Physical Literacy - Session 5
Improving your strength is good for your overall health and fitness because it increases the amount of muscle in your body. Strength also helps prevent injuries by increasing demand your body can withstand during sports. You do not need fancy equipment to improve all over strength, but you do need to find the right exercises that allow you to feel the muscles working, not too hard but not too easy.
Your strength is a foundation that can help you overcome challenges (demand) on the playing field. A strong mind, like a strong body, can help us achieve success, but we have to work on it!
- Call your life play - on a scale of 1-5 how are you feeling today?
- What do you think of when you hear the word “strength”?
- Can you name 3 strengthening exercises, and which muscles they strengthen?
This warm-up is great to prepare for sessions focused on strength or endurance. View in the Warm-Up Library.
Demonstrate each exercise, noting which muscle groups they target (some should be familiar from the warm-ups!). Students should then complete the appropriate reps and sets on their own before moving on to the next exercise. Students should rest for 1min in between each set.
Students should utilize their fitness journal to document success and RPE. Click on each exercise for a video demonstration!
- Full Body – Burpee with a push up and jump – 5 reps, 3 sets total
- Chest and Shoulders – Push up variation of choice: hands or feet raised, wide or narrow grip - 10 reps, 3 sets total
- Back – Reverse Angels - 12 reps, 3 sets total
- Quads – Bodyweight Squat - 15 reps, 3 sets total
- Hamstrings/Glutes – Glute Bridges – 15 reps, 3 sets total
- Calves – Calf Raises – 25 reps, 3 sets total
This is a walking cool down. While walking around the outside of the gym or marching in place, complete the following stretches and breathing routine. View in the Cool Down Library.
- Call your life play - on a scale of 1-5 how are you feeling after this session?
- Compared to other modes of fitness how do you find training for strength?
- Was there a particular muscle group that you found weaker or stronger that others? How will you address this moving forward?
- What do you think it means to have a strong mind?