Training Articles - Conditioning

The Basics and Benefits of Pilates
Pilates focuses on strength building, controlled breathing, flexibility and meditation. The key is to control the muscles and mind together. Nowadays, pilates has become one of the most widely practiced exercise systems globally.
Benefits of a Multi-Planar Movement Exercise Program
When developing fitness and conditioning programs for both athletes and everyday recreational exercisers, traditional training protocols have often focused upon splitting the body into distinct 'parts' and exercising muscle groups separately and independently of each other in order to achieve results. Yet as our knowledge of the human body has continued to evolve, a much newer way of thinking looks at addressing the body as a whole, training the body for better movement and mobility – thereby ensuring a stronger and more resilient body.
Accessories & Training Comfort
For the most part, athletic training is all about technique and dedication. However, in many cases, your comfort and success also depends at least somewhat on your equipment. Here are a few tips and examples of equipment and accessories that can be greatly beneficial to your training.
4 Exercise tricks to beat the winter darkness
From about November until the second Sunday in March, we have to combat the gloom we face in the evening after work. Ron Fritzke provides advice on how to exercise now we have the dark winter nights.
10 Core Stability Exercise Workouts

The "Alfa Romeo" Workout
The "Aston Martin" Workout
The "Audi" Workout
The "Bentley" Workout
The "BMW" Workout
The "Buick" Workout
The "Lotus" Workout
The "Mercedes Benz" Workout
The "McLaren" Workout
The "Morgan" Workout
Modern Stretching for Football
Anyone involved in soccer knows that flexibility is one of the primary components of fitness. We all know you should stretch before and after practices and games. But old methods still might permeate so it is time to move forward. Ten years from now there will be a whole new set of new understandings and training methodologies to work from. That being said, many principles seem to have staying power.
How does stretching affect an athletes performance?
Stretching has been thought to prevent injury and improve athletic performance. Unfortunately, what most people do not know is that isolated stretching immediately before exercise may impair a person's strength and power and has no effect on injury prevention.
Interval Training - HIIT or Miss?
The Work to Rest method uses a set time interval for the work period and a set time interval for the rest period. Ratios are determined, and the athlete or client rests for generally one, two or three times the length of the work interval before repeating the next bout.
A solid mix of Satisfaction and Routine
From past experience, I have noticed extremely better fitness results from learning to love what it is that you do. For some people, this could mean simple written/routine free-weight exercises, starting with chest and ending the week with arms. For others, it is about hopping on that bike and/or treadmill and running 5 miles a day. So how can you get fit and enjoy the experience?
What is an appropriate medicine ball training exercise program?
Rob Thickpenny provides an overview of a program of medicine ball strength and conditioning exercises for all track and field event groups in the general and specific phases of training.
Cross-Training: Is it an effective alternative for runners?
Many athletes and trainers have wondered if there is a significant difference, when training for competition, between running and cross-training. If the athlete or trainer implements cross-training, will the athlete regress, maintain, or improve from their present level of fitness?

Here is how to develop the physical condition of your team
An explanation of the components of fitness and how to develop your level of agility
How to maintain flexible athletes
A number of exercises to help you improve the condition of your lower back
These gentle exercises can help strengthen your most vulnerable parts
Exercises to strengthen the gluteal and hamstring muscles which will help provide you with a sound posture
Next to cross-country skiing, running is the best type of fitness training for all sports
An explanation as to why running is considered to be the best form of fitness training
The performance benefits of flexibility training
An explanation as to why and how stretching should best be carried out
Dynamic stretching exercises
Examples of dynamic stretching and mobility exercises, which could form part of the warm-up program in a training session
A physiotherapist’s view on flexibility
An overview on the theoretical basis of stretching routines
Static stretching exercises
Examples of general static stretching and mobility exercises, which can form part of a general flexibility session
Frequently asked questions about stretching
The scientific facts that support many of the questions asked about stretching
Dynamic versus passive stretches
The benefits and effects of dynamic and static stretching on the muscles
How to develop your athlete's flexibility
An explanation of the various ways an athlete can improve their flexibility
General Mobility Exercises
Examples of general static and dynamic mobility exercises
How to simultaneously improve mobility, strength and stamina
An explanation of the content, format and benefits of circuit training
The King of exercises: the Squat
An in-depth guide to the correct set-up and execution of the Squat exercise
Climb your way to peak anaerobic condition
An explanation of how to use stair climbing exercises to improve your anaerobic condition
The running machine
How to enlighten young athletes about their energy systems
What else can be done in those magic stairwells?
How stair climbing can be used to develop your anaerobic condition
Core Stability Training
How to strengthen the multitude of muscles that make up the most vital section of your body - the 'core'
Smart Recovery Guidelines
Some tips that will help you to recover quickly from your matches or training and help to keep you fit to play
Ways to improve the dorsiflexion and plantar flexion action of the foot
Exercises that will help to reduce your foot/ground contact time and improve your speed
Warm up activities & stretching exercises
How to warm-up properly so as to reduce the risk of a sports injury
Does pre-season strength training protect rugby players from non-contact injury?
How pre-season strength training may help to reduce injury in the playing season
Interval training for the games player
How you can increase your aerobic and anaerobic capacity using interval training
How to improve your general fitness
How, in 45 minutes, you can improve your strength, balance, aerobic conditioning, core conditioning, help prevent injuries and work on mental focus during fatigue
How to improve your fitness with whole-body vibration
A review of the benefits of whole body vibration training
Selective muscular stretching
An explanation of the benefits of selective muscular stretching when weight training
Rotational power training: the foundation for all athletic power
How to improve your total body power and sport performance with rotational power training
Static vs. Dynamic Flexibility
The benefits of static and dynamic stretching and which should be used in your training programme
Seven strategies for developing the exercise habit
A number of suggestions that might help you to establish an exercise routine that will eventually become a habit
Tips to Increase upper body throwing power
An analyses of the role of the upper body muscles in the overhand throw
Football Practice - how to get football fit
Getting into real shape for football requires an amalgamation of training methods. You have to be powerful, quick, agile and flexible and have a 'good engine'

Literature Review - Conditioning

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