PEAK PERFORMANCE IS NOW...
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
Learn to keep your balance with some simple balance training drills Many athletes today are using balance training as an integral part of their overall training programmes, both for injury prevention and performance enhancement. Balance is needed by runners when negotiating woodland, by tennis players when reaching for a drop shot and by footballers taking... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
We all know lots of different abdominal exercises. Some of these exercises, we believe, are better for training the side abs (the obliques), some for the lower and others for the upper abs. But what does science have to say about this? Until recently not a lot, which is why a team of researchers from... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
Poor technique compromises the effectiveness of the curl up, so it is worth checking you are doing it right Just because this is one of the most commonly-performed trunk exercises don’t be fooled into thinking it’s easy. Poor technique compromises the effectiveness of the exercise, so it is worth checking that you are able to... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
Partial squats: an outstanding exercise for improving your strength, stability and efficiency If you are a soccer player, a basketball participant, a rugby enthusiast, a cricketer, a sprinter, a distance runner, or anyone who wants to be able to run long and fast, then the one-leg squat should be a staple of your strength-training programme.... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
These one-leg strengthening exercises spell greater power, but you have to do them fast In ‘How to improve your performance by optimizing the functioning of your nervous system’, I explained why athletes should focus on strengthening movements, not muscles, and why individuals, both runners and those whose sport involves running, who want to improve their... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
Despite the claims for PNF, you still can’t beat static stretching Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a type of flexibility exercise which combines muscle contraction and relaxation with passive and partner-assisted stretching. The technique has received considerable attention recently, since it is thought to improve range of motion in the skeletal joints to a greater... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
Strength training reveals strange sex bias A new US study of the effects of strength training on inactive men and women has produced a fascinating and unexpected new finding: while training produced significant increases in resting metabolic rate in young and older men, it had no effect on the resting metabolism of women. The study... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
How contrast power training maximises performance What is best for boosting power output – ‘contrast’ loading (alternating heavy and lighter weights) or constant loading, when the weights stay the same? That is the question addressed by a series of studies comparing the benefits of these two approaches to strength training in a group of six... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
When your training should land you in deep water At its simplest deep water running (DWR), or ‘aquajogging’, mimics its land-based equivalent, except that it is performed in water deep enough to stop your feet making contact with the bottom of the pool. In recent years this technique has become increasingly popular with coaches and... MORE
in Strength, conditioning and flexibility
Weightlifters do it. Downhill skiers do it, too. Most track and field athletes consider it an essential part of their supplemental training. Even soccer and hockey players rely on it. It’s squatting – the performance of knee bends while holding a weight on the shoulders. Squatting is one of the most important parts of Olympic... MORE
The latest triathlon research and best practice findings, covering improving technique, strength and conditioning, and endurance nutrition
The latest findings from running science with practical advice showing you how you can run further and faster whilst staying in peak health
