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Basic Strength and Conditioning Exercises

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Basic Strength and Conditioning Exercises

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Basic Strength

and Conditioning
Exercises
If you talk about a ‘strength exercise’, you’re speaking about any activity that makes your
muscles work harder than they usually do. Strength training increases your muscles’ strength,
size, power as well as endurance and involves making use of your body weight or working
against a resistance.
You should try to do two sessions or more of muscle-strengthening exercises a week which
target all major muscle groups so that you don’t develop a weakness in one particular muscle
group.

Here are a couple of examples of muscle-strengthening activities:


 Lifting weights,
 Working with resistance bands (which are also called TheraBands),
 Heavy gardening, such as digging and shoveling,
 Climbing stairs,
 Hillwalking,
 Cycling,
 Dance,
 Push-ups, sit-ups and Squats, and
 Yoga.
10 Basic Strength and Conditioning Exercises

1. Squat
 A classic move in any strength and conditioning
routine, the squat helps to work on power output, strengthen
the glute muscles, hip hinges and develop the posterior chain
(glutes, hamstrings, etc).
How to do Squat:
• Stand with your feet just over shoulder width apart. Feet at a
0–45 degree angle (or however comfortable)
• Shoulders back and down, looking straight ahead
• Engage your glutes and core
• Push hips back over the heels, until your knees are at 90
degrees (see image above) — imagine sitting on a chair behind
you!
• Push through the heels to drive back to standing position
• Repeat for three sets of 8–12 repetitions
2. Lunges
 Lunges are a key strength exercise for running and cycling, and to help avoid injury, working on
muscle recruitment and balance. Work on the ‘acceleration’ phase, by stepping back and then driving back
up to standing.
How to do Lunges:
 Stand hip-width apart, then take a big step back so your knees are at 90 degrees
 Make sure the front knee is behind the toes
 Back knee movement is down — think about sinking down towards the ground
 Keep weight on the front knee
 Squeeze the glutes (bum), keep your hips tucked under
 Push with your front heel to standing
 Repeat for three sets of 8–12 repetitions for each leg
3. Bulgarian Squat
 This exercise focuses on strengthening
the glute muscles, as well as working the hip
flexors, which is beneficial for runners and
cyclists who have tight hip flexors.
How to do Bulgarian Squat:
 Begin in the standing position, with one foot
behind on a bench around knee height
 Shoulders back and down
 The front knee should be at 90 degrees
 Slowly, and in a controlled manner, move the
body down towards the floor
 Push back up with the front heel
 Repeat for three sets of 8–12 repetitions
4. Glute Bridge
 Cyclists are quad dominant, so this one really helps to strengthen the glutes.
How to do Glute Bridge:
 Lie on your back with feet on the floor, hip-width apart and close to the bum
 In a slow controlled movement, drive your hips up to the ceiling by pushing through your heels
 Ensure you control the movement on the way down — don’t touch the floor, just hover above the
ground
 Timing is 1 second up, 3 seconds down
 Repeat for three sets of 8–12 repetitions
5. Lateral Lunge
 This exercise focuses on recruiting muscles that aren’t in the forward motion, used during
running and cycling.
How to do Lateral Lunge:
 Start in a standing positioning and take a big step to the side, hinge your hips back with your
chest and head up
 Drop the knee between 45–90 degrees
 Driving through the heel, push yourself back up to standing
 Repeat for three sets of 8–12 repetitions
6. Push-Ups
 This is another classic exercise that can be done anywhere with just your
bodyweight.
How to do Push-ups:
 Start by placing your hands on the ground, just outside shoulder-width apart (like a high
plank)
 Maintain tension throughout the body (don’t drop the hips) and slowly lower your body
towards the ground, then push back up to the starting position
 If this is too much of a challenge, start on your knees
 Repeat for three sets of 8–12 repetitions
7. Dead bugs
 The dead bug is a core stability exercise that teaches you
to move your hips and shoulders without involving the
spine. It requires plenty of co-ordination, so practice in
slow and controlled movements. Start off with your arms
only, and then progress to lowering the legs.
 Here are some top tips for this exercise, because it can be
tricky: don’t twist into it, keep the spine flat against the
floor at all times and practice with just the arms before
incorporating the legs.
How to do Dead bugs:
 Lie on your back with knees in a table top position (90
degrees at the knee and hip)
 Hold your arms out straight towards the ceiling, pushing
the lower back into the ground and sucking your belly
button in
 Slowly lower your right arm and left leg to just above the
ground
 Ensure your spine is flat against the floor without doming
 Bring your arm back up and repeat with the other arm/leg
 Repeat for three sets of 8–12 repetitions
8. Plank
 The plank is an excellent abdominal and core exercise. To ensure you keep your core strong
and stable.
How to do Plank:
 Start on your forearms, elbows just underneath the shoulders
 Hold tension in the whole of your body, being careful not to drop the hips or hold them too high
 Hold this exercise for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on how it feels
 Bonus: try moving between your regular plank and a high plank as an extra challenge (using
straight rather than bent arms)
9. Bear Crawl Hold
 This is a core and shoulder stability strength exercise. You’re building tension in your quads, as
well as working on your coordination.
How to do Bear Crawl Hold:
 Start on all fours, with your pelvis tucked in. Hands should be under your shoulders
 Knees should be situated under the hips at 90 degrees and 1-inch above the ground
 Make sure the glutes and core are engaged
 Keep the spine neutral from head to tail
 Hold this exercise for 30 seconds to a minute
10. Mountain Climber
 The Mountain Climber is a bodyweight exercise
that serve as a great full-body workout. This
plyometric plank movement does it all: increases
core strength, defines the shoulders, chest and
upper back, works the quads and glutes -- all
while raising the heart rate.

