Become a better cricketer with these exercises

When thinking about strength training for cricketers, many components jump to mind, as it is a multi-faceted, multi-directional and multi-planer sport. It is therefore, very challenging and exciting as a Strength and Conditioning Coach to be involved in the planning and implementation of successful training programs to cricketers at a professional level.

The most important aspect to realise about any sport, especially cricket, is to identify position and role specific fitness components that need to be addressed in your Strength and Conditioning protocols. When these components have been identified and scientifically structured into well-designed training sessions, any cricketer regardless of their level of competition, will benefit immensely. Strength is but one of many fitness components to be addressed in your training programs. Other important components for cricketers are the following:

1. Relative strength- An athlete’s strength relative to his own body weight
2. Muscular flexibility and joint mobility
3. Core strength
4. Aerobic fitness
5. Optimisation of the anaerobic energy system
6. Strength endurance
7. Agility
8. Explosive power (Both lower and upper body)

These components are a few that are crucial to have when wanting to be a well-trained cricketer. Therefore, by partaking in 2-3 Strength and Conditioning sessions per week, addressing these various fitness components are absolutely vital to any cricketer.

When these aspects have been focused on by you as an athlete, it has been proven time and again that it is the key component to injury reduction and prevention. As the volume of cricket being played by participants at all levels is increasingly multiplying, it is the athlete who focuses on his fitness who provides himself with the best chance to continuously play at the top level.

When breaking each role within a cricket team down to the various fitness components which need to be focused on more specifically, it is easy to see that a one size fits all training program for a cricket team does not seem like the most effective plan of action. If we take a fast bowler, the following components should be emphasised in his training program:

• Base strength
• Core strength
• Rotational strength
• Explosive ability
• Joint mobility
• Single leg strength (Front leg, specifically)
• Balance training

Exercises for bowlers

Here are 4 exercises that would address some of these components:

Goblet Squat

• Take a dumbbell with both hands and hang it vertically between both hands
• Keep it a little away from your chest
• Feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward
• Keep all your weight in your heals, and your knees and toes in-line when moving downwards in a sitting position
• Try to have your elbows touching your knees when at the end of the movement, and still keeping your back straight

Shoulder Touches in a Plank Position

• Straight arm plank position
• Hands under your shoulders
• Feet shoulder width apart
• Keep your hips high as to not have your lower back arch
• Slowly touch opposite shoulders alternately
• Hips must not rotate

Upper Body Plate Rotation

• Lie with the Swiss ball between your shoulder blades
• Again all your weight should be in your heels
• The plate weight held in front of your chest firmly with both hands
• Now slowly rotate on the Swiss ball without your hips dropping as far as you can

Single Leg Medicine Ball lean

• Standing on one leg have a slight bend at the knee
• Slowly lean forward to touch your toes with the medicine ball, all the while kicking your back leg up as high as possible
• Focus is to keep your front knee as stable as possible and remain balanced at all times

Read about Australia’s pace ace Mitchell Johnson’s fitness secrets.

Exercises for batsmen

When being a specialist batter, the previous 4 exercises will also address your needs. The fitness components additional to those of the bowler are as follows:

• Speed
• Explosive rotational strength
• Sagittal plane strength (Specifically the lunge movement pattern strength)
• Upper body strength

The following exercises will more specifically benefit a batsman:

Dumbbell Row in Plank

• In plank position, dumbbell in each hand
• Keeping hips stable when completing the movement
• Pull the dumbbell alternately up to your chest pushing your elbow as far back as possible
• Feet shoulder width apart

Lunge with Medicine Ball Rotational Slam

• Step out lunge remaining upright with your upper body
• Keep weight in your front heel
• Explosive upper body rotation with a maximal effort to slam the ball against the wall
• Focus on generating power quickly

Incline Dumbbell Press

• Set weight bench at 45° angle
• Start with dumbbells in front of your chest
• When lowering the dumbbells, do not go through a 90° angle in your elbows
• Keep your lower back against the bench
• Breath in when lowering the dumbbell and breath out when pushing it back up

Do all these exercises in combination and you will address all the necessary fitness components. Include on field specific fitness as this will compliment your strength training.

I trust this gives you a basic idea of what is required with regards to training the specific fitness components for cricketers. Remember, the quality of the exercise is the most important part. Rather do less and be perfect in your execution than pushing the numbers and risking injury as a result of the wrong technique or compensating as a result of fatigue.

Morne Castelyn is the strength and conditioning coach of The Chevrolet Knights cricket team, which participates in South Africa’s domestic tournaments like Sunfoil Series, Momentum 1 Day Cup and RamSlam Pro 20 Series. He is a qualified sport scientist and biokineticist and is the co-owner of Sports Performance Clinic. He can be followed on Twitter at – @mornecastelyn.

Originally published on www.thehealthsite.com