Sport Fitness Advisor Staff Strength training is an essential element of fitness for virtually every sports man and woman. Long gone are the days when coaches believed resistance exercises only added unnecessary bulk to the athlete, hindering their ability to execute skill. The benefits of strength training to athletic performance are enormous and many. Not only is it an
This section of the website focuses on the key principles of speed training. What is speed? It is the ability to reach a high velocity of movement in whatever mode of locomotion running, cycling, skating swimming etc (1). Very often, agility is more relevant to successful sports performance than all-out speed. Agility is the ability to explosively
Flexibility training is perhaps the most undervalued component of conditioning. While recent and ongoing debate questions its role in injury prevention, athletes can still gain much from a stretching regime. From a volleyball spike to a rugby drop kick, flexibility of the bodys muscles and joints play an integral part in many athletic movements. In
Fitness tests allow athletes and coaches to identify physical strengths and weaknesses. They act as a benchmark upon which a suitable training program can be developed. In fact without an initial assessment any subsequent training may only address already strong areas while neglecting the athlete’s weak points. There are several reasons why fitness tests should
Exercise Physiology is at the heart of every champion athlete. Every training system, every performance enhancement, even the prevention and rehab of injuries comes first from a sound understanding of how the body responds to exercise and stress. But it’s not just the elite that can benefit from this understanding… Amateur and aspiring pros alike
Endurance training is quite a broad sweeping term. It’s often used interchangeably with terms like “aerobic”, “anaerobic”, “strength” and “speed”. This section of the website focuses primarily on aerobic endurance conditioning and the various training methods that have been developed to help athletes reach peak aerobic fitness. Endurance training is important for many sports –
Abdominal exercises play an integral role in any strength and conditioning program. A strong core is essential for athletic performance and to prevent the occurrence of injuries and back pain. There are literally thousands of abdominal exercises and many more variations of each of them. There also innumerable fitness gimmicks promising washboard abs in just
A tennis training program has to meet the demands of an all-round physically challenging, individual sport. For a tennis player to perform at their best, they must have just the right mix of aerobic and anaerobic endurance, explosive strength and power, speed off the mark and agility. In fact, the amount of strength, speed, agility
There’s nothing like the subject of nutrition to stir debate. It seems like the experts change their minds almost daily about what we should and shouldn’t eat. In truth, scientific nutrition hasn’t changed much at all in the last fifteen years. It’s the constant and never-ending emergence of fad diets and weight loss programs that
Athletes from a wide range of sports use plyometric training to help them reach peak physical condition. Used correctly, it can be a highly effective form of power training, especially when combined with a suitable strength training program. Unfortunately, there is little research to define the optimal guidelines for plyometric training. While many coaches use their experience
Regardless of your age and ability, successful marathon training takes careful planning and preparation. How much preparation? Whether your goal is to run sub 3 hours or ‘just’ to finish, ideally you need to give yourself at least 18 weeks prior to the event… And that assumes you have a solid running base to start with –
Surely the average club golfer doesn’t require a golf fitness program – even those with ambitions of winning their club Championship? After all… Golfers aren’t athletes… right? Make no mistake – golfers (at any level) ARE athletes and the golf swing DOES require a great deal of athleticism. Strength, power, flexibility, balance, core stability, body awareness,
Circuit training has been traditionally been used as an effective way to develop both strength and cardiovascular fitness simultaneously. Circuit classes are popular in gyms and with non-athletes because of the variety they offer over continuous exercise such as running and cycling. However, circuit training is not a form of exercise per se, but relates
This section of the site is dedicated to athletics training for the track events. As any track athlete will know, conditioning for one event will be significantly different compared to another. While the ATP-PCr energy system predominates in the 100 and 200 metre sprints, the oxidative system is relied on in events lasting over 2 minutes. Athletic training is
