Strength and Conditioning

All athletes should complete structured strength & conditioning that is individualised to their needs, and scientifically programmed to improve their athletic performance deficits. Why should all athletes complete strength & conditioning?

The whole purpose of strength & conditioning is to develop and maximise the vital athletic qualities of strength, power, speed and elastic spring. These fundamental qualities are what makes an athlete more superior than their peers. All of the best athletes in the world have the ability to move in an explosive manner. By just playing their sport, they do not train these qualities. The sport can never replicate the maximal strength, power and speed that can be trained in the gym/field. If these athletic qualities are trained maximally, everything in the sport is at a sub-maximal level! In other words, the sport becomes a lot easier as they never truly exert their body to the maximal levels that they have trained in the gym/field. Therefore, repeat sprint efforts (a crucial factor in field based athletes) are always submaximal and the athlete can reach close to or at top end speed more frequently than their competitors. This gives the athlete a significant advantage in their sport as they will move quicker for longer. Not only this, training top end speed in the gym/field with a coach improves the endurance/aerobic capacity. Aerobic capacity is crucial in most sports, however it should and needs to be trained appropriately to maximise performance. How this is all done comes down to the art and science of strength & conditioning coaching.

With structured strength & conditioning your performance can improve because you’re stronger, faster, more powerful, more explosive, more elastic, and more resistant to injury. The injury risk can be significantly reduced by completing structured and appropriate strength & conditioning. Instead of having to see your osteopath for injury rehabilitation, you can significantly reduce your injury risk by being proactive and completing a strength & conditioning program! This is something sports osteopath/S&C coach Jackson Redfern is passionate about and wants to see more of. Less injuries and the need for treatment, therefore time loss from the athletes sport. He enjoys seeing his athletes getting better in the gym with him, and then transferring the hard work into their sport, playing injury free.

A stronger muscle is a more resilient muscle. A stiffer tendon is a more reactive elastic tendon. A thicker ligament is a stronger ligament. A more robust skeleton is protective to stress and strain. The better the athlete moves, the more coordinated their movement patterns are, leading to better change of direction, balance and jumping/landing.

Improve performance, reduce injury risk, promote longevity and enjoyment through scientific strength & conditioning at The Reform Lab Osteopathy with a qualified sports focused osteopath and S&C coach.