Strength and Conditioning Study Guide

INDEX:

Biomechanics

Force, Impulse, Work, Power

Speed and Agility Training Science

Practical Application List

Energy Systems

Incorporating Aerobic Training Styles into a Program Design

Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Training Adaptations

Endocrine

Olympic Lifting Technique

Training Youth Athletes

Rehab and Reconditioning

Nutrition
 Biomechanics Notes

Levers:

1stclass:
· Muscle force and resistance on
opposite sides of the fulcrum
· Triceps
nd
2 class:
· Moment arm of the muscle force
Longer than the moment arm of the
resistance
· Mechanical Advantage
· Calf Raise
rd
3 Class:
· Moment arm of the muscle Shorter
than moment arm of the resistance.
· Mechanical Disadvantage for the
muscle
· Bicep curl, leg extension, most muscles

Muscle force: Internally generated force

Resistive force: Externally generated force (ex: dumbbell, barbell, bodyweight, etc.)

Muscle Levers Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcKgXeYlEkc

Running mechanics:

Work: Force X Displacement

· Newtons X Meters= J
o Ex: Pushing (force) on a barbell to get it to move a certain distance
o Ex: lifting a 100kg barbell 1 meter. 100kg * 9.8 m/s2* 1m= 980 J of work
(constant speed no acceleration)
Power: Work/ Time
· J/ seconds= Watt
o Ex: Margaria Kalamen stair test
o Ex: Lifting a barbell with 980 J of work in 2 seconds= 980/2= 490 W

Takeaway: It is important to be able to produce force at the velocity required for a given sport.
· Bracketing technique: ~10% more or less resistance than sport movement

Impulse:
· Change in momentum
· Depth Jump
o How high of a box did you jump up to (Force) X How much ground contact
time? (change in time)
o Ex: 0.5 seconds of ground contact time to depth jump 30 inch box has higher
impulse than 1 second of ground contact time.

Rate Coding: Motor unit firing rate

· More quickly firing action potentials= tetanic contraction
· Neurophysiological adaptation (fast, common in new lifters)
· Higher motor neuron output from the spinal cord to the muscles (neurophysiological
adaptation)

Practical Application:

Typical team sport athlete:

Pre-season: More Max Strength (top left)

· Great after base of hypertrophy
· Drive type 2 motor unit activation
· Foundation for Power training

In-season: More Speed/ Power (bottom right)

· Neurophysiological adaptation
· Transient gains (only last briefly)
· Most Sport-Specific
Muscle Hypertrophy:
· Increased Actin and Myosin (myofibrillar proteins)
o Muscle Protein Synthesis
· Increased muscle pennation angle
· 3 factors: mechanical tension, metabolic stress, muscle damage

Joint Biomechanics:

Glenohumeral Joint: Ball and socket joint

· Roll and slide motion to stay centered (joint congruency)
· Rotator cuff muscles for active stability
· Glenohumeral ligaments passive stability
 Force, Impulse, Work, Power

Force:
Equation: F = ma
Force = Mass * Acceleration

Lifting a 100kg barbell 1 meter (acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s 2)

F = 100kg * 9.8 m/s2
F = 980 N

Unit of Force: Newtons (N)

Note: Force can be applied at low or high velocity (Force/velocity curve below)

Impulse:
Change in Momentum
Depth Jump

Example: 100kg athlete performing 24 inch depth jump

Change in momentum = 100kg (-4m/s) – 100kg (4m/s) = -800 kg* m/s

Assuming 0.2 sec ground contact time:

Impulse = Force * Time
800 kg *m/s = Force * 0.2 sec
Force = 800/ 0.2 sec
Force = 4000 Newtons

Assuming 0.4 sec ground contact time

Impulse = Force * Time
800 kg *m/s = Force * 0.4 sec
Force = 2000 Newtons

Shorter ground contact time = higher impulse

Fewer strides to come to a stop from a sprint = higher impulse

Ways to Improve Impulse with Depth Jump:

