The Role of a Strength and Conditioning Coach
Working out doesn’t just focus on burning calories to lose weight. Workouts and exercise regimens like proper nutrition and diet should also be balanced. A good training program includes both high-intensity exercises and strength exercises. If you plan on working out independently, you might face the challenge of picking the right workouts to create a balanced program that fits you. A strength and conditioning coach can help with this! Let’s find out how.
How do you define strength and conditioning?
In the realm of fitness, strength and conditioning is a term you’ve probably heard one too many times. By definition, strength and conditioning or S&C refers to the proper selection of exercises for the development of athletes and non-athletes in order to improve athletic performance. Knowledge of sports science and related fields is used as a tool for the physical development of individuals.
How does strength and conditioning benefit you?
With the help of an S&C coach, your athletic and physical abilities can greatly improve without the risk of injury. While every individual is different, the general benefits of strength and conditioning are as follows:
- Helps with injury prevention
- Improves athletic performance
- Improves your health
- Develops muscle mass
- Makes metabolism faster
- Helps with mental health
- Makes exercising a happy experience
What kind of movements are improved by S&C?
Because strength and conditioning improve an individual’s movements, it’s good to know what skills I can perform better and move more efficiently and effectively. The basic movements that can benefit from S&C are as follows: squat, hinge, lunge, brace, pull, rotate, push, gait, jump, change of direction, and throw.
According to the National Library of Medicine in the US, improving cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength can greatly reduce all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk.
Is strength training only for athletes?
There’s a misconception that strength training, resistance training, and strength and conditioning are solely for professional and amateur athletes. The truth is strength training is for everyone! Because of the myriad benefits of strength and conditioning, having kids, women, teens, and the elderly engage in at least 30 minutes of strength exercises per day can improve their health immensely.
What are the roles of a strength and conditioning coach?
Now that we know what strength and conditioning is, it’s time to find out how a strength and conditioning coach can assist you in your athletic or fitness journey.
Creates and implements strength and conditioning programs during season and off-season periods.
A strength coach isn’t just there when competition season is ongoing. They are there to help you prepare for the season, perform better during the season, and recover during the off-season.
Works together with your athletic coach and sports physio
You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘It takes a team to make the dream work.’ This also applies to sports. In order to maximize your athletic abilities, it takes a strength coach, a main athletic coach, and the assistance of a sports physiotherapist to work together.
Monitors your progress
S&C coaches are there not just to create tailor-fit exercise and workout regimens for you. They are also there to monitor your progress and be flexible enough to make adjustments as you go along.
Gives feedback
Like any sport, feedback is vital in making improvements. A strength and conditioning coach has the knowledge and experience to identify your weaknesses and bank on your strengths.
Sets goals with you
Having good communication with your coach is critical to the success of your training. Before you even begin training with a strength coach, it’s good to sit down and set achievable goals to ensure you’ll be on the same page.
Strength and conditioning are very helpful and beneficial for people who want to lose weight correctly. Strength training helps build muscles, which helps burn fat more effectively.
The answer is no. Individuals who work hard exercising and are focused on getting the proper nutrition don’t necessarily need supplements. They can get the needed calories, vitamins, minerals, and protein from a balanced diet.
Strength and conditioning play a big role in injury prevention. This is why strength and conditioning are always part of any athlete’s workout regimen or training program. Investing in strength training strengthens your muscles, joints, ligaments, and bones, which helps reduce injuries during training and competitions.
