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Position-specific exercise selection for lacrosse

This is an excerpt from Strength Training for Lacrosse by NSCA -National Strength & Conditioning Association,Joel Raether & Matt Nein.

By Nicole Shattuck and JL Holdsworth

The notion of position-specific exercises stems from the SAID principle; there are tissue needs and joint angles specific to certain field positions, because positions have particular roles and designated areas in the field of play. When the physical requirements are different, the strength and conditioning program must also be different to be effective. A strength and conditioning professional can assign position-specific resistance training exercises for the various positions by identifying differences in reaction needs, lateral movements, explosive acceleration and deceleration, balance, conditioning, and hand–stick–ball–eye coordination, as discussed in the previous section. The more similarly resistance training reflects the biomechanical actions and metabolic outputs of the sport, the greater the likelihood of transfer and improvement of performance variables (13, 15). The velocity, intensity, volume, and rest periods assigned to each of the following exercise descriptions are determined by the sport and position analysis from chapter 2.

Attackers

Attackers need to accelerate and reach high speeds quickly within approximately 5 to 20 yards (4.6-18 m). They move around other athletes or the crease and are sometimes needed in defensive plays when pressing an opponent who is clearing the ball. Attackers use passing, catching, and shooting, which call for upper body muscular endurance, strength, power, and trunk mobility. An attacker’s lower body movements are classified as dodging and off-ball cuts. Various dodges include the split dodge, which is a lateral movement into a sprint; the face dodge, which involves advancing and evading by reaccelerating; and the roll dodge around a defender. Off-ball cuts can be linear or curvilinear or include a quick change of direction to evade a defender.

Due to the force demands placed on attackers’ bodies in end-range positions, attackers are best served by loaded hip and trunk mobility exercises. These exercises not only improve the resilience at end ranges but also increase the ability to create space while shooting or passing. Some examples of this exercise group are full range of motion front squats, T-spine mobility drills, and Turkish get-ups.

The ability of an attacker to explode laterally out of a cut or dodge can be a game changer. Single-leg, lateral-drive exercises are just what attackers need to create that game-changing speed. Squats and deadlifts, while beneficial for training the hip muscles, are primarily done on two legs and often in a linear manner. In single-leg, lateral-drive exercises, such as an LAX lunge or crossover step-up, not only is the athlete on a single leg but the working leg is actively driving the body laterally or angularly. This combination of attributes makes it an ideal exercise for attackers.

High-velocity, single-leg plyometric exercises are not for beginner athletes. However, for attackers with a solid foundation and training age, these exercises can help take their game to the next level. Many variations of these exercises can be used. Adding a foam crash pad to dive onto at the end of a plyometric exercise makes the exercise more attack-specific, requiring the greater proprioception and body control needed for diving into the crease to score.

Strength and conditioning professionals should program resistance training movements with full range of motion to promote strength and mobility, power exercises for explosive movements and first-step acceleration, and both intensive and extensive plyometrics for lacrosse attackers.

Midfielders

Midfielders typically run faster and more than other field positions (1, 3). A midfielder might play on one or both sides of the field, so the position requires attention to attack- and defense-specific resistance training as well as a developed aerobic capacity for transitioning between zones or for substitution purposes. The demands for more distance may fatigue midfielders differently, and strength and conditioning professionals should be aware of this during the training cycles.

Important movement styles used by midfielders are sprinting in one direction with the upper body turned another direction, linear acceleration, high-velocity deceleration, power snap rotations, and shoulder checking. There are three types of position-specific resistance training exercises that especially help midfielders to become more dynamic and, just as importantly, to stay healthy. These exercise types are rotational power exercises while moving, rapid force-yielding exercises, and contralateral exercises.

Midfielders must be able to shoot and pass the ball quickly, while moving, to be effective in their position. Rotational power exercises, such as rotational medicine ball throws, are important for all lacrosse athletes but even more so for midfielders. Furthermore, a midfielder must be able to execute the skills of the position while sprinting in various styles. Rotational power exercises for midfielders need to incorporate movement during the exercises. Many traditional rotational power exercises are performed from a stationary position. However, midfielders are rarely standing still when they quickly fire off a shot or pass. Therefore, incorporating some type of movement while executing rotational power exercises will greatly increase the training transfer from the resistance training to the midfielder’s performance on the field. A simple way to do this is to have the midfielder run past a wall and do an explosive medicine ball throw into the wall while running, as opposed to standing still in front of the wall.

In the men’s game, a midfielder contends with constant external forces being violently applied by opposing athletes. Rapid force-yielding exercises, which require a midfielder to decelerate loads quickly, help the athlete prepare for the types of physical stresses present during games and practices. It is essential that rapid force-yielding exercises are done for both the upper and lower body. An example of a rapid force-yielding lower body exercise is an altitude drop. An example of a rapid force-yielding upper body exercise is a throw/stop, which entails using a variation of a medicine ball throw but stopping the throw before the ball can leave the hands.