 1. Higher box with same ground contact time (Increased Force)
2. Shorten Ground Contact Time (decreased time)
3. More mass (load) with same ground contact time

Notes:
Neurophysiological contributions to impulse:
● Rate coding
● Rate of Force Development
● High Threshold (type 2x) motor unit recruitment

Stretch shortening cycle

● Tendon stiffness increases with training
● Amortization phase

Work:
Work = Force * Displacement
Unit = Joules

Example: Lifting a 100kg barbell 1 meter

Work = 980 N * 1 meter
Work = 980 J

Note: It does not matter how fast it is lifted (same amount of work)

Power:
Power = Work/ Time
Unit= Watts
Power is how fast you do work

Example: Lifting a 100kg barbell Fast vs. Slow:

Slow: 980 J/ 3 sec = 327 Watts

Fast: 980 J/ 1 sec = 980 Watts

 Speed and Agility Training Science

Neuromuscular Adaptations:
● Rate Coding
○ Rate that signals are sent to the muscle
■ Aka: Rate of Action Potential discharge

● Rate of Force Development

○ Increased Motor Cortex Activity
○ Brain sends a stronger signal to the muscle

● Intramuscular Synchronization
○ How well muscles coordinate activation
○ Motor pattern efficiency
○ Increased Motor Unit Activation

● Increased Force, Power, Impulse

○ Higher Vertical Jump
○ Shorter Ground Contact Time
○ Faster Bat Speed

Endocrine/ Bioenergetic Adaptations:

● Creatine Kinase Increases
○ More creatine phosphate available to replenish ATP
○ ATP-PC System

● Increased Storage of:

○ ATP
○ Glycogen

Muscular Adaptations:
● Muscle Hypertrophy (Type 1, Type 2a, Type 2x)
○ Size Principle:
■ Type 1 activate first
■ Type 2a activate if all type 1s are active and still need more force
■ Type 2x only activate if all other types are active. Requires high
resistance/ force
● Muscle Fiber Transition (Type 2x to Type 2a)
○ Myosin heads improve fatigue resistance

● Myofibrillar Volume Increases

○ More Actin and Myosin Proteins are Created
○ Specifically, Myosin heavy Chains are Increased
■ Making More Muscle Proteins is called: Muscle Protein Synthesis
 Practical Application List:

Facility Layout
● Mirrors must be 20 inches off the ground.
● Barbells should have a minimum distance of 36” apart
● Recommended gym minimum ceiling height: 12 feet

Exercise Technique
● No Spotters for Olympic lifts
● Spot Dumbbell chest press with hands by the athlete’s wrists

● Supinated grip: Palm up (ex: underhand grip)

● Pronated grip: Palm down (overhand grip)

● Flexibility:
○ PNF Stretching
■ Passive pre-stretch 10 seconds
■ Contract (or hold) 6 seconds
■ Relax 30 seconds

○ Hip Extension stretch: Psoas major

Policy, Procedure, and Legal Issues

● Strength and Conditioning Director in charge of:
○ Budget
○ Selection and maintenance of equipment
○ Design of training programs
○ Directs staff

● Informed consent
○ Explanation of risks and benefits involved

● Coach to Athlete ratios

○ Junior High School - 1:10
○ High School - 1:15
○ College - 1:20
 Energy Systems

ATP-PCr System:
● 0-6 seconds
● Fastest production of ATP lowest capacity for ATP production
● Neurophysiological Adaptations:
○ Rate of force production
○ Motor unit recruitment
○ Rate coding
● Sports: American Football, Olympic Lifting,
● Testing: Vertical Jump, Margaria-Kalaman Stair Test
● Programming:
○ Broad Jump, Box Jump, MB Throw, 40m run
● Work: Rest -1:12 to 1:20

Anaerobic Glycolysis:
● 30 sec- 2 min
● Results in lactate accumulation
● Sports: Volleyball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Hockey, Badminton
● Testing: 300-yard shuttle
● Programming:
○ Interval Running, Sport drills, Repeated Agility drills, Barbell complexes
● Work: Rest – 1:3 to 1:5

