Strength and Conditioning: Program Goals & Factors

• Strength and Conditioning (S&C) applies sports science to improve movement and athletic success, based on research and physiology.
• A true S&C professional needs experience and education in all areas of practice and competition.
• S&C coaches spend significant time with athletes, emphasizing the importance of their role.
• Playing and coaching are different skill sets.

Factors of S&C

• Mobility
• Warm-up
• Speed, agility, quickness, change of direction
• Power development via plyometrics
• Strength training
• Communication
• Conditioning
• Nutrition
• Recovery
• Injury prevention/recovery

Goals of a S&C Program

• Holistic athletic development, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
• Building trust and fostering relationships.
• Injury prevention via athlete evaluation for deficiencies and a balanced plan.
• Maximizing athletic performance based on training age, sport, and season.

Training Philosophies

• Ground-based training is key because sport is played with the feet on the ground.
• Ground-based force production is essential for jumping and running.
• Training should incorporate 3-dimensional movements to control the body in all planes.
• Free weights are preferred over machines to reduce injury risk.
• Multi-joint movements are crucial because athletic movements require coordinated joint actions.
• Programs should include compound movements.

3-Dimensional (3D) Coaching

• 3D coaching includes mindsight: understanding the "why" behind coaching decisions, and how it feels to be coached by you?
• Definition of success: Coach is a leader that helps another succeed
• Coaching should help athletes reach levels they cannot achieve alone.
• Athletes control attitude and effort.
• Great leadership involves capturing people’s hearts.

Contrasting Coaching Styles

• Transactional coaches use players for personal validation, with a "win at all costs" mentality.
• Transformational coaches use their platform to positively impact athletes' lives, prioritizing players' needs.

Inside-Out Coaching

• 21st-century athletes need intrinsic motivation to maximize potential.
• Coaches must examin why the athletes do the things they do

The 3 Dimensions of Coaching

• 1st Dimension: Fundamentals (strength, speed, technique).
• 2nd Dimension: Psychology (motivation, confidence).
• 3rd Dimension: Heart (character, self-worth, purpose).

Results of 3D Coaching

• Athletes learn quicker and are more attentive.
• Fitness compliance is higher, athletes work harder.
• Rehab times are shorter after an Injury.
• Athletes adapt better to new situations.
• There's greater freedom for creativity.
• Relationships with players and coaches deepen.

Strategies for 3D Coaching

• You can't fix 2nd dimension issues with 1st dimension solutions.
• 3D coaches focus on capturing the heart, coaching the mind, and are fundamentally sound.
• Need clear understanding of purpose
• Goals are time-specific, while purpose provides meaning, mission, and legacy.
• Begin coaching with the end in mind

Transformational Purpose Statement

• Action Verb (purpose) + Target (relationship) + Outcome (values).

Sport Analysis

• A thorough analysis of a particular sport with the intention to inform training
• Purpose: Determine specific training goals

Components of Sport Analysis

• Rules of the sport
• Playing field characteristics
• Level of play
• General performance data
• Team/ position specific strategy
• Team/ individual expectations
• Season Schedule
• Force production requirements
• Metabolic demands
• Movement patterns
• SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands)

Movement Pattern Analysis

• Sports are a competition of who can move the best within the context of sport
• Observe sports action to record: movement, length, direction, rest, contact
• Is there player physical contact?

Basic Movement Terminology

• Flexion: Decreases angle between body parts.
• Extension: Increases angle between body parts.
• Abduction: Away from midline.
• Adduction: Toward midline.
• Medial/Internal Rotation: Toward midline.
• Lateral/External Rotation: Away from midline.
• Dorsiflexion: Flexion at ankle (foot points up).
• Plantarflexion: Extension at ankle (foot points down).

Anatomical Planes of Motion

• Sagittal: Left & Right, Flexion/Extension; frontal axis.
• Frontal/Coronal: Front & Back, Abduction/Adduction; sagittal axis.
• Transverse/Axial/Horizontal: Upper & Lower, Rotation; vertical axis.

