Why Strength Training Is Non-Negotiable for High-Level Athletes
Every year, we meet talented athletes who train hard, practice often, and love their sport—but still fall short of their potential. What’s missing? It’s not effort. It’s strength training.
At OC Sports Performance, we don’t guess. We measure. And the data is clear: athletes who lift, jump, sprint, and track their performance consistently outpace those who just play more games. If your goal is to compete at the next level—high school varsity, college, or beyond—you must strength train. Here’s why.
Strength Training Builds Speed and Explosiveness
Speed isn’t just genetic—it’s built. Research continues to show that stronger athletes are faster and more explosive.
- Rumpf et al. (2016) found that stronger lower-body strength (like squats and deadlifts) directly correlates with faster sprint times in youth athletes.
- A meta-analysis by Seitz et al. (2014) confirmed that heavy strength training and loaded jump squats improve sprint performance and vertical jump height.
- Wisloff et al. (2004) demonstrated that maximal strength (1-rep max squat) was highly correlated (r = 0.94) with vertical jump height and sprint performance in elite soccer players.
Translation? Lifting heavy and lifting smart makes you faster. Period.
Strength Training Prevents Injuries
Injuries don’t just sideline athletes—they erase seasons, shatter confidence, and derail development.
- A study by Lauersen et al. (2014) reviewed over 26,000 athletes and found that strength training reduced sports injuries by up to 68%—more than stretching or neuromuscular training.
- Research published in British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) showed strength training not only prevents ACL tears and hamstring strains but also reduces overuse injuries that come from repetitive movements in sport.
That’s why our program emphasizes hamstring strength, unilateral training, and progressive overload. We’re not just making athletes better—we’re keeping them available.
Playing More Isn’t the Answer
Here’s a hard truth: more practice doesn’t always make you better.
At a certain point, sport-specific skill work reaches diminishing returns. Repeating the same drills doesn’t improve your top speed, your change of direction, or your resilience to fatigue.
What does? Improving the characteristics that underlie those movements:
- Strength (force production)
- Power (rate of force development)
- Speed (neuromuscular coordination)
- Mobility (joint health and range of motion)
- Recovery (ability to train hard again tomorrow)
The weight room is where these get built. And yet, many sport coaches still believe more time on the court or field is the only solution. We know better—and we track the numbers to prove it.
The Athletes Who Train, Win
The strongest, fastest, and most durable athletes don’t skip training in-season. They stay in the gym—2 to 3x per week—because they understand that consistent progress adds up.
Skipping strength training for a full season (3–4 months) every year during high school? That’s an entire year lost. And at the competitive level, you can’t afford that.
We only accept 100 athletes in our program, and the ones who stay consistent make huge gains—on the field and on the leaderboard.
Measured Progress = Real Results
Every athlete at OC Sports Performance gets tested and tracked:
- Sprint times with our Brower Timing System
- Jump heights (vertical, broad, and box)
- Strength benchmarks (squats, deadlifts, presses)
We don’t just guess whether an athlete is getting faster. We measure, report, and train for results. Want to see how it works? Book your free intro here.
Final Takeaway: Don’t Leave Your Performance to Chance
If your athlete’s goal is to compete at a high level, strength training can’t be optional—it’s essential. The science backs it, the results prove it, and we live it every day at OC Sports Performance. Strength Training Is Non-Negotiable for High-Level Athletes.
Want more? Check out these blogs:
- Real Speed Training in Bend, Oregon
- How to Make Someone Faster in a Sprint
- 40-Yard Dash Training
- 5 Common Sports Injuries and How to Prevent Them
Your time in the gym is an investment that pays off in competition. Don’t let outdated thinking hold you—or your athlete—back.
