Strengthening these muscle groups increase your lower body power, having a dramatic effect on your speed, quickness, and agility.
As if those benefits aren’t enough, this single leg exercise also activates your core, a perfect add-on for offseason training or beach body season. If you’re hoping to achieve flat-ab status, this is one of the best lower body exercises you can do. 4 sets of 6-8 and you’re good to go.
The Lateral Raise
The next great exercise to add to your workout program is the lateral raise. This easy-to-learn exercise boosts shoulder strength and stabilization, preventing unnecessary injuries. From a sports performance perspective this will increase arm strength, improve pushing/pulling strength, and help you fend off opponents on the field.
Regardless of whether you’re a serious athlete, or someone just looking to get into better shape, a strong stomach is key. Planks on an exercise ball help you do just that. This exercise is absolutely fantastic for strengthening the core abdominal muscles as well as the muscles in your back.
Looking for exercises that will help maximize athletic performance and develop a more toned physique?
The EFashion Sports Merchandising Program introduces both middle and high school students to the field of Sports Merchandising and Market. Our program is designed to help students to learn the basics in fundamental components in designing a shoe line or sports apparel. This program can promote school education in the arts by having students design school logos and fundraising programs.
While the regular plank is also good, doing it on the ball forces you to stabilize even more with your abs and obliques. Just make sure that you can perform a standard plank for at least 45 seconds before moving over to the ball. When you’re ready to advance, perform 3-4 sets at 30-45 seconds and you’ll feel the burn the next day.
It’s important to note that while the process of building muscle is very much the same for both a man and a woman, there are some significant programming differences between the genders. This stems from men having a completely different hormonal profile than women, and often a different desired body shape too.
Men and women also have different “weak spots” that requiring addressing specifically in order to achieve optimal performance. The best way to strengthen these weak points is through a well designed workout program and better exercise selection.
So, with that in mind, let’s look at the four exercises all female athletes should do to address their weak points in their quest to look better, feel better, and perform better.
Additionally, if you do these correctly you’ll develop nicely capped shoulders, which creates the illusion of a slimmer waistline. So yes, that hourglass figure you’re looking for starts here. Plus, it will help you look great in any sleeveless dress or shirt you wear.
Of course, properly performing the lateral raise is key. Hold the weights in a neutral grip by your sides and raise your hands up until they’re in line with your shoulders. If what I just said makes absolutely no sense, just watch the video below. Once you’ve figured out the motion, work to do 3 sets of 10-12.
Last but not least is perhaps the best, and most overlooked, exercise for female athletes. The deadlift is a perfect lower body exercise for females as it helps promote a stronger lower back, a stronger core, and more powerful legs and glutes. The deadlift is also a great way to add more shape and curves to your lower body, something most women seek.
The Split Squat
EFashion Sports Merchandising Program/Fashion
The Deadlift
Exericise Ball Planks
When doing this exercise, make sure you pull through your glutes in order to reduce the pressure on your lower back and maximize the benefits of this exercise. 3-5 sets of 5-8, once you’re comfortable with the movement, is perfect.
Whether looking to get toned, improve your athletic performance, or simply do both, these are the exercises for all of my ladies out there! Make sure they find their way into your training program and you’ll not only see great improvements in your athleticism, but also in your physical appearance.
If you're a female athlete looking to get toned and stay toned, I would recommend the following supplements:
- Cytosport L-Glutamine - Needed for immune system support, energy production, and the building and protection of the lean muscle mass when stress is increased on the body
- Optimum Nutrition Fish Oil – These tasteless fish oil pills will help you burn fat, improve joint health, and reduce inflammation associated with hard training
- Cytosport Whey Isolate – Naturally rich in glutamine, BCAA’s and other important nutrients, this protein supplement will help you build lean muscle mass when taken after training sessions
Title IX and the Rise of Female Athletes in America
Title IX states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
The first great exercise for female athletes is the split squat. Females are naturally much more flexible than males, and thus are able to get deeper on this movement than most men can. Better depth means a greater range of motion, allowing women to reap the full benefits of split squats.
Split squats are ideal for developing strong glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
EFashion Institute
You’re a girl, and you’re an athlete. You train extremely hard for your sport... and to look better too (guys, don’t kid yourselves - you care about how you look too). The catch is, working out in not enough. It’s what you do during those workouts that actually matter. Which is why, below, I’ll outline the best exercises for you, the female athlete. Exercises that will help you develop lean, toned muscle mass so that you can perform better, and look better too.
Body Composition Trends In Collegiate Female Athletes
How does participation in college athletics affect body composition in women?
There is surprisingly little research on the subject. On one hand, athletes and parents alike have heard horror stories of eating disorder-like behavior. On the other hand, coaches tend to credit their training programs with sometimes radical transformations.
In an attempt to determine what changes actually take place over an athlete’s college career, a study at the University of Texas at Austin collected pre- and post-season body composition measurements. The datea came from more than 200 female Division I athletes participating in one of five sports: basketball, volleyball, soccer, swimming, and track. Among track athletes, only sprinters and jumpers were considered, not distance runners or throwers. Measurements included height, total mass, lean mass, and body fat mass and percentage.