Common vs. Important Movements

• Common*
• Frequently occurring, but not necessarily point-scoring.
• Lead to most non-contact injuries.
• Low and high-intensity variations with high frequency.
• Important*
• Low frequency occurring.
• Dependent on high rate of force production.
• Often high intensity with low frequency during play.

Force and Velocity

• High Force: Low velocity.
• High velocity Requires 0.3-0.34 seconds to generate max force

Power

• Moderate force, moderate velocity

Speed

• Low force, high velocity

SAID Principle

• Improvements in sport skill occur at point of the Force-Velocity curve that they are trained
• High velocity exercise improves high velocity movements
• High force exercises improve high force movements

Metabolic Analysis

• This analysis is for one-off events, rather than repeated ones
• Important factors include rate of ATP production, resistance to fatigue, time span, and substrate.

Energy Systems Overview

• ATP-PCr: Fast ATP production, low resistance to fatigue, 0-10 second duration, uses creatine.
• Anaerobic Glycolytic: Moderate ATP, moderate fatigue resistance, 10-120 second duration, uses carbohydrates.
• Aerobic: Slow ATP production, high resistance to fatigue, over 120 second duration, uses fats and carbohydrates.

Considerations for Metabolic Demands

• Identify the most important energy system for a sport.
• Determine athlete competition intensity, variability, and duration.
• Figure out work-to-rest ratios, and energy system integration during play.

Warm-Up

• Purpose: Generally prepare the body and mind; specifically prepare for movements of the day
• Faster muscle contraction/relaxation.
• Improved rate of force development and reaction time.
• Nervous system activation.
• Enhanced muscle strength and power.
• Increased active muscle blood flow.
• Enhanced metabolic reaction.
• Psychological readiness.

Components of an Effective Warm-Up

• 5-10 minutes of general activity - jogging, dynamic movements, routines, etc.

RAMP Protocol

• Raise: Increase body temperature, heart rate, blood flow via low-intensity activities.
• Activate & Mobilize: Actively move through a range of motion.
• Potentiate: Sport-specific activities with increasing intensity.

Flexibility

• A measure of range of motion with static and dynamic components.
• Static Decreases force production
• Injury risk increases outside optimal range.

Factors Affecting Flexibility

• Connective Tissue: Elasticity and plasticity affect ROM.
• Resistance Training: Use full ROM to prevent loss of flexibility.
• Stretching: Requires 2 days per week for 5 weeks, held at discomfort for 15-30 seconds.

Proprioceptors

• Muscle Spinders (monitor muscle length)- stretch reflex
• Golgi Tendon Organs GTOs (monitor muscle tension)
• Stimulation causes muscle to relax and inhibits agonist activation, improving movement coordination.

Types of Inhibition

• Autogenic inhibition: GTOs
• Reciprocal Inhibition: Muscle Spindle

PNF Stretch

• Hold-relax technique for improved flexibility
• Isometric hold (6 sec)
• Passive Stretch (30 sec)

Types of Stretching

• Static stretch: Slow, controlled, facilitates relaxation, mild discomfort, hold for 15-30 seconds.
• Ballistic Stretch: Active muscular effort, bouncing-type movement, end point not held. Preferred during warm-up, 5-10 reps
• Dynamic Stretch: Sport-specific movements, increasing ROM and speed, actively controlled muscular actions,
• Progressively increase speed

Acceleration, Speed, Agility

• Speed and agility are highly sought after qualities in sports.
• Training must be done at top speed.
• Different sports have different aspects of speed and agility.
• Strength is a limiting factor for speed and power beginners.

Key Definitions

• Speed: Achieving high movement velocities.
• Change of Direction: Explosively changing movement direction, velocities, or modes.
• Agility: Changing direction, velocity, or mode in response to a stimulus.

Categories of Speed Drills

• Programmed
• Reactive
• Competitive

Linear Speed

• Sprinting involves coupled flight and support phases (strides).
• Sprint speed is determined by stride frequency and stride length.
• RFD and proper biomechanics are limiting factors.

Linear Speed Technique (PAL)

• Posture
• Arm action
• Leg action
• Emphasize ground contact under the body’s center of gravity.

Lateral Speed Technique (PAL)

• Push
• Athletic Base
• Low Center of Gravity

Creating Competition

• Record
• Rank
• Post Results.