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Here are the exercise images and descriptions for this soccer weight training program. Remember to warm up thoroughly before any fitness session. Push ups Lie face down on the floor with hands palm down, fingers pointing straight ahead, and aligned mid chest. Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width, and feet should be at hip
This section of the site is dedicated to basketball training. Basketball players are incredible athletes. They are fast, agile and lean, and they also have excellent endurance and powers of recovery. A typical NCAA Division I player can complete the 40 yard speed test in 5 seconds and can jump over 70cm in the vertical
The Garmin Forerunner 25 (Large) Black Red is our best fitness tracker that lets you acquire satellites in no time and has a thinner watch profile. Its training mode gives you 10 hours of battery life and tracking or watch move gives you 10 weeks of battery life. You can track your distance with its
You can now receive the 7-part Soccer Fitness Course by simply entering your e-mail address below. The course is entirely free and a new installment will be sent hot-off-the-press to your e-mail box every day for the next week. It covers all the major componnents of fitness important in soccer. Here’s a few more details: Part 1 –
This marathon training schedule is designed with beginners in mind. The other two programs are designed for Intermediate and Advanced distance runner. So who is classed as a beginner? Anyone who is NOT currently running at least 20-25 miles per week, over 3-5 sessions. Even if you consider yourself fit – perhaps you play another sport or use the gym every day –
This marathon training program is designed for the intermediate endurance athlete. The other two training schedules are for Beginners and Advanced distance runners. If you decide to follow a program like this, how do you know if you fall into the “intermediate” class? Firstly, uou should also have either marathon or half-marathon experience. Secondly you should be running 3-5 days per week
The marathon training plan below has been designed with advanced endurance athletes in mind. You’ll also find two other programs in this section of the site… one for Beginners and one for Intermediate runners. This is a very demanding program… Few have the time or inclination to train to this extreme. If you consider yourself an advancedmarathon runner, it’s important you meet the
Here are the exercise images and descriptions for the golf weight training program Phase 1 – Circuit Training Exercises Push-Ups (or Front Press) Lie face down on the floor with hands palm down, fingers pointing straight ahead, and aligned at the nipple line. Place hands slightly wider than shoulder width, and feet should be at hip
(Rali Todd) Dear Baller, As I am sure you are getting prepared for this up coming basketball season, there are a lot of little easy things you can and should be doing to guarantee you will make the final cut. I have been receiving tons of emails lately asking if I have any tips or
Discover The Unbiased Truth About Which Supplements You Should Be Taking & Which You Should Avoid Ever taken, or considered taking supplements? Wouldn’t it be useful to know which ones actually lived up to their hype and which didn’t? This e-book will save you money on wasted produts that simply pass right through your body (or potentially do
The list of scientific studies at the end of this page won’t mean much to you (and you certainly don’t have to read that list for my program to work). But they are important – they are what separates “The Essential Guide to Building Muscle” from the vast majority of other muscle building and weight
If you want to bulk up, build significant muscle mass and sculpt your ideal physique, it ABSOLUTELY IS achievable… no matter how many times you might have failed before. Building an athletic body that fills your clothes in all the right places, that is masculine, muscular and defined, is well within your grasp. It’s NOT down to genetics and you DON’T have to become a slave
Widely recognized as the world’s oldest competitive sport, wrestling has featured in every Olympic games since its ancient conception. The are two styles of wrestling at the modern Olympics – freestyle and Greco-Roman. While the rules are almost identical, Greco-Roman wrestlers must not use the legs to trip or lift an opponent or attack an
The Wingate test, also known as the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WANT), was developed at the Wingate Institute, in Israel, during the 1970s. It is perhaps the most popular assessment for peak anaerobic power, anaerobic fatigue and total anaerobic capacity. Before we look at the Wingate test in a little more detail, what exactly is anaerobic power? Anaerobic
These two weight training routines are designed to build muscle mass, particularly in harder gainers. Whether you want to gain size and strength for a sport such as football, or whether you simply want to gain weight, they are tried and trusted Most weight training programs incorporate far too many exercises to develop significant size.