Power for shots and passes happens by transferring force from the leg opposite to the stick side. Contralateral exercises train the lower body on one side and the upper body on the opposite side. Strong contralateral systems are therefore crucial to ensuring powerful shots and passes. Common contralateral exercises are the Copenhagen plank, suitcase carry, and lateral bonding into a unilateral throw. Midfielders have the most dynamic position on the field. Therefore, their resistance training must prepare them accordingly.

Defenders

The ability to rapidly accelerate and decelerate can make or break a defender’s ability to cut off an attacker or win out a ground ball; defenders will also need to reach high speeds within short distances. Back squats are one of the best ways to develop total and lower body strength, but split squats and other unilateral lower body movements are highly predictive for change-of-direction movements (8). Olympic lifts and derivatives support repeated high-intensity efforts and should also be included in defenders’ position-specific resistance training.

Defenders cannot push an offensive athlete out of their intended path if they cannot maintain their own position. Trunk stability and strength allow defenders to maintain their position and stifle the offense. Stronger trunk stability also allows for a more efficient transfer of lower body power into the upper body. This increased force transfer makes for much more impactful checking by the defender.

Defenders also use their sticks to check or intercept passes. Although they may not pass as much as other positions, upper body muscular endurance is still an emphasis for defenders (1, 3). In the women’s game, defenders bilaterally push (or check), approach, shift or slide laterally, and react to the opposing team’s offensive advances. In the men’s game, in addition to those skills, crossover running, checking, anchoring, and chopping are primary movements for defenders. Defenders in men’s lacrosse need to be able to push and pull at the same time to use their stick most effectively against attackers. Traditional resistance training includes pushing and pulling exercises. These exercises will usually emphasize the push or pull more, depending on the exercise, but both actions build the strength that defenders need on the field. An example of a simultaneous pushing and pulling exercise is a single-arm dumbbell press with a unilateral row.

Goalies

Lacrosse goalies have the most unique needs out of all positions. Goalies maintain a 6-yard (5.5 m) crease and 2-yard × 2-yard (1.8 m × 1.8 m) cage and have significantly lower running volumes than the other positions (1, 3) (see the USA Lacrosse website, www.usalacrosse.com/field-diagrams). Although the position of the goal is different on a men’s and women’s field, the goal and circle are the same size. Goalies stand in an athletic, quarter-squat position while holding a goalie stick upright. They slide laterally within the frame of the cage to maintain position, react to a shot, drop or land in a split for low shots, or chase a wide shot, and they are often involved in a clear after a defensive stop. The density of a goalie’s play is higher, but rest time during games and practices can be longer due to constraints of the position.

The unique demands of a goalie are best trained through using a few different types of position-specific exercises. Single-effort power repeats, ankle–foot complex strengthening, and hip abduction exercises are more essential to goalies than to other positions on the field.

Goalies must produce high power outputs in rapid succession. Exercises that train this quality will help goalies increase and maintain their quickness at the net. These exercises can be loaded with external resistance or body weight. An example of this type of exercise is a barbell push press to improve the ability to react to high shots. The exercises must have short rest intervals between the repetitions but a longer rest between sets. Using no rest between sets simply becomes a conditioning exercise instead of training the desired trait.

The ankle–foot complex is important for all lacrosse athletes. However, it is even more so for a goalie. A weak ankle–foot complex could make the difference between stopping a shot and the other team scoring a goal. All power transmission through the hips and legs must be supported and transferred by a strong ankle–foot complex. A weak ankle–foot complex could make the goalie’s feet look like they are stuck in sand. One of the best ways to train the ankle–foot complex is to incorporate a floating heel in traditional lower body exercises. A floating heel means the heel is slightly elevated and unsupported during the exercise. This slight elevation of the heel requires the forefoot to support the load and force generated. Beyond building strength, goalies are well served to spend time on exercises that increase the mobility of the ankles as well.

Hip abduction powers a goalie from one side of the net to the other. Strengthening the hip abductor muscles is crucial to improving a goalie’s power in the net. The ability of the goalie to explosively push laterally is drastically improved by training hip abduction. Many lower body exercises work hip abduction, but exercises that develop the maximal strength of hip abduction will help the goalie’s performance most. Great examples of this type of exercise are landmine lateral acceleration single-leg squats and slide board activities.

Other Considerations

Face-off and draw specialists require training for the unique demands of their position. Men and boys initiate the face-off in a crouched position; therefore, loaded sled pushes that mimic the joint angles would be beneficial. Women and girls perform the draw in an athletic stance with the ball at chest level; the ball must be thrust into the air on the whistle. Machine-based pulley systems, suspension training attachments, and different cable machines can be used to assign special exercises that can mimic the reactive pulls and pushes of this skill. Overall, upper and lower body strength and power for reactivity and ball placement, as well as trunk stability, can make a difference in the success of this specialist position.

There are many differences between men’s and women’s lacrosse. These differences need to be considered when designing a program. For example, the increased contact of men’s lacrosse requires more hypertrophy work to build more cross-sectional muscle that attenuates injury from impact. Preparing for body contact may be reflected in maintaining the upper body general preparation phase (also abbreviated as GPP) throughout the year, neck strengthening for both wearing helmets and protecting against concussions, and trunk training exercises using isometrics or with perturbations.

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