How to do Mountain Climber:


 Start from a high plank position with your hands
stacked directly under your shoulders.
 Drive one knee forward toward your chest while
engaging your abs.
 Return to your plank position, then drive the knee
of your opposite foot in. Repeat the movement,
alternating legs and speeding up your
movements.
Speed and Agility
Program
Speed and Agility Training are
not one in the same
 Speed Training - The ability to achieve maximum velocity.

 Agility Training - The ability to rapidly change direction


without the loss of speed, coordination, balance, strength or
body control.

 Strength and power are the foundations to speed and agility


development. When it comes to speed and agility training
programs, your most effective tool is strength training.
Aims of speed training program
 Improve acceleration
 Increase maximal velocity
 Maintain velocity against the onset of fatigue

Aims of Agility Training Program


 Improve deceleration
 Enhance the ability to change direction
 Improve co-ordination and dynamic balance
Factors Determining Speed of
Movement
Reactability - The ability to react to our changing environment.

 Motor Coordination - The harmonious functioning of body parts that involve


movement, including gross motor movement, fine motor movement, and motor
planning.

 Muscular Endurance - The ability of a muscle or group of muscles to sustain


repeated contractions against a resistance for an extended period of time. It is one
of the components of muscular fitness, along with muscular strength and power

 Force - The ability to change an object's state, rest, or motion.

 Strength - The ability of a person to exert force on physical objects using their
muscles.

 External Conditions - Outside influences that can impact athletic performance,


such as weather, or field conditions.
Speed Training Benefits
 Speed training involves the increase in muscle power through
both speed in starting and stopping function. Each exercise
becomes easier with an explosive force behind each
repetition, making speed training ideal for power lifters and
athletes who run and perform agile movements.
 The form of exercise increases agility and speed in
movement and exercise technique. The power and fast twitch
muscle ability increase over time as well. Several exercises in
speed training involve the addition of weighted resistance or
speed enhancers to force fast twitch muscles into overdrive,
past the normal point of exertion that normal exercises
cause.
Agility Training Benefits
 Injury prevention
Many injuries happen when the body falls out of alignment in motion—think of pulling the
muscles in your lower back if you lift from an improper position, or tearing the ligaments in a
knee if your misstep. Agility training increases balance, control and flexibility, allowing the body
to maintain proper posture and alignment during movement. Agility training helps the body
learn correct body placement, meaning sensitive areas like the shoulders, lower back and knees
are protected while moving quickly.

