• Dynamic Warm-up:  This type of warm-up involves speed during physical performance and includes functional, sport specific movements to prepare the body for exercise or competition.  This technique incorporates a high-force, short-duration stretch of a particular muscle group stimulating muscle spindle activity and, therefore, greater reflex muscular contraction.  A dynamic warm-up may promote dynamic flexibility and decrease potential injury by preparing tissues for high-speed, volitional-type exercise.  A warm-up is to prepare you to play by warming up bodily tissues and increasing blood flow and nutrients to active structures.   A warm-up may also fine-tune CNS receptors to improve kinesthetic awareness during activity.  (That is, sensory organs within muscles, tendons and joints that facilitate our ability to know where we are in space during an activity.)  This kinesthetic awareness helps prepare our bodies for activity, so that we gain a certain amount of protection and psychological readiness necessary for reducing potential injuries.
  


• Plyometric Training:  Plyometric training is jump training.  These are exercises     or drills aimed at linking strength with speed of movement to produce power.  Plyometrics is defined as exercises that enable a muscle to reach maximum strength in as short a time as possible.  This speed-strength ability is known as power.  In sports activities an athlete has to be concerned with three modes of muscle contraction: eccentric, (when muscle lengthens under tension and decelerates the body), isometric, (a static position in which there is no muscle shortening visible) and concentric, (when muscle fibers pull together and shorten resulting in acceleration of a limb.  In many sports skills an eccentric contraction is rapidly followed by concentric contractions therefore we must train the muscles to respond forcefully within this quick stretch-reflex action.  Think of your muscles as rubber bands.  Whenever you stretch a muscle there exists the potential for a rapid return to its original length. Your muscles store tension developed by rapid stretching so that they possess a sort of potential elastic energy.  When the energy is released the athlete can move forcefully. 
  
  The goals of plyometric training are: (a) To change the strength of the response in terms of muscle contraction  (b) To decrease the amount of time spent on the ground; in other words to spring up offthe floor quickly.  (c) To increase vertical jump height. (d) To teach the body how to land properly, thus preventing injury. Examples of plyometric drills are: jumps-in-place, standing jumps, multiple hops and jumps, bounding, box drills and depth jumps.
  
  Keys To Injury Prevention In A Plyometric Program




• A solid strength base


• Good flexibility/range of motion


• Reasonably good running form (no obvious gate abnormalities)


• Slow introduction, and gradual progression of intensity and volume


• Proper flooring (suspended wood, rubberized or dirt track, firm grass, aspha


• Supportive footwear
  


• Strength Training:  Muscular fitness is developed by placing a demand, or overload, on the muscles in a manner to which they are not accustomed.  If the overload is applied progressively and sensibly, the neuromuscular system will positively adapt to the demand.  The general guideline for change is a proper and specific overload that uses a progressive increase in resistance over time, causes the targeted muscle(s) to fatigue in about 30 to 90 seconds, and challenges all of the major movements (joint actions) to which the muscle(s) contribute.   Appropriate intensity is necessary to optimize training results.  Gradual intensity increases will reduce the likelihood of injury.  All of the major movements of the body must be challenged to ensure balanced strength between all of the opposing muscle groups.  There are six types of resistance training: Isometric force development, Concentric contraction, Eccentric force development, Dynamic constant resistance, Dynamic variable resistance and Isokinetics.  You can find these definitions by going to our home page and click on “Get In Condition,” scroll down to Understanding our Terminology.  Choosing the right type of resistance training along with the exact frequency, intensity and duration within a periodized plan is totally dependent on the athlete’s needs and goals. 


• Flexibility:  Flexibility is a joint’s ability to move freely in every direction or, more specifically, through a full and normal range of motion (ROM).  Within each joint and for each activity, there is an optimum ROM essential to peak performance.  The optimum range of motion varies depending upon the activity.  A number of factors can limit joint mobility: genetic inheritance; the joint structure itself; connective tissue elasticity within muscles, tendons or skin surrounding a joint; strength of the opposing muscle group, and neuromuscular coordination.  Flexibility training minimizes these factors that limit flexibility in order to help balance muscle groups that might be overused during physical training sessions or as a result of poor posture.  There are two basic types of flexibility: static flexibility and dynamic flexibility.  Static flexibility is the ROM about a joint, with little emphasis on speed of movement.  This is moving slowly into a stretch, elongating the muscle and then holding the position anywhere from 10-20 seconds.  Dynamic flexibility involves speed during physical performance, and strength, power, neuromuscular coordination and tissue resistance. An example of a dynamic flexibility exercise would be a straight leg march across a gym floor, where one would alternate lifting the leg up with knees straight as high as possible off the ground.  This dynamic exercise prepares the hips, quads, hamstrings and core for dynamic activity involving explosiveness and power. Both static and dynamic flexibility is important in fitness and sports performance and therefore one or both types should be incorporated in a performance enhancing strength and conditioning program.
  
  Benefits:




• Increased physical efficiency and performance


• Decreased risk of injury.


• Increased blood supply and nutrients to joint structures.


• Range of motion exercises may increase the quantity and decrease the viscosity, or thickness, of synovial fluid enabling better nutrient exchange.


• Increased neuromuscular coordination.


• Improved muscular balance and postural awareness.


• Decreased risk of low-back pain.


• Reduced stress.


• Enhanced enjoyment.


• Improved self-esteem
  


• Aerobic/Anaerobic Conditioning:  Aerobic means with, or in the presence of oxygen.  The aerobic system is the metabolic pathway that, in the presence of oxygen, uses glucose for energy production; also known as aerobic glycolysis.  Training aerobically typically means to sustain a level of activity for a prescribed period of time, (usually 30-60 minutes,) whereby the heart rate of an individual is elevated into a training zone, usually 65% to 85% of their maximum heart rate.  For example:  a cross country runner or marathoner would train more within the aerobic system.  Anaerobic means without the presence of oxygen, not requiring oxygen.  Aaerobic glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that uses glucose for energy production without requiring oxygen.  Sometimes referred to as the lactic acid system or anaerobic glucose system, it produces lactic acid as a by-product.  Training anaerobically typically involves high intensity activity for short periods of time.  For example: a sprinter running the 100 meter dash.  When you have hit your anaerobic threshold, this is the point during high intensity activity when the body can no longer meet its demand for oxygen and anaerobic metabolism predominates.  Sports conditioning is more intimately tied to training within the anaerobic energy system.


• Cool-down:  The cool-down is an important part of the conditioning program.  This is the period following a workout where we help the body return to a normal resting state. The purpose of the cool-down is to slowly decrease the heart rate and overall metabolism, both of which have been elevated during a workout.  The cool-down helps prevent the sudden pooling of blood in the veins and ensures adequate circulation to the skeletal muscles, heart and brain.  The cool-down may aid in preventing delayed muscle stiffness and reduces any tendency toward post-exercise fainting and dizziness.  As a general rule, take 5-10 minutes to gradually decrease the intensity of your workout and bring your heart rate down towards your normal resting heart rate.  Follow this with several minutes of stretching of the muscle groups involved in the workout.

There are other components to a conditioning program that you may see incorporated into a series of workouts in addition to the 6 listed above.  These may include specific proprioception, balance and agility drills, speed training, power training, core conditioning and hand-eye coordination drills.  How a complete conditioning program is designed should be based solely on a client’s individual needs and the demands of her sport.