These sample weight training programs are designed to develop maximal strength. Training for maximal strength is not the same as training for increased muscle size known as hypertrophy training. Only relatively few athletes require significant muscle mass and bulk whereas maximal strength is an important fitness component even for classic endurance-type sports. The sport specific approach to
These sample weight training programs are designed to develop increased muscle mass and lean weight. The enlargement of muscle size is known as hypertrophy and is the predominant aim of bodybuilding. While bodybuilding may still dominate many sport-specific strength training programs, in reality it is only suitable for a small number of athletes and should only make
These sample weight training programs are designed to develop basic, functional strength. For more sample weight training programs designed to meet other objectives (such as increased muscles mass, maximal strength, explosive power or strength endurance) see the main strength training section. A phase of basic strength training is important for adapting the body for more strenuous,
Your hip to waist ratio helps to identify your fat distribution. It’s believed that people who store more fat towards their abdomen and chest area (known as ‘apple’ shaped) are at greater risk from lifestyle-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. People who store more weight around thier hips (‘pear’ shaped) are at less
A well-structured volleyball training program can increase explosive power, vertical jump height, stamina and speed and agility around the court. Skill training alone, such as practising spikes, won’t develop the physical traits necessary to play to the athlete’s full potential (1). Volleyball players have exceptional lower body power and perform well in the vertical jump
Volleyball plyometrics can help to increase your vertical jump and explosive power around the court. However, they should be performed alongside or following a sport-specific resistance training program. While plyometrics is a very effective form of power training (and volleyball-specific), there are some important considerations to consider before adopting this form of conditioning into your
VO2 max has been defined as: “the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal or exhaustive exercise” (3). As exercise intensity increases so does oxygen consumption. However, a point is reached where exercise intensity can continue to increase without the associated rise in oxygen consumption. To understand this in more practical terms, take a look at
A tennis weight training program changes significantly over the course of the year. If your only goal is to lift more and more weight, using largely the same exercises and the same format, not only are you training inefficiently, you also run the risk of injury. The 3 phases of a tennis strength training are
A well-designed tennis strength training program can work wonders for your game… Long gone are the days when coaches believed all forms of strength training were detrimental to sports demanding finely-tuned skills. While the wrong type of weight training CAN be a hindrance to your game, follow simple guidelines and the benefits can be immense… Increased power
Stretching exercises should form an integral part of any conditioning program. Performed consistently, the stretching exercises below can help to do the following… Increase the range of motion about a joint reducing the risk of muscle and tendon tears during competitive activity. Relieve muscle tightness and stiffness. Improve postural imbalances and help to reduce chronic back pain.
Sport-specific strength training programs are fundamental to an athlete’s development and success. Long gone are the days when coaches shunned weight lifting for fear that it might hinder the performance of fine skill and correct technique. It’s now accepted that high levels of strength are a prerequisite to superior speed, power, strength endurance and overall
Strength training for football has to be more comprehensive than virtually any other sport… Not only does football require different types of strength (and different lifting programs), it also varies from position to position. But spend just a small amount of time planning and the benefits can be staggering… If you aren’t taking a structured
There is one and only one objective of strength training for basketball. And it’s ridiculously obvious… To improve your game. But as simplistic as that might sound consider this for a moment… Is it fair to assume that when you mention “strength training” to most athletes they immediately think of lifting heavy weights with the sole
Designing an ideal strength training program for sport in itself can be a complex process. Yet resistance training is only one component of an athlete’s overall training regime, which can also include endurance training, speed training, flexibility training and skill / tactical work. Perhaps the most important element in a total conditioning program is adequate rest and recovery, without
Use these strength tests before you begin weight training and then periodically during your training program. Maximal Strength Assessment (1-RM) Strength tests to measure maximal strength are suitable for many athletes. For the reasons why maximal strength is important to athletic performance, see the strength training programs article. The one repetition maximum (1-RM) is still considered the ‘gold
Static passive stretching (more commonly referred to as just static stretching) has been used by coaches and athletes for years without question. You may be aware of the current debate that started some years ago now, questioning whether static stretching prior to exercise really deserved the credence it has… Static Stretches Before Activity Once a
Static stretching is simply the opposite of dynamic stretching. The muscle groups are stretched without moving the limb itself and the end position is held for up to 30 seconds (1,2) Static active stretching requires the strength of the opposing muscle groups to hold the limb in position for the stretch. For example, standing on one leg and holding the
Stability ball exercises are often central to a program designed to improve core stability. In recent years, health and fitness practitioners have given greater and greater emphasis to core stability training for injury prevention, rehabilitation and performance enhancement. The concept of developing strong muscles in the trunk is believed to reduce the risk of both
By breaking sprinting technique into its component parts you can focus on and improve specific phases of the action. Good sprinting technique has some of the following characteristics (1): START PHASE i) Bodyweight evenly distributed over four contact points in the start position (i.e. hands and knees). Front knee angle is ~90o, rear knee angle ~100-130o.