Weight training during cricket season

[iamdavid]

Just wondering if any of you guys do weight training during the cricket season and how you fit it in so as not to clash with playing/training.

I've been on a 4 day a week gym program for a few months now, but I'm finding it really tricky to combine it with training twice a week and playing on a Saturday. Upper body (mainly chest and shoulders) are pretty stiff and sore from weights which effects quality of throwing and bowling. And the fact I'm training for cricket all the time throws off my recovery and stops me from making progress in weights program.

Heard Glenn McGrath saying he only went hard on the weights during the off-season, and during the season he'd go to gym as little as possible, looking to maintain strength and muscle mass rather than improve...is that the only approach that will work or is it possible to go hard at cricket and still improve in the gym?

 

[willb88]

Most sports will look to work on fitness related aspects of the game in the off-season, usually a few months before the season starts after a little end of season break to give your muscles time to recover. If I were you I would concentrate on the cricket for this season and in the approach to next season work in the gym on the muscles you want to improve. The muscles should be maintained with the cricket next year and then again improved on during the next off season. Works sort of like a cycle. This is probably the best way to do this as your muscles have time to recover. However others will have other options.

 

[bond21]

if you do weight train, train as long before a match day as you need to so your muscles arent sore. ie I would train Thursday at the latest, friday as a recovery day and then your muscles should be right on Saturday.

I would focus more on core strength, because your core muscles control everything, bowling, batting, running and fielding

If you're a fast bowler you don't need to do too many upper body weights because the more muscle you put on, the shorter the muscles become and you want long elastic limbs as a fast bowler.

Always put cricket training first though.

 

[Isura]

Do squats. Then do more squats. Squats have helped eliminate any soreness or back pains after long innings or practices.

 

[vic_orthdox]

As the second poster alluded to, generally the idea is to increase your fitness base during the off-season, maintain it during the season and then build during the next off-season.

EDIT: I think I've heard of light weights being used as a form of recovery. Don't quote me on it.

 

[Manee]

Just wondering if any of you guys do weight training during the cricket season and how you fit it in so as not to clash with playing/training.

I recommend www.harrowdrive.com as a fantastic resource for cricket fitness and nutrition help. The associated forums at harrowdrive and simplycricket may be of help to you in deciding what exercises to do.

May I ask what type of player you are? (E.g. batsman, fast bowler, spinner). If you are a fast bowler, I recommend using the entire off season to work on technique (in a park or garden) and core strength, the long term effects will be worth it.

 

[Langeveldt]

I do 3-4 days in the gym.. Totally focussing on upper body, bench press, squats, ab curls, preacher curls.. I do seven reps of each, three sets which is hopefully the same as burnout, otherwise im not lifting enough..

The rowing machine is awesome too.. 500 metres at 100% intensity, then 45 seconds at 50% intensity.. Three sets of that once a day will sort you out.. But thats so I don't look like a 12 year old girl, I'm not really worried about cricket

 

[iamdavid]

I'm a fast bowler, problem is I dont really have too much of an off-season coz I play rugby league aswell and preseason training for that starts while cricket season is still going, my only real down-time from sport is between about july/august (depending how we go in footy) and mid-september.

 

[Top_Cat]

If you're sore come practice or game, I reckon you're over-training i.e. not recovering enough. If you're at cricket training three times a week, then you wouldn't want to do more than one weights session per week. As Jack teh Mac said, off-season is where you do your hardcore weights training and even then, a quick wouldn't want to be too muscle-bound because there's issues of co-ordination and flexibility.

For example, by definition, you're using the left and right sides of the body differently when you bowl (I mean, you don't bowl with both arms) which runs counter to the goals of weight training being to evenly build muscle. I wouldn't do any weights during the season. If you're cricket training on Tue/Wed/Thu and playing on Sat, perhaps do a cardio session on Monday but do nothing on Friday or Sunday. use those as recovery sessions because on Sat you'll be doing uncontrolled exercise (playing in a match) and you don't want to be fatigued. And use Sunday as the recovery day before the week starts again.