A well-balanced athlete has good coordination and control when performing sports actions. When a player absorbs a hit in football or hockey, it is clear that maintaining balance
is difficult; air resistance, friction, and gravity also affect how well an athlete can maintain balance. The way in which an athlete resists and handles these outside forces
is called stability. The better and more sport specifically athletes train their bodies, the more balanced and stable they will be during sports performance.

The exercises described in this chapter relate specifically to three areas of balance and stability: (1) muscular balance, (2) dynamic balance, and (3) core stability.
Although listed as separate areas of balance, they are closely related. The section on muscular balance provides a strength basis for athletes in most sports. It highlights
single-joint exercises as well as multijoint exercises that are beneficial for general core strength and stability. The section on dynamic balance focuses on exercises that help
the athlete control the body's center of gravity while training and competing. The core stability section features core strength exercises, which are designed for sports
requiring not just flexion and extension but also rotational movements. The 3-D approach refers to training the top and bottom, left and right, and front and back of the body--in
other words, the complete athlete. This type of training  ensures muscular balance as well as stability during all sports activities.

MUSCULAR BALANCE
Achieving optimal muscular fitness requires flexibility, strength, muscle endurance, power, and speed. All these components should be included in a well-rounded training
program. In some sports or activities such as baseball, tennis, and javelin, the dominant side of the upper body develops more than the nondominant side. Other sports such
as running, soccer, and cycling may emphasize the lower  body more than the upper body. And if certain patterns or muscular actions are performed repeatedly, muscles develop
more in either the front of the body (in football offensive  linemen) or the back of the body (in rowers). Competitors in all sports, however, benefit from a well-rounded muscular
training program focusing on the front and back, dominant and nondominant, and upper and lower sections of the human body--a program that builds 3-D muscular balance. A
well-rounded muscular training program--one that includes single-joint exercises as well as multijoint exercises--will help overall athleticism and coordination, prevent injuries,
and, best of all, enhance performance in all sports activities.

Single-Joint Training
As the name suggests, single-joint training exercises focus on the muscle groups surrounding one joint. Single-joint exercises serve an important purpose in preparing the body for more strenuous activities. They promote muscular balance because they recruit or exercise isolated muscles or muscle groups. Although this type of training can be somewhat time consuming, the specific attention paid to each muscle or  muscle group can produce significant dividends.

Multijoint Training
Because most sports require athletes to use a variety of complex movements, training should be performed in a sport-specific manner if possible. For example, to maximize
training time and function, multijoint exercises such as squats and lunges are usually more efficient than single-joint exercises. Multijoint exercises do not isolate
a single-joint activity; single joint action is uncommon in all sports. Because multijoint exercises are performed in a slow, controlled motion, the likelihood of injury is greatly
reduced. This also makes them great lead-up exercises to the dynamic balance exercises described in the next section of this chapter (pages 125 through 127).

DYNAMIC BALANCE
What do the following athletes have in common: a shortstop in softball fielding a ground ball, a basketball player playing man-to-man defense, a soccer player dribbling
through several defenders, and a hockey player changing directions at full speed? All these athletes must have tremendous footwork and good balance. Keeping the body
under control while moving is called DYNAMIC BALANCE.

Having the feet just wider than shoulder-width apart will give an athlete the most stable base of support, as shown in figure 7.1. Of course, this is not always possible during athletic competition. The key is to control the body's center of gravity, the point around which the body
balances most perfectly. The center of gravity is usually a little lower in females than it is in males.

By keeping the center of gravity between the base of support (the feet), the athlete can more easily change directions. In addition, lowering the center of gravity adds stability.  Great athletes in almost every sport have excellent control over their center of gravity and therefore superior dynamic balance.

Some sports depend almost exclusively on an athlete's control of the center of gravity and the ability to balance during the sports activity. As soon as the athlete loses balance, he or she loses the contest. The following sports fall into that category:

• Cycling
• Speed skating
• Judo
• Figure skating
• Diving
• Weightlifting
• Skiing
• Gymnastics
• Fencing
• Wrestling

Other sports require athletes to stay balanced while moving in relation to a moving object (a ball or puck, for example) or teammates. These sports have similar movement patterns
and include the following:

• Baseball and softball
• Ice hockey
• Football
• Tennis
• Basketball
• Field hockey
• Soccer Volleyball

The following exercises help athletes develop their control over their center of gravity and therefore improve their dynamic balance.

To read more about 3-D Balance and Core Stability, and to see the figures and exercises, get your copy today!

HIGH-PEFORMANCE SPORTS CONDITIONING
Bill Foran
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ISBN 0-7360-0163-8
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