Oxidative:
● > 3 minutes
● Primarily below lactate threshold, sustainable
● Sports: Cross Country, Long distance track and field, soccer (mixed/ position
specific)
● Testing: 1 mile run, 1.5 mile run, yo-yo intermittent recovery test
● Programming:
○ Steady state running, fartlek training, Over-under threshold training
● Work: Rest – 1:1 to 1:3
 Incorporating Aerobic Training Styles into a Program Design

Terms:
VO2 Max: Maximal Oxygen Consumption
● Directly proportional to HR (up to 90% intensity)
● Also called Aerobic Power

MET: Metabolic Equivalent

● 1 Met = Resting Oxygen Consumption (3.5 ml*kg-1*min-1)

Max Heart Rate:

● Roughly 220 - age
● Does not change with training

Economy: Efficiency
● Often improved by increasing stride frequency (stride rate)

Haff, G., & Triplett, N. T. (2016). Chapter 20. In Essentials of strength training and conditioning.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Long Slow Duration:

● Aerobic Base
● Low interference with Strength Gains
○ No Lactate Accumulation
● Improved Fat Burning
Pace/ Tempo:
 ● At Lactate Threshold
● Similar to race pace for longer distance athletes
○ “Sport Specific”
● Program near performance

Interval:
● Near VO2 max
● 1:1 work: rest
● Good for Build Phase/ Specialty Phase
● “Requires” an Aerobic Base
● Strength/ Economy gains

High Intensity Interval Training

● Greater than VO2 max!
○ Oxygen Deficit
○ Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption
● 1:5 Work to rest ratio (Not TABATA)
● Anaerobic Energy System Enzyme Upregulation
○ Ex: Pyruvate dehydrogenase
● Improve the final “Kick” in a race
● Increased injury risk

Fartlek
● Ex: 70%/ 85% Interval Training
● Mixture of energy systems/ training adaptations

Periodization:
Goal: Get more sport specific closer to the season
Off season: Base
● Strength Training often Strength/ Power
● Not important to achieve high Rate of Force Development

Preseason: Build
● Increase Intensity
● Maintain or reduce volume

In-season:
 ● “Competition work”
● Aerobic base type work before races
● Race pace work
● Muscular Endurance or no strength training

*Note: Generally adjust volume no more than 5-10% per week

 Aerobic Vs. Anaerobic Training Adaptations

Aerobic Training Examples:

● Zone 1&2 Steady State Training
● Fartlek Training
● Tempo Training
● Interval Training (1:1 for VO2 max)

Aerobic Training Adaptations:

Improved Fat Burning
● Glycogen Sparing
● Ex: Running at 8MPH before training: 80% carbs 20% fat
○ o Running at 8MPH after 6 weeks of zone 2 aerobic
training 70% carbs 30% fat
● Increased carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2

Increased Left Ventricle Size

● Increased Stroke Volume
● Increased Max Cardiac Output
● Deliver more Oxygen to the Muscles

Increased Mitochondrial Density

● More/ Bigger Mitochondria with no change in overall muscle size
● More Myoglobin (transports oxygen from Red Blood Cell to the
Mitochondria)

Anaerobic Training Adaptations:

Increased Left Ventricle Thickness
Decreased Mitochondrial Density
Increased Myosin Heavy Chain Proteins
Improved Power/ Type 2 Muscle Hypertrophy

Both:
· Improved Lactate Threshold (80-90% intensity most specific to this adaptation)
· Type 1 muscle fiber hypertrophy
· Increased Creatine Phosphokinase
· Increased Stored ATP/ glycogen
· Decreased body fat %
 Training Adaptations:

Muscle Fiber Types:

