Strength & Conditioning

Greg Bobf (English Institute of Sport) has described the field of strength & conditioning as, “the physical and physiological development of athletes….. It encompasses the entire development of the athlete and what is needed to improve physical performance.”

It is a professional field and the few accredited coaches within Ireland appreciate that there is much more to it than lifting weights to get stronger or larger. In fact, this approach could actually hinder an athletes’ physical development rather than improve it. It is about embracing a holistic approach to all elements of physical training and structuring the training calendar to minimise the interference effects of different types of training (strength, speed and power against aerobic endurance) and balancing the training with optimal recovery and tapering. It is a beginning to end process that involves establishing the needs of the sport and the athlete and implementing cycles of training to develop the qualities of fitness that can improve playing performance and decrease the incidence of injury.

Most athletes will require the strength & conditioning coach to develop the following qualities of physical fitness:

• Strength
• Speed
• Power
• Agility
• Balance
• Flexibility
• Endurance
• Injury prevention

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additionally, this training is undertaken on top of the skill and tactical training needed to excel in the sport. Recruiting the expertise of an accredited strength & conditioning coach will enable you to develop all of these qualities of fitness in a time efficient manner, without experiencing overtraining.

There are many different approaches to implementing strength & conditioning support. These can include:

• Regular supervised strength & conditioning sessions with a qualified coach (the gold standard approach).
• Programme design and induction – the remote programme approach (the low cost alternative).
• Programme design and fitness testing. The latter is to gauge compliance with the programme (a midline approach that achieves results and controls costs).

 

The best approach is the one that best fits with the personal life of the athletes and the budget constraints of the club or individual.

Additionally, strength & conditioning coaches can also be hired to deliver educational workshops for schools, clubs and national governing bodies.

 

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