Better performances can be the product of a number of factors. This product is primarily the outcome of efficient technique, the progression of speed and the maturing competitive attitude on a sound basis of general endurance, all round strength and general mobility.

The development of all round strength is best achieved via circuit training and then progressing this through weight training.

A method of determining if you have an ideal body weight is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). To calculate your BMI divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared (weight ÷ height²).

The normal acceptable range of this measurement is 20.1 to 25.0 for men and 18.7 to 23.8 for women. A more accurate assessment of your ideal weight takes into account your body composition.

Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of a physical task. Basic fitness can be classified in four main components: Strength, Speed, Stamina and Flexibility. However, exercise scientists have identified nine components that comprise the definition of fitness: Strength, Power, Agility, Balance, Flexibility, Local Muscle Endurance, Strength Endurance and Co-ordination.

Of all the nine elements of fitness Cardiac Respiratory qualities are the most important to develop as they enhance all the other components of the conditioning equation.

The deep trunk muscles, Transversus Abdominis (TA), multifidus (MF), Internal Oblique (IO), paraspinal, pelvic floor, are key to the active support of the lumbar spine. The co-contraction of these muscles produce forces via the "theracolumbar fascia" (TLF) and the "intra-abdominal pressure" (IAP) mechanism which stabilise the lumbar spine, and the paraspinal and MF muscles act directly to resist the forces acting on the lumbar spine.

Having identified the key muscles and how they act, the next step is to establish how best to train these muscles.

People get involved in exercise for a number of reasons: to improve their health and physical condition, to achieve a sporting ambition, to relive the tension and stress of daily life, to lose weight, it makes them feel good.

Participating in sport encourages co-operation in team sports, develops the element of competitiveness, provides a physical challenge and the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. Training to improve performance obeys the principles of training: specificity, overload, recovery, adaptation and reversibility.

There is no doubt that time spent on warming up and cooling down will improve an individual's level of performance and accelerate the recovery process needed before and after training or competition.

Muscle stiffness is thought to be directly related to muscle injury and therefore the warm up should be aimed at reducing muscle stiffness. Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to the warm up as they help reduce muscle stiffness. Static stretching exercises do not reduce muscle stiffness. What are the other benefits?

The expression "lactic acid" is used by athletes to describe the intense pain felt during exhaustive exercise, especially in events like the 400 metres & 800 metres. When energy is required to perform exercise, it is supplied from the breakdown of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP).

The body has a limited store of about 85 grms of ATP and would use it up very quickly if we did not have ways of resynthesising it. There are three systems that produce energy to resynthesise ATP: ATP-PC, Lactic Acid and Aerobic.

In hill running, the athlete is using their body weight as a resistance to push against, so the driving muscles from which their leg power is derived have to work harder. The technique to aim for is a "bouncy" style where the athlete has a good knee lift and maximum range of movement in the ankle.

They should aim to drive hard, pushing upwards with their toes, flexing their ankle as much as possible, landing on the front part of the foot and then letting the heel come down below the level of the toes as the weight is taken. Why should I hill train?

Research has shown that that chronological age is not a good indicator on which to base athletic development models for athletes between the ages of 10 to 16 as within this age group there is a wide variation in the physical, cognitive and emotional development.

One practical solution is to use the onset of Peak Height Velocity (PHV), which is influenced by genetics and environmental factors (climate, cultural & social), as a reference point for the design of training programs. But what is LTAD?

Fitness is the ability to meet the demands of a physical task. Basic fitness can be classified in four main components: Strength, Speed, Stamina and Flexibility. However, exercise scientists have identified nine components that comprise the definition of fitness: Strength, Power, Agility, Balance, Flexibility, Local Muscle Endurance, Strength Endurance and Co-ordination.

Of all the nine elements of fitness Cardiac Respiratory qualities are the most important to develop as they enhance all the other components of the conditioning equation.

The common definition is "the ability to exert a force against a resistance". The strength needed for a sprinter to explode from the blocks is different to the strength needed by a weight lifter to lift a 200kg barbell. This therefore implies that there are different types of strength.

The classifications of strength are: Maximum strength (greatest force that is possible in a single maximum contraction), Elastic strength (ability to overcome a resistance with a fast contraction) and Strength endurance (ability to express force many times over). So how do we get stronger?

Bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance athletic performance. In recent years, this distinct method of training for power or explosiveness has been termed plyometrics.

Whatever the origins of the word the term is used to describe the method of training that seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of the individual through powerful muscular contractions because of rapid eccentric contractions. So how do we conduct plyometric work?

In many sports speed is an important attribute and ways to improve speed are constantly sought after. To improve speed you need to increase stride length and/or strike rate. Many athletes and coaches initially concentrate on improving stride length only to find that both strike rate and speed decrease.

It is more effective to work on strike rate because this increases the power in the leg muscles which in turn increase stride length. Does breathing have an impact on running economy?

The ability to generate strength and power is a very important component for success in many sports, particularly in those involving explosive movements. Medicine ball training, in conjunction with a program of weight training and circuit training, can be used to develop strength and power. Certain medicine ball exercises can also be used as part of a plyometric training program to develop explosive movements.Medicine ball training is appropriate to all levels of ability, age, development and sport. To be most effective the program should contain exercises that match the pattern of movements of the sport.

Speed and strength are integral components of fitness found in varying degrees in virtually all athletic movements. Simply put the combination of speed and strength is power. For many years, coaches and athletes have sought to improve power in order to enhance performance. Throughout this century and no doubt long before, jumping, bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance athletic performance. In recent years, this distinct method of training for power or explosiveness has been termed plyometrics. So what are some examples of plyometric exercises?