Type 1
● Slow twitch(slow twitch speed/ slow rate of force development)
● Recruited first in response to action potential
● Slow nerve conduction
● HIGHLY fatigue resistant (oxidative) good for endurance
■ - high aerobic enzyme content
● Lower Myosin ATPase
● Low power
● HIGH capillary & mitochondrial density
● Cross country, marathon

Type IIa
● Medium, white/red
● Larger motor units
● Fast contract/relax speed and nerve conduction velocity, intermediate power
● More anaerobic enzyme content
● Intermediate capillary and mitochondrial density
● Low myoglobin

Type IIx
● Fast Twitch
● Largest motor units
● High recruitment threshold
● Fast conduction and contraction
● Low fatigue resistance/ endurance
● High force and power
● Low capillarity/ mitochondrial density
● Large fibers
● Sprint, weightlifting

Resistance Training Adaptations:

Muscle Hypertrophy, Motor Unit Recruitment, Decreased Mitochondrial Density, Rate Coding
 Endocrine

Endocrine System: Collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism,
growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, sleep, mood, and more.

Anabolic Hormones:
● Testosterone
○ Primary Hormone stimulating muscle protein synthesis
○ Anti-catabolic effect
○ Increases neurotransmitters (involved in large motor units)
○ Acute increases in serum testosterone with:
■ Large muscle groups
■ Short rest periods
■ Acute increase after workout

● Growth Hormone
○ Stimulates Muscle Protein Synthesis
○ Decreases Glucose Utilization
○ Increases Lipolysis
○ Increases collagen synthesis
○ Stimulates IGF-1
○ Acute increase from exercise

● Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1)

○ Role in protein anabolism
○ Acute increase with exercise

● Insulin
○ Released after you eat food
○ Promotes glucose uptake
■ Glycogenesis
○ Role in Muscle protein synthesis

Catabolic Hormones:
● Cortisol
○ Plays a role in breaking down proteins (proteolytic)
○ Inhibits muscle protein synthesis
○ Cortisol levels increase:
 ■ During exercise
■ With Overreaching (short term) /Overtraining (chronic)

● Catecholamines [Epinephrine (adrenaline), Norepinephrine, Dopamine

(neurotransmitter)]
○ Released at high heart rate during intense exercise
○ Stimulate fight or flight response
○ Increase blood flow to muscles (vasodilation)
○ Increase blood pressure
○ Stimulates glycogen breakdown

● Estradiol and Progesterone are catabolic hormones that stimulate female sex
characteristics

Catabolic and Anabolic:

● Thyroid Hormone
○ Regulates metabolism
○ T3 active form
○ “Permissive effects” allowing other hormones to control amino acid synthesis
Olympic Lifting Technique - Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkaRxeteWBY

Snatch:
Snatch Set-up/ 1stpull:
● Feet hip width toes out
● Push the floor away
● Shoulders and hips rise together!

Transition:
● Achieve vertical shin

2ndPull:
● Above the knee to the hip
● Bar stays close to the body

Grip Width Measurements:

● Elbow to elbow method (arms at 90 degree angle)
● Shoulder to opposite fist with arm out straight
● Practical way: find the hip crease

Clean and Jerk:

Clean: 1stPull
● Feet about Hip Width
● Grip slightly wider than the hips
● Hips and shoulders rise together!
● Shoulders right over or just in front of the bar
● Chest up eyes forward
● Point elbows out

Transition:
 ● Vertical Shin angle
● Shoulders over the bar
● Bar rises above the knees

Clean 2ndPull
● Triple Extension (Ankle plantarflexion, knee extension, hip extension)

Catch Phase:
● Requires Shoulder external rotation, wrist extension, and thoracic extension

Hang Clean: Starting from a hang position (high, middle, or low)

Power Clean: Catch in an athletic stance position

Full Clean: Catch in a full squat

Push Press: Dip and drive then catch with knees and arms straight.

Push Jerk: Dip and drive then push yourself under the bar. Catch with knees bent arms straight.

Notes:

No spotters for Olympic Lifts!