 The mind-body connection


Agility training helps build pathways in the brain for fast responses to various stimuli. At first,
the responsive movements will seem forced, but as you practice, they will become more natural

 Improved balance and coordination


Ever watched a gymnast on a balance beam? Her movements are dynamic, fluid and perfectly
balanced. Agility training encourages the body to develop balance in the midst of dynamic
movement, much like the gymnast on the beam. Practicing quick stops and starts, hand-eye
coordination and speed help the body work as a whole. When the body is working in sync,
movements become more fluid, for smooth, coordinated transitions
 Improved recovery time
Sometimes an intense workout can leave you with sore muscles and
decreased energy levels the next day. But the bursts of movement in agility
training, when practiced over a sustained period of time, help build strength
in the musculoskeletal system, which in turn can shorten recovery time

 Increased results in minimal time


Often agility training drills are also HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
exercises, which can produce noticeable results in a minimal amount of
time. Non-linear movements, such as side-stepping footwork using
an Agility Ladder, or running a slalom course around Agility Cones, engage
a greater number of muscles than if you were to simply run in a straight
line. Engaging more muscles translates into greater results from your
workout
Basic Speed Exercises

Hill Sprints
 This can be a really
intense workout, so ease your
runners into it. You don’t need
a very steep hill either. Start
out small, do just a few reps
per workout, and build on that
strength with steeper inclines,
more reps, and less recovery
time.
Long, Slow
 Runs
Slow running is subjective, because each person
will have their own pace. However, a good way
to determine whether you’re running “slow”, is
to see if you can have a conversation with your
running partner. If you can, then that’s your slow
running speed.
 Another way you can determine what your slow
pace is, is to check your heart rate. If you’re
running at a gentle pace, then your heart rate
should be somewhere between 110 to 140 beats
per minute.
 Essentially, if your breathing isn’t too heavy and
you don’t feel like you’re putting in too much
effort, then you’re running at a slow pace (and
by taking normal breaths, you’re able to hold a
conversation).
Interval Runs
 Intervals runs are like HIIT workouts: you work at
high intensity for a short period of time, recover,
and do it again. If you have access to a track, use it
for your interval speed workouts.

Example of Interval Runs:


 Run hard for 50 meters, walk or jog for another 50
 Run hard for 100 meters, walk or jog for 50 meters
 Run hard for 150 meters, walk or jog for 50 meters
 Run hard for 200 meters, walk or job for 50 meters
 Work back down to 50 meters and repeat once or
twice for clients who are up to the challenge
Basic Agility Exercises
Squat Out/Hop in

How to do Squat Out/Hop In:


 Stand in the first ladder square with feet
shoulder-width apart.
 Jump forward one square, spreading legs
wide to land in a squat with feet on either
side of the ladder.
 Quickly jump to the next square, landing
with both feet inside the ladder.
 Continue moving forward. At the end of the
ladder, run backward to the starting point.
 Repeat.
Single-Leg Forward Hop
How to do Single-Leg Forward Hop:

 Stand at the end of the ladder.


 Lift left foot off the ground, then hop
forward through the squares on right foot.
 At the end of the ladder, run backward to
the starting point and repeat.
 Do 30 seconds on one side, then switch.
Lateral Lunge
How to do Lateral Lunge:
 Stand facing the right ladder rail.
 Jump into a lunge on your right leg, with right foot in the first square and left foot outside
the ladder.
 Jump, switching legs in midair, so left foot is in the square.
 Jump and switch legs again, this time jumping forward to the next square.
 Repeat.
 At the end of the ladder, run backward to the starting point and repeat.

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