile. They can be used to improve rotational power and core strength. As well as mimic many skills athletes perform during competition. For a younger athlete a 4lb ball is just about right. An older athlete should do well with a 6lb ball, and it will last them through their career.

4- A plan. Even if you have the best equipment you still need to know how to use it. Sure you can sample different ideas and techniques. You can try this and that, or you can rely on an expert who has experience helping athletes to meet your specific goal. IF you are a baseball, fastpitch or basketball athlete in need of sports conditioning, then EXPLOSION training has the plan for you. EXPLOSION has been achieving results for athletes in the Chicago area for over 8 years.