How to miss a snatch: Keep the arm straight and push the bar away from the
body.

Bailing on a clean: Dump and Jump

 Training Youth Athletes

“In adequately nourished children, there is no evidence that physical activity (weight bearing
activity) delays or accelerates growth or maturation”

Training Age: Length of time consistently following a formalized, supervised resistance training
program

Girls typically enter puberty 2 years prior to boys

● No difference in absolute or relative strength between boys and girls before
puberty
● Adult women have similar strength relative to bodyweight and about 2/3 the
absolute strength of men on average.

Appropriately dosed resistance training with progressive overload provides Osteogenic benefits
· Improve Bone Mineral Density

Peak height velocity: Age of maximum rate of growth

· Increased risk of injury
· ~12-year-old females
· ~14-year-old males
· Tightening of muscle tendon units

Apophyseal plate (Growth Plate)

· Most vulnerable to trauma and overuse injury

Muscle mass progressively increases throughout childhood.

· ~25% of bodyweight at birth is muscle mass
· ~40% of body weight in adulthood is muscle mass

Early single sport specialization:

· Increases risk of overuse injury
· May lead to muscle imbalance
· Burnout
· Decreased multiplanar movement pattern efficiency/ general athleticism

1 Repetition max testing in youth and adolescent Is Safe if appropriate warm-up, load
progression, and supervision are provided.
REHAB AND RECONDITIONING

Sports Medicine Team

- Team Physician
- Athletic Trainer
- Physical Therapist
- Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

What is the Role of the CSCS for Injury Management?

Types of Injuries
- Macrotrauma
- Fractures, dislocations, subluxations, sprains
- Musculotendinous Contusions, strains

- Microtrauma
- Stress Fractures
- Tendinopathy

Tissue Healing
Inflammatory Response
o Pain, swelling, redness / usually lasts less than a week
o Modify and train AROUND it

Fibroblastic Repair
o Starting to heal. Introduce submax isometrics and continue to modify
around it
o Two Days Two Months

Maturation-Remodeling
o Force the adaptation and return to baseline

Rehab Programming
- Specific Protocol vs. RPE
- Progressing from general to “sport-specific”

Reducing Risk of Injury

- You can’t PREVENT injury
- View this from a biopsychosocial approach
Nutrition:
Macronutrients:
Carbs (4 kcal/gram)
Fat (9 kcal/gram)
Protein (4 kcal/gram)
Amino Acids: BCAA/ EAA

How many calories are in a protein bar with 20g protein, 8g carbs, 2g fat?
20 X 4= 80 kcal protein
8 x 4 = 32 kcal carbs
2 X 9 = 18 kcal fat
130 kcal protein bar

Calories to lose 1 pound = 3,500 kcal

An athlete is consuming 3,200 calories per day with a daily energy expenditure of 3,500
calories. How long will it take this athlete to lose 2 pounds?

Total calorie deficit required: 3,500 calories per pound X 2 pounds= 7,000 calorie deficit
Daily calorie deficit: 3,500 – 3,200= 300 calories
7,000 calorie deficit / 300 calories per day= 23.33 days

Glycogen:
· Stored in the Muscles and Liver
· About 1,200-1,500 calories of total daily energy storage
· Can consume: 28-144g carbs per hour
o Most athletes can consume about 1 g carb/ minute intra-workout

Protein:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wGSrTYJH6A&t=1s
Benefits: Muscle Protein Synthesis Stimulus
RDA: 0.8 g/kg bodyweight
Strength athletes 1.4-1.7 g/kg BW
Aerobic Athletes: 1.0-1.6 g/kg BW

Electrolytes:
· Sodium
· Potassium
o Chloride
 · Sweat
Electrolytes help prevent Hyponatremia

Disclaimer: This is not associated with the National Strength and Conditioning Association
(NSCA). This product does not have any affiliation with, or any recognition, sponsorship, or
endorsement by, the NSCA. CSCS® and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® are
registered trademarks of the NSCA.