The world of high performance sport is moving forward. Therefore, so too is the world of strength and conditioning. Elite strength and conditioning coaches must keep themselves up to date with the latest developments in the field. This allows us to best support the athletes that we work with. But how much does it actually change the practice of S&C at the ground level? Here we discover how nothing is cut and dried when it comes to training athleticism.
Shades of Grey
I will often be asked what I think to a particular exercise technique or regime. Often my responses surprise clients and athletes. More often than not my answer amounts to ‘possibly’. Why so vague? As an experienced strength and conditioning coach I have come to realise that there are lots of ways to develop athleticism. There is no ‘one way’ – only principles. If a training regime or technique makes sense and adheres to basic scientific principles then it could be successful. So more often than not my answers are ‘shades of grey’ more than ‘black vs white’.
The old school rules
I mentioned basic scientific principles earlier. There are certain basics in strength and conditioning that have stood the test of time. Quite often these basics transcend different sports too. The basic foundations of weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman permeate so many types of programming. Basic prinicples of speed training and plyometrics also feature in many programmes. Coaches and athletes have known these basics for many years. Hence empirical practice has often lef scientific enquiry. Modern research validates and refines methods for the strength and conditioning coach. Therefore, it is much more likely to see subtle shifts in exercise programming rather than wholesale changes.
NK Fitness specialise in offering strength and conditioning to teams and individuals throughout Berkshire and South South West London. If you would like to discuss how we may be able to support you please contact us here for a free consultation.
