Squats are not enough if you actually want to get better at sport

If you play sport on a pitch, a court or a field, this one’s for you.

Because just squatting in the gym won’t make you a better athlete.

It will make you stronger, yes. But that strength doesn’t always carry over. Sport is messy and unpredictable. The gym is clean and controlled. If your training doesn’t reflect the chaos of sport, you are missing out.

It’s like trying to become a better drummer by just doing more bicep curls. Sure, you might get stronger arms, but you are not improving the actual skill that matters. You are not teaching your body how to move the way it needs to move on game day.

The gym gives us the foundation. But once you’ve built that, the next step is teaching your body how to use it. That means building qualities that actually transfer to sport.

Here’s what matters most:

You need single leg strength
Most movements in sport happen off one leg. Sprinting, jumping, changing direction, landing, stepping, dodging. You are not rooted to the floor like you are in a squat rack. So your training needs to reflect that.

Good options here include:
• Step ups
• Lunges
• Split squats
• Single leg RDLs
• Skater squats
• Lateral step downs

These build balance, control, and force production off each leg. And they highlight imbalances that you might be hiding when training with two legs at once.

You need hip dominant exercises
Most athletes are quad dominant. That’s not always a bad thing, but we can’t forget about the posterior chain. Strong glutes, hamstrings and adductors are key for sprinting, decelerating, landing safely, and staying injury free.

Big quad muscles won’t save your hamstrings when you overstretch in a sprint or stop dead on one leg.

Posterior chain staples include:
• Romanian deadlifts
• Hip thrusts
• Kettlebell swings
• Hamstring sliders
• Glute bridges
• Nordic curls

You need to train in multiple directions
Most gym work happens in one plane. Up and down. Forwards and backwards. But sport doesn’t.

You cut sideways. You twist. You land at angles. You jump and turn mid air. You get pushed or fall out of position. So you need to be strong and stable in those movements.

Good examples:
• Lateral lunges
• Lateral step ups
• Crossover bounds
• Rotational med ball throws
• Curved running drills
• 90 degree and 180 degree jump landings

You need to move fast
Strength is useful. Power is what wins games. That means being able to produce force quickly. Not just pushing a barbell, but sprinting, reacting, jumping, twisting and hitting top speed under pressure.

Start with:
• Repeated jump sets
• Hurdle hops
• Broad jumps
• Med ball slams and throws
• Sprint starts
• Resistance band power drills

And most importantly, you need to leave the gym
You need to take all that strength and power and put it into action. Field based work is where you learn to apply it. That means working on acceleration, top end speed, change of direction, agility and reaction.

Sprint. Stop. Turn. Sprint again. Then do it under pressure. Add in decision making. Make it chaotic. That is sport.

This part is often skipped. And it is probably the most important piece. The gym gives you the tools. But the field is where you learn how to use them.

Think of it like this. The gym is where you build the engine. The field is where you learn to drive it. If you only ever stay in the garage, you will never reach your full potential.

To be clear, this does not mean the gym isn’t useful. It is the foundation of everything. But for athletes, it is only the beginning.

This is the kind of work I do with my athletes. In the gym and on the field. We build the right physical qualities. Then we teach the body how to use them in sport specific environments. No fluff. No random exercises. Just the things that matter most for your game.

If you are an athlete and this has hit home, feel free to drop me a message. I do this kind of coaching every day and I am happy to help point you in the right direction.

Blaine
Lead Coach and Founder of BCPerformance