INTRODUCTION TO

CHAPTER 1

STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING

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 CHAPTER 01 | INTRODUCTION TO STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

Sports have been played in a competitive state for centuries, with evidence of wrestling as

the first organized sport. According to the International Olympic Committee, the first Olympics

were held in 684 BC, and the events included running, wrestling, discus, boxing, a form of

martial arts known as pankration, and various equestrian activities. The ancient Greeks also

established and developed the initial ideas of what is now known as progressive resistance
PROGRESSIVE
RESISTANCE TRAINING: training, which is a method of fitness training using an increasing overload to cause the body
A method of fitness training to adapt, grow stronger, and build muscle.
using an increasing overload
to cause the body to adapt,
grow stronger, and build muscle. The sport of bodybuilding focuses on aesthetics and physique development—training to enhance

muscular proportions and appearance. Bodybuilding dates back to the stone-lifting competitions

of ancient Greece and Egypt, whereas Western-style weight lifting originated in Europe in the
PHYSIQUE 1800s. As evidenced by the many detailed sculptures of Greek gods and ancient warriors, fitness
DEVELOPMENT:
Training to enhance muscular and strength have clearly played a large part in human history.
proportions and appearance.

Figure 1.1 Ancient Greek Statues.

Greek statues depicting a fit warrior (left) and the god Zeus (right).

In the present day, strength and conditioning has become one of the most prominent aspects

of physical training and is practiced by athletes in all sports, at all levels, and at all ages.

Higher levels of fitness are required by the military, law enforcement, firefighting services,

and emergency services. Individuals who want to be fit for reasons other than professional

purposes often train like athletes, making this growing demographic a large source of income

in the health club industry.

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In sports, the stronger, leaner, and better-conditioned athlete is typically the better-performing

athlete. Similarly, the stronger, leaner, and better-conditioned adult will typically have a longer,

healthier life. However, there are limits to the human body’s ability to increase attributes of

quickness and strength as well as limits to our recovery from the training required to achieve

those goals. There is a cost of adaptation for an individual in training. Improving a person’s

strength and conditioning requires a precise balance of challenge and recovery, and this is

where a strength and conditioning coach becomes valuable.

A fit, well-trained athlete exhibits athleticism, skill, and endurance. An athlete will train with a

focus on lifestyle, nutrition, rest, and exercise. The goal of a sports-conditioning specialist is
ATHLETICISM:
The competent use of
to help an athlete become as strong and fast as possible with enough endurance to outlast capabilities such as strength,
agility, and stamina.
their opponent and enhance their recovery from play to play or match to match. Each athlete

is unique, and a coach will consider their needs and goals as they apply and customize the

general principles of performance training.

HEALTH BENEFITS
A coach’s strategies to increase muscle size and strength apply not only to athletic

performance but also to the health and quality of life of any clients they train throughout their
QUALITY OF LIFE:
career as a fitness professional. The standard of health, comfort,
and happiness of an individual.
Generally, stronger muscles will translate to better performance, and this quality will help an

athlete jump higher, throw harder, and run faster. For maintenance of life, the key is muscle

mass. Skeletal muscle is the largest component of kinesiology and human movement.
KINESIOLOGY:
Without strong skeletal muscle, the human body fails to function and will deteriorate quickly. The study of human movement
and mechanics.
The brain, heart, skin, and other vital organs rely on the building blocks of muscle tissue to

function. Through daily nutrition, humans fuel the processes of the body and, when physically

training, promote recovery, repair, and growth. Science has shown an increase in healthy

muscle mass can also reduce the risk of chronic diseases, like diabetes and obesity.

Elderly populations can also benefit from maintaining the most strength and quickness their

body allows. Research demonstrates that by middle age, individuals lose their largest and

strongest muscle fibers, which are important for daily tasks, such as lifting, carrying, and

stepping. Slower reflexes and a loss of movement speed can be detrimental to this population

as well. The ability to react quickly is necessary to avoid injury, and a slower walking speed is

associated with a higher risk of mortality.

