Episode 1850 - Strength & conditioning pt. 2: who needs strength and who needs conditioning?
Nov 15, 2024
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Explore the unique training needs of athletes, from recreational to elite. Discover how data-driven insights and benchmarks can shape personalized strength and conditioning programs. Hear a compelling case study of a CrossFit workout where an athlete with balanced skills triumphed over stronger, faster competitors. Understand the critical relationship between strength and conditioning, and why tailored training is essential for enhancing performance in various sports.
Objective assessment of an athlete's strength and conditioning benchmarks is essential for tailoring performance enhancement recommendations.
Balancing strength and conditioning in training is crucial for athletes, especially in diverse competitive events like CrossFit.
Deep dives
Strength Training vs. Conditioning Needs
Understanding whether an athlete requires more strength training or conditioning is crucial for enhancing performance. Recreationally active individuals typically benefit from concurrent training, which combines both modalities in their routine, while elite athletes may experience a decline in performance due to this approach. To determine an athlete's needs, it is essential to assess their current strength and conditioning levels objectively against established benchmarks. For example, individuals preparing for specific sports may need to prioritize one area based on their performance metrics, like overall strength or cardiovascular fitness.
Utilizing Data for Performance Improvement
Recent advancements in fitness technology have allowed for the aggregation of valuable data on strength and conditioning benchmarks across various demographics. Platforms like strength levels and Beyond the Whiteboard provide insights based on millions of user logs, creating a wealth of information on performance standards. By analyzing this data, trainers can position athletes on performance scales, enabling tailored training regimens aimed at either improving strength metrics or conditioning endurance. This evidence-based approach helps athletes understand their current capabilities and establish target areas for improvement.
Real-World Applications of Strength and Conditioning
The practical implications of balancing strength and conditioning can be illustrated through performance scenarios in competitive environments. For instance, athletes who excel in strength may struggle with endurance-based tasks, while those who are conditioned might find heavy lifting challenging. Observations from competitions show that a well-rounded athlete typically performs consistently across various event types, maintaining a balance between strength and conditioning. This balance is vital for enabling an athlete to be competitive in disciplines such as CrossFit, where both aspects are frequently tested.
In today's episode of the PT on ICE Daily Show, Fitness Athlete division leader Alan Fredendall continues a 2-part series on strength & conditioning and concurrent training. Alan discusses using objective strength & conditioning benchmarks to understand where your athlete lies to better know what to prescribe to improve their performance. He also shares a case study example of a competitive CrossFit workout where both very strong & very fast athletes lost to an athlete with above-average strength and above-average conditioning.