Torso Training

• Stability: Extremity movement without spine/pelvis compensation and force transmission without energy leaks.

Energy Leaks

• Inability to stabilize a particular joint, happening at the core, hip, and/or shoulder

What it means to have Core Stability

• The ability to move force from the ground to the extremities while maintaining stability

Drawing-In vs. Bracing

• Drawing In: Action of bringing the rectus abdominis toward the spinal column
• Hollowing: Decrease in waist diameter.
• Bracing: Simultaneous co-activation of core muscles without waist diameter change.

Training Focus

• Athletic bodies are typically lordotic (inward curvature of the lumbar spine)
• Athletes must learn to move from the hips
• Athletes with injuries often compensate with lumbar spine movements.
• Torso training should be prioritized after the warm-up.
• Progressions: General to specific, floor to ground-based, slow to fast, bodyweight to weighted exercises.

Categories of Movement for Torso Training

• Inner Unit
• Stabilization
• Forward Flexion
• Lateral Flexion
• Hip Extension
• Rotation & Anti-Rotation
• Hip Abduction & Adduction
• Shoulder
• Chaos

Inner Unit

• Transverse Abdominis, Multifidus, Pelvic Floor

Stabilization

• Ability to stabilize the torso to prevent movement and prevent force

Forward Flexion

Targets Torso Movment

Lateral Flexion

• Targets Obliques

Hip Extension

• Glute activation key for hip extension and pelvic stability.

Hip abduction / addution

• Isolate and activate the Glute Med

Shoulder

• Focus area to strengthen and activate important musculature; Rotator cuff, serratus anterior, and base mobility of the joint

Chaos

• Focus area to strengthen and activate important musculature; Train the body to respond to any stimulus
• The body must be able to respond to any situation

Program Design

• Hit each category twice every 4 days.
• Focus: fire alarms
• Training the Body

Solid Program

• Includes 3D, multi-joint, and ground-based movements naturally train the core.
• Lifting heavy strengthens the core.

Weight belts

• Valsalva Maneuver

Power Development

• Power = Force x Distance / Time; or Power = Work / Time.
• Time is the crucial variable because producing force quickly is vital.
• Elite athletes produce high force in short time.

Optimal Power Ranges

• Squat/Bench: 50-60% of 1RM.
• Deadlift: 70% of 1RM.
• Clean/Jerk/Snatch: 80% of 1RM.

Categories of Power Development

• Jumps (plyometrics).
• Lifts (Olympic lifts/variations).
• Throws (medicine ball/sandbag).
• Chains/Bands.

Points of Emphasis

• Quality over quantity
• Perfect Technique is required
• Speed/intent to move fast is key.
• Training the nervous system requires caution to avoid overtraining.

Plyometrics

• Utilizes a prestretch countermovement, Stretch Shortening Cycle (SSC) to increase power.
• The stored energy is released, increasing the total force production.
• Muscle spindles = stretch reflex

Long Jump

Stretch-Shortening Cycle

• Eccentric, amortization, and concentric phases.

Jumps (Plyo) Categories

• Level 1: Jump and land off two feet.
• Level 2: Multi-directional, height over 18”.
• Level 3: Resisted, single-leg continuous, maximal height.
• Jump and land off two feed
• Can be multidirectional (180 box jump or hurdle hops)
• Max heigh of 18" is allowed, jumps can be repetitive

Lifts

• Olympic lifts (variations DB, BB, & Trap Bar Jumps, Explosive Landmine Lifts, KB or DB Swings
• Can't be multidirectional and max height

Olympic Lifts

• High-velocity hip extension = more athletic force generated

Sandbag Movement

• Develops body's ability to receive force

Throws

• Easy to teach, concentric and eccentric movements,

Chains & Bands

• Accommodating Resistance with increased weight increasing, chain and band accommodations assist with a more even distribution of weight throughout the movement
• At the top potential energy is higher due to weight increased
• Increases kinetic energy

Final Thoughts

• Power output should always be the end goal with these exercise
• Recovery between sets from power training is crucial.
• Do NOT spot Olympic lifts.