RESISTANCE TRAINING
SPORTING STRENGTH I
LAUREN APPLEGARTH LOOKS AT HOWFIXED RESISTANCE EQUIPMENT IS BEING INTEGRATED INTO SPORT-SPECIFIC TRAINING PROGRAMMES
f you keep up to date with the latest fitness trends, you’re probably of the opinion that traditional resistance
equipment is fast losing its place on the gym floor to functional training areas and rigs – and in some instances, you would be right. However, fixed strength
equipment still plays a key role in many facilities – and it’s powering some of the world’s top professional sportsmen and women to success, from global stars of the tennis world to Premier League football teams. But incorporating fixed strength
equipment into sport-specific training programmes isn’t something that should be perceived as exclusive to professional athletes; it’s accessible to players of all ages and abilities. As Cybex UK’s commercial director
Rob Thurston explains: “Fixed strength equipment is still central to many gym floor layouts and users shouldn’t be intimidated by it. There are countless examples of sportspeople at all levels combining strength equipment into their training programmes, but it’s all about using the right pieces of equipment to develop the physical attributes most applicable to you and your sport.”
Such training will have the maximum effect providing best practice is followed, adds Chris Armstrong, strength and conditioning coach at Warwickshire County Cricket Club:
“The key is to make the exercise movements as sport-specific as possible, ensuring good technique and that the focus is on the player’s range of movement as opposed to the weight they can lift.” We look at ways in which fixed
resistance kit is being used by elite athletes, and how amateur sports enthusiasts can incorporate similar techniques into their training.
REHAB & PERFORMANCE
Sport: Cricket Client: Warwickshire County Cricket Club, UK Supplier: Technogym
T
he physical demands of cricketers are distinctly unique to each player’s specialism: from tall, strong and powerful fast bowlers to shorter wicket keepers
who place a large amount of pressure on their hamstrings during long days in the field. Building and maintaining peak physical fitness enables batsmen to score more runs, bowlers to maintain their desired pace and accuracy for longer, and fielders to sustain high levels of concentration and therefore faster reaction speeds. While teams train year-round, the intended outcome of
their strength and conditioning programmes will also change depending on where they are in a season, explains Armstrong:
“Resistance training takes priority pre-season, throughout November and December, as the players focus towards building up their baseline strength; in January the programme switches to develop power and speed; and then, when the season starts in April, strength training is again incorporated to maintain high performance levels.” In 2013, Technogym installed resistance equipment in the on- site gym at Edgbaston Stadium, home to Warwickshire CCC.
“The equipment we chose allows for a wide variety of exercises, uses and loads, and its flexibility meets the needs of the players’ unique specialisms,” adds Armstrong. The gym incorporates Technogym’s Multipower, a lifting rack that allows for assisted lower and upper limb exercises. This was used as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for three of the club’s bowlers who suffered back stress fractures last year.
Products from Technogym’s Selection MED line were also installed, including the leg extension and leg press, which are designed specifically to support rehabilitation and users with various physical conditions during exercise. The equipment also allows the team to quickly bring new
players up to the required strength and fitness levels. “The adjustable head rest and handles of the leg press ensure players are seated in a safe and uncompromised position, allowing them to put significant loads through their legs without compromising their back,” explains Armstrong. “The use of such equipment allows us to load someone who hasn’t been training in the gym for as long, much earlier in their career.”
Strength and conditioning coach Chris Armstrong on the kit 70 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital March 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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