Best Sports Training Products for Young Athletes

Sports performance training is essential for athletes that want to excel. To get ahead of competition, it’s no longer good enough to just be talented. Athletes need to be fast, powerful and strong. Youth sports don’t look like they used to; they changed from being a fun pastime to a $15.3 billion industry according to TIME magazine.

Young athletes need a lot of guidance and patience as they are starting to hone their skills. Appropriate exercise selection is also vital for young athletes, most of who are often physically underprepared to handle the demands of the different sports they engage in. Lack of adequate preparatory conditioning blended with high competition can result in risks such as game-day injuries. This can cause many kids to leave sports at a tender age.

To achieve their full potentials, young athletes need to incorporate athletic performance training aids to improve their athletic performance by focusing on strength, agility, speed and injury protection. Whether you play soccer, football or athletics, you need to train in order to become better and accomplished in your game. It takes a lot of commitment and discipline to become great at any given sport.

The Best Sports Training Products for Young Athletes

The training aids market has exploded in recent years. The market is now full of products designed to enhance the performance of young athletes. In the US alone, over $4 billion is spent on personalized training and coaching for young athletes every year. Every manufacturer claims that their products can make you run faster, jump higher and better your performance. Some of these claims are true, and some aren’t. We try to ascertain the authenticity of some of these products for you; touching on different areas. Treadmills, dumbbells, and weighted vests are some of the vital equipment that athletes, especially young ones who are building their career, should possess.

Whether training in school, at home or at the local gym, these training products will help young athletes take their game to the next level.

XTERRA Fitness TR150 Folding Treadmill

• Large 16″ x 50″ walking/running surface accommodates users of many sizes and stride lengths
• Intuitive 5″ LCD display is easy to read and keeps you updated on speed, incline, time, distance, calories and pulse
• 12 preset programs and 3 manual incline settings offer unmatched variety for your workouts
• Easy pull knob releases the deck to fold or unfold for convenient storage when not in use

Never underestimate the power of a good treadmill at home or at the gym. There are countless benefits of using this product when training. A good run elevates blood flow in the body, keeps you fit and strong. The XTERRA Fitness TR150 Folding Treadmill Black is a great option for home training. It’s affordable, doesn’t take a lot of space, and can be used by young kids and adults alike. It comes with all basic features required for a cardio workout –  a large surface for running or walking with 12 preset programs for diversified workouts. The surface is rough enough to ensure traction as you are running. Speeds range from 0.5 to 10 MPH that allow for all fitness levels.

This particular model comes with 3 manual incline setting that allows the user to customize their exercises. The 5-inch LCD console is sufficient to show you the readings on speed and progress made during training. It is easy to use without fear of injuries.

Pros

• It does not take up much space as it can be folded for storage.
• Great build and quality.
• Ample workout space.
• Built-in workout programs – users can customize their workouts.

Cons

• Regular maintenance required.

Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells

Training for strength is equally important as building speed. A strong muscle is a faster muscle. Many considerations must be taken to help young athletes achieve targets and not exerting them unnecessarily is one vital consideration. Each level of growth has its unique needs. For instance, a 10-year-old 40-pound soccer player can’t lift the same weights as a 20-year-old. It is important for young athletes to perform age-appropriate resistance training to increase strength in targeted muscles for speed and quickness in the field. When weight lifting is done wrong, it can do more harm than good. That is why you should invest in dumbbells with varying weights for easy adjusting.

The Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells come in 2.5-pound variants and adjust from 5 to 50 pounds. This means that you can start resistance exercises with just 2 pounds and work your way up. This dumbbell set is easy to switch up and allows you to change from one exercise to the next. They come with a unique dial system that combines 15 sets of weight into one eliminating fallouts that could lead to injury.

Pros

• A compact unit.
• Easy to use and store.
• Solid and Durable dumbbells.

Cons

• They can get wobbly when carrying the maximum weight.

GHB Pro Agility Ladder Agility Training Ladder

There are many benefits of using agility ladders in young athlete’s workouts. Doing drills on the ladder gets the heart pumping, burning many calories but beyond that, they improve speed, agility, and quickness. These factors improve both athletic performance and overall fitness of the user.  Ladder drills strengthen joints, ligaments, and tendons that every player needs.

The GHB Pro Agility Ladder Agility Training Ladder is a great product to use in regular workouts as it is durable. It’s long measuring 20 feet to give a sufficient area for exercises even in a group setting. The rings are adjustable to suit different users’ needs.  It will work well on grass or concrete. Your budding player can get his daily dose of training on your driveway.

Pros

• It is inexpensive.
• Made using durable materials.
• Comes with a storage bag.

Cons

• They won’t work well on a wet surface.

ZFOsports Weighted Vest

• Weights Included.
• Premium features: Pocket for your phone/music devices
• Water bottle holder, designed to fit all water bottles 16oz or smaller
• LIFETIME Service warranty included.
• Belt attached on the vest for easy set up.One size fits most.

This weighted vest has several pockets, so you can vary the number of weights you carry and evenly distribute the load around your upper torso. You also get a pocket for your phone/music device. This allows proper sprint mechanics against the resistance. Adding more weight on the vest compels you to increase the amount of force production when moving. The ZFOsports Weighted Vest comes in one size that that can fit young players to adults. The vest is sturdy and breathable and comes with a belt to for adjusting the fit. A belt is also attached for easy setup. Finally, the ZFOsports Weighted Vest is designed with a bottle holder to accommodate all bottles less than 16oz. You can easily sip some energized drink as you go on with your training.

Pros

• Durable.
• Easy to wear and adjust weights.
• One size fits most.

Cons

• Can interfere with certain workouts.

Titan Power Speed Sled w/ Harness Weighted Drag Sport Football

• Compatible with Olympic or Standards plates
• Includes deluxe padded vest and high durability straps
• Usable on grass or on carpet
• Proprietary handles for pushing the sled included
• Minor assembly required

A pull sled is a great product to use for resistant training or speed exercises. The resistant device attaches with a harness and helps propel you forward in a linear motion against the weight; basically, the more the weight the higher the resistance. The Titan Power Speed Sled uses standard plates so you know how much weight to pull at any given time. It can be used indoors or outdoors. The leash length can be shortened or elongated to suit the height of the user.

Take the advantage of this speed weight sled to cover a wide area of opportunities. Use the forward facing drags and the backward facing drags for speed development and building your quadriceps strength respectively. You could also opt to push the sled using the handles to build up on your hamstrings.

Pros

• Easy setup.
• Can be used indoors or outside.

Cons

• Does not come with enough plates.

Conclusion

The world of youth athletics has become unbelievably competitive. Young athletes require training for their specific stage of growth and development. So don’t expect too much after a few workouts. Let them work hard, but also make the workouts fun because exercise has effects on physical and mental wellness as well. When exercises are done right using the right products, the results are seen in speed, quickness, and overall improvement of health.