Strength and Conditioning Flashcards
Strength
Muscular strength is the amount of force a muscle can produce.
Mobility
Mobility is the degree to which an articulation, or area where two bones meet, is allowed to move before being restricted by surrounding tissues.
This is also known as the range of uninhibited movement around a joint.
The hips, shoulders, thoracic spine and ankles are areas of the body that are commonly immobile.
Athletes who spend long hours sitting at a desk are most susceptible to poor mobility.
Flexibility
Flexibility is a vital component of a strength and conditioning program.
It is the ability of the human movement system to have optimum range of motion and neuromuscular control throughout that range of motion (ROM).
An athlete’s flexibility level affects performance in many ways.
Swimming
Swimming requires flexibility for optimal range of motion in the shoulders, hips and ankles.
For example, swimmers need flexibility to fully extend the arm, and plantar flexibility of the ankle for power in the kick.
An inflexible ankle not only inhibits kicking but can actually create unnecessary drag.
Cycling
Flexibility plays an important role in cycling. To maximize power and movement economy, athletes must be flexible enough to hold an aero position while extending the leg during the downstroke without rocking the hips.
Running
Flexibility enhances the athlete’s running economy. An athlete’s ability to move through his or her stride without being limited by tissue tension allows for energy conservation.
Less flexible athletes with limited range of motion may rely on a higher cadence and shorter stride to maintain running economy.
Flexibility also reduces the risk of running injuries. Running is a high-impact activity, so it’s important the athlete is flexible enough that he or she can align the joints correctly. This flexibility allows the athlete to effectively distribute the impact and load of running.
Stability
Stability is the ability of the body to maintain postural control and support joints during movement. This is achieved by the coordinating actions of surrounding tissues and the neuromuscular system.
Well-developed stability allows the athlete to conserve energy and prevent wasteful and excessive movements (which may lead to overuse or strain).
For example, core stability is the ability to hold the spine and pelvis in a correct position despite an opposing force.
Muscle Endurance
Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to sustain repeated contractions against a resistance for an extended period of time.
Balance
Balance is the ability to sustain or return the body’s center of mass or line of gravity over its base of support. It helps the athlete maintain structural integrity and plays an important role in all three activities in triathlon.
Swimming
Body position is critical to swimming performance. Balance and proprioception in the water allows athletes to know and maintain their orientation in the water.
When swimming, the legs and torso should be balanced during rotation. Swimmers who are not balanced during rotation may compensate for this issue by scissoring their legs to provide balance. Breathing too late may also cause an imbalance, which is often compensated by an outward sweep of the hand.
Cycling
The ability to stay upright on two wheels takes a lot of balance. This is particularly true if the athlete is in the aero position, because the majority of the athlete’s weight is over the front wheel and the arm and hand profile is narrower.
Running
Even if a runner is using the correct form and running on the most ideal surface, he or she will need balance to be successful.
This is because both of the athlete’s feet are off the ground between the stance and swing phases, and only one foot is making contact with the ground during the stance phase.
Factor in fatigue or an unstable surface such as sand or gravel, an athlete’s balance becomes even more important.
Power
Power is the ability to produce maximal force over a short period of time.
Triathletes use power constantly. Examples of activities requiring high power include climbing a hill, escalating during crowded swim starts and sprinting.
Remember: Power training should be incorporated only after the athlete has a solid strength training foundation. Before attempting advanced power exercises, athletes must demonstrate an ability to handle more than their body weight with ease.
Static Postural Screening
Proper postural alignment allows for optimal neuromuscular efficiency.
It ensures all muscles are kept at the proper length, which allows for proper joint motion, muscle balance and maximal force production.
Common Muscular Imbalances
Upper Crossed Syndrome
Upper crossed syndrome is a common issue found in athletes who sit at a desk and work long hours in front of a computer.
If an athlete’s shoulders are elevated, rounded, or if his or her scapula is winged, this may indicate that the athlete has upper crossed syndrome. Another indication of upper crossed syndrome is forward head posture.
Use the Exercise database to discover exercises that will activate each of these underactive muscles.
The muscles that are tight or overactive should first be inhibited using a foam roller or similar self-myofascial release methods, and then lengthened using static stretching.
Lower Crossed Syndrome
Lower crossed syndrome is characterized by an arch or sway in the back, due to an anterior tilt of the pelvis. This tilt causes an increase in the lumbar extension and an inhibited hip flexor complex.
Lower crossed syndrome is a common imbalance that affects individuals who sit for extended periods of time.
Athletes with lower crossed syndrome need to strengthen the core, glutes and the anterior and posterior tibialis.
The overactive muscles which include the thoraco-lumbar extensors, hip flexors, and the gastrocnemius and soleus should be inhibited then stretched.