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 CHAPTER 01 | INTRODUCTION TO STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

GOALS OF THIS COURSE

This course will teach coaches how to help athletes become as strong as possible, improve

speed, and improve sport-specific endurance. Over weeks and months of training, they

will perform the same activities at faster rates and with shorter recovery periods without

exceeding their physical or mental capabilities.

The job of a strength and conditioning specialist is to build the athlete’s physical prowess and

resiliency. Physical prowess consists of all the elements enabling an athlete to perform well in
PHYSICAL PROWESS:
The elements enabling an athlete their sport. These elements include but are not limited to strength, mobility, speed, endurance,
to perform well in their sport.
and agility. Resiliency is an athlete’s ability to withstand and recover from the physical and

mental stressors of their sport. Athletes must have the necessary strength, mobility, and
RESILIENCY: reflexes to minimize their risk of injury as well as have the ability to recover between games
The ability to withstand and
recover from the physical and or practice sessions. While helping athletes perform at the highest level possible, a coach will
mental stressors of sport.
also improve their health to enhance their quality of life after their career ends.

Athletes rely on trainers, medical professionals, and conditioning coaches regularly to guide

them through the process of performance enhancement, striving for peak physical maturity.

Fitness professionals and educational courses, such as this one, are responsible for

confidently and accurately guiding them. While preparing to assist and lead athletes through

the endless training process, coaches can use this essential course providing the most

current and effective tools.

HUMAN FORM AND FUNCTION

The human body is composed of several functional systems all working together. The nervous

system controls the muscular system, and the supporting systems, including the digestive and

endocrine systems, manage the way the body makes and stores energy. To fully understand

the human body on a large scale, a coach must be privy to these individual systems and their

interrelated nature. This course will cover each functional system with adequate details to

benefit the athletic training of a strength and conditioning coach.

USEFUL EXERCISES
The library of exercises available for the general population and athletes is immeasurable. A

coach should understand the applicable and effective movements benefiting any athlete as

well as how to verbally cue and execute the movements while minimizing the risk of injury. The

exercise chapters within this course detail movements from stretches to power exercises and

everything in between, with descriptions a coach can use confidently when training an athlete.

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RESISTANCE- AND ENDURANCE-TRAINING PROGRAMMING
Many trainers and coaches complete certifications and gain extensive knowledge of the human

body, biomechanics, and specific exercises but do not know how to apply this knowledge to

a training program. This course focuses on the application of training guidelines over time

with athletes in the form of short-term and long-term programming parameters and guides.

The details provided on training and endurance programming distinguish this ISSA sports and

conditioning specialist course from the certification pack.

NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION

The body is fueled daily by the individual’s nutritional profile. A coach will learn how to

apply nutrition for an athlete to achieve the best physical results in a healthful way. While

supplementation is not a requirement for athletics and performance, many athletes choose

to supplement in some way to aid performance and promote a balanced nutrient intake.

This can be as simple as taking a multivitamin or enhancing a meal with protein powder or

as complex as taking additional vitamins or minerals for specific metabolic functions. This

course will inform coaches of the available supplements and when and how they should be

taken properly.

Training has advanced since the days of ancient Greece, when athletes and soldiers rarely

lived long enough to be concerned about the long-term consequences of their training, much

less their quality of life decades after retirement. The mental and physical declines from

stress endured during training and competition can lead to the downfall of even the strongest

athletes. Armed with the right tools for understanding how the human body functions—current

training variables and principles, fitness components, and programming guidelines—a coach

will be equipped to develop effective and safe performance-enhancing programs. The two

underlying goals of this course are as follows:

Improving the athlete’s performance to the highest level possible

Improving or preserving the athlete’s health so they can achieve the best quality of life after

the sport has ended

An individual can train to become a strength and conditioning coach with the same mentality

expected of an athlete. It takes drive, confidence, discipline, competitiveness, and time

management to be successful. This is just the beginning.

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