The scientific basis of strength and conditioning

The Scientific Basis of Strength and Conditioning

  • Course Code: FUNDAMENTALS OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PERS10020

  • Instructor: James Timmons, BA BSc MSc PhD CPT CSCS ACSM-EIM

  • Date: 28/01/2025

Introduction

  • Role of S&C Trainer includes:

    • Developing movement skills

    • Energy systems training

    • Strength-based training

    • Speed training

General Conceptual Model for Developing Movement

  • Importance of Foundation Movements:

    • Essential for broad work capacity and performance changes in sports

    • Progression through movement layers should emphasize quality

    • Advanced athletes may already excel in varying degrees across levels

  • Training should focus on developing and maintaining foundational movement qualities.

Foundation Movement Skills

  • Foundation of all athletic movement

    • Importance of mastering basics:

      • Prevents muscle imbalance, injury, and performance reduction

    • Effective coaching is critical for control, stability, and mobility

    • Develop symmetry, posture, and control

  • Goals: Continuously develop flexibility, mobility, stability, balance, and coordination.

  • Key foundation movements include:

    • Running

    • Jumping

    • Throwing

  • Essential for overall health and function across neuromuscular and skeletal systems.

Flexibility

  • Definition: Ability to move joints through their full range of motion (ROM)

  • Determined by:

    • Extensibility of surrounding soft tissues

    • Joint structure

Mobility

  • Definition: Controlled use of available ROM in joint actions

  • Concern: Hypermobility can lead to instability and increased injury risk

Stability

  • Definition: Ability to maintain a position within available ROM

  • Critical for stability at various speeds and loads

  • Restriction in movement can cause imbalances and injuries.

Balance

  • Definition: Control of load distribution in the body

  • Categories:

    • Static balance

    • Dynamic balance

  • Importance for injury reduction and enhancing athletic performance.

Coordination

  • Definition: Synchronization of body parts in multiple directions

  • Example of efficient coordination: Olympic Weightlifting Clean & Jerk, Snatch.

Strength

  • Emphasizes competence in foundational movement

  • Risk of injury arises from loading dysfunctional movements

  • Importance of achieving full ROM in coordination patterns before higher-intensity loads.

Stability and Mobility of Key Joints

  • Cervical Spine:

    • Stability: neutral position during movements

    • Mobility: ensure visual scanning without compensatory movements

  • Shoulder Girdle:

    • Stability: anchor for upper body movements

    • Mobility: ease of movement through full ROM

  • Lumbar Spine:

    • Stability: avoid excessive rotation

    • Mobility: essential for flexion and extension.

  • Other Joints (Hips, Knee, Ankle): Important for optimal movement and injury risk reduction.

Movement Progression and Regression

  • Emphasizes the importance of foundational movements for long-term gains

  • Trainers should assess movement and apply suitable progressions/regressions.

Energy Systems Training (EST)

  • Types:

    • Low Intensity Exercise Endurance (LIEE)

    • High Intensity Exercise Endurance (HIEE)

  • Importance of sustaining low and high-intensity exercises for training adaptations.

The Intensity of Exercise

  • Heart rate, respiratory rate, and energy consumption increase with exercise intensity

  • Ranges from sedentary (i.e. desk work) to very vigorous activities (i.e. sprinting).

Lower Versus Higher Intensity Training - 80/20 Rule

  • Recommendations for endurance athletes' training intensity over time.

Endurance Capacity

  • Determinants:

    • Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2Max)

    • Lactate threshold

    • Movement economy

General Guidelines for Training Energy Systems

  • Importance of max effort in developing energy systems.

Strength-Based Training Intro

  • Strength defined as the ability to exert force against resistance

  • Types of muscular contractions: Eccentric, Concentric, Isometric.

Load and Repetition Assignments

  • Load (% 1RM) assignments based on specific training goals like strength, power, hypertrophy, and endurance.

Training Goal - Repetition Maximum Continuum

  • Overview of repetition maximum ranges associated with training objectives.

Muscular Endurance

  • Definition: Ability to produce submaximal forces over extended periods

  • Key Focus: High rep range for skill proficiency.

Hypertrophy

  • Definition: Increase in muscle mass and connective tissue thickness

  • Integration of hypertrophy in strength training programs for performance.

Maximum Strength

  • Definition: Force exerted in a single maximal contraction

  • Essential to develop strength across all contraction types.

Rate of Force Development (RFD)

  • Definition: Ability to produce large forces quickly, with speed inversely related to force generation.

Explosive Strength

  • Components of explosive strength: jumps, throws, sprints, pushing/dragging movements.

Strength Endurance

  • Difference between muscular endurance and strength endurance.

  • Importance of strength endurance in sports such as volleyball where repeated efforts are required.

The Physiology of Developing Strength

  • Anatomical Changes: Hypertrophy, muscle architecture, joint stability improvements.

  • Neural Changes: Improved motor unit recruitment and coordination.

Training Stimulus Effects

  • Balance of mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage will drive strength adaptations.

Hypertrophic Responses

  • Understanding muscle structure and cell interactions facilitating hypertrophy.

The Pennation Angle

  • Impact of pennation angle on muscle force production and contraction velocities.

Tissue Adaptation

  • Adaptation of musculotendinous units and their role in RFD capabilities.

Neuromuscular Response

  • Dependence on motor unit recruitment and rate coding for force production.

Physiology of Muscular Capacity Training

  • Key adaptations for improving endurance performance.

Acceleration, Deceleration, and Change of Direction

  • Importance of these skills in athletic performance and coaching strategies.

Acceleration

  • Definition and importance in sprint performance.

Deceleration and Change of Direction

  • Examples of deceleration requirements in sports, emphasizing the need for training.

Conclusion

  • Reiterates the significance of foundational movement skills and the understanding of LIEE & HIEE for comprehensive training strategies for athletes.

Questions & Answers

  • Closing segment available for inquiries at UCD, Dublin.