The English Institute of Sports defines Strength & Conditioning as the physical and physiological development of athletes for elite sport performance.
The role of the S&C coach is to bridge the gap between the theory of training and applied training, helping athletes to become faster, stronger and more flexible and to build their muscular endurance so they perform better and remain injury free.
Strength and Conditioning is about more than lifting weights – it encompasses the entire development of the athlete and what is needed to improve physical performance. This includes plyometrics, speed and agility, endurance and core stability with strength training being just one piece of the jigsaw – English Institute of Sport.
The above text brilliantly describes the ideology behind Strength & Conditioning… Taking an educated view of how best to progress an athlete in their chosen sport. However far to often S&C is only associated with elite level performance… Here at 5S Fitness we define S&C as “The physical and physiological develop of an individual for a specific need or goal”.
S&C is the basis of all physical activity:
- When a baby first learns to hold his/her head up or walk, their bodies have naturally strengthened and conditioned to the point at which they can achieve it.
- When an individual has sustained an injury that prevents them from moving a limb or even getting out of bed, it is a programme of strengthening and conditioning that progresses them back to normal function (Often set by a Physio)
- When an individual decides to take up some form of training/fitness regime, their bodies are strengthening and conditioning specifically to the task they are undertaking… Its just a case of how effectively/efficiently they are progressing.
Whenever we decide to start some form of physical activity whether it be physical training or sport, its vital to consider whether our bodies have the levels of S&C required to carry out the activity injury free. From there its just a case of how effective we want to be in our chosen activity and just how efficiently we want to achieve our goals… If you want to achieve the best results, then your going to want to take a more educated view on your training… And that’s Strength & Conditioning!