Pronation
Pronation distortion syndrome is characterized by excessive eversion, or an inward rolling of the feet, along with internally rotated knees.
Dynamic Posture Screening
Postural alignment during dynamic movement allows for optimal neuromuscular efficiency.
It also ensures all the muscles in the body are kept at the proper length, which allows for proper joint motion, muscle balance and maximal force production.
Poor dynamic postural alignment increases the risk of muscle imbalances, which can alter movement patterns and increase stress on the joints.
Overhead Squat:
Anterior Viewpoint
When analyzing an athlete’s overhead squat from an anterior view, take note of his or her feet, ankles and knees. Do the feet remain straight with the knees tracking in line with the foot? Do they stay neutral or do they rotate internally or externally? Do the feet flatten and/or turn out?
Lateral Viewpoint
When analyzing an athlete’s overhead squat from a lateral view, take note of his or her lumbo-pelvic hip complex and arms. Does the athlete remain tall and erect or does he or she begin to collapse? Does his or her low back arch and/or does the torso lean forward excessively? Are the shoulders and arms in line with back and hip?
The Principles of Resistance Training
An effective strength and conditioning training session will vary depending on the specific needs of the athlete; however, there are general principles of resistance training that should always be applied. Resistance training should always include a representation of concentric, eccentric and isometric muscle actions.
Concentric muscle actions are actions that permit the muscle to shorten. The force generated by the muscle is always less than the muscle’s maximum.
Eccentric muscle actions permit the muscle to lengthen. As the load on the muscle increases, it finally reaches a point where the external force on the muscle is greater than the force that the muscle can generate.
Isometric muscle actions are contractions where the muscle is activated and held at a constant length. The force generated during an isometric contraction is entirely dependent on the length of the muscle while contracting.
Principles
Specificity
Specificity dictates that sports training should be relevant and appropriate to the sport for which the individual is training.
Therefore, the majority of exercises should have similar movement patterns and target similar muscle actions and functions as swimming, biking and running.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is a gradual increase over a period of time in volume, intensity, and/or frequency. The goal of progressive overload is to increase these factors while invoking the same physiological response.
Reversibility
The Reversibility Principle states that an athlete loses the benefits of training when workouts cease.
Fortunately, this principle also means that the negative effects of detraining can be reversed when athletes resume training. The length of the detraining period and the training status of the athlete determine how much performance is lost.
To avoid losing the benefits, coaches should encourage athletes to incorporate strength and conditioning year-round.
Individualism
A combination of factors such as genetic ability, predominance of muscle fiber types, age and other varying factors will all determine how an athlete responds to training.
Coaches should select specific exercises to address the athlete’s needs and to target muscle imbalances, asymmetry and weaknesses based on the results of the movement screenings.
Strength and Conditioning Phases
The Stability and Endurance Phase
The goal of this phase is to develop neuromuscular efficiency, stability and functional strength. Coaches and athletes should also address strength imbalances and muscular weaknesses that predispose the athlete to injury.
The following are characteristics of a training sessions in this phase.
High rep counts (12–20) Low set counts (2–3) Conditioning exercises (60–90 seconds) Short rest periods (less than 30 seconds) Light weight (40–60% 1 RM)
The Maximum Strength Phase
Maximum Strength phase workouts are designed to build a foundation that can be used for power development. The goal of this phase is to diminish strength imbalances and translate strength training into sport-specific activity.
The following are characteristics of a training sessions in this phase.
Lower rep counts (1–5)
Higher set counts (4–6)
Longer rest periods (2–3 minutes between sets)
Heavier weight (70–85% RM)
The Power Phase
During the Power phase, workouts are used to develop power, balance and neuromuscular control. Exercises that increase power include plyometric exercises. These exercises should not be performed if the athlete is tired or sore, or if the athlete is unable to perform the movement correctly.
The following are characteristics of a training sessions in this phase.
Rep counts (1–6) (or 1–8 for plyometrics) Set counts (3–5) Rest periods (2–3 minutes between sets) Weight (0–85% RM) It’s important that athletes allow for adequate recovery between sets during a power workout.
The Maintenance Phase
The Maintenance phase allows the athlete to focus on sport-specific training. This means decreasing the stress of a strength and conditioning training session by reducing resistance load, reps and sets.
The following are characteristics of a training sessions in this phase. Rep counts (5–15) Set counts (1–3) Rest periods (30–120 seconds) Weight (0–85% RM) During the Maintenance phase, the athlete should be sure to avoid overtraining to prevent injury or fatigue.
Types of Stretching
Static stretching will lengthen chronically shortened tissue, active stretching will activate the functional antagonist, and dynamic stretching will excite the Central Nervous System.
