What does a strength & conditioning coach do?
Strength & conditioning coaches work with athletic populations of a variety of ages from youth to veterans. They screen athletes to identify potential risks for injury and limitations to performance, as well as identifying and providing activity to address general wellness issues in athletes. They also design periodised and integrated athletic development programs to achieve individual and team goals using a range of methods such as resistance training, conditioning, energy systems training, speed and agility drills, flexibility, mobility, warm up and warm down programs in a variety of settings. They have the knowledge to develop a range of physical testing protocols including for various types of movement, flexibility, speed, endurance, strength and power. They also monitor and assess progress through physical testing, wellness monitoring through the use of available athlete monitoring systems.
How is a strength & conditioning coach different from a personal trainer?
Strength & conditioning coaches are credentialed by the Australian strength & Conditioning Association (ASCA) and can only be referred as “Strength & Conditioning Coach” if they have satisfied this accreditation, not by a personal fitness training body. They also work with the athletic population with respect to improving performance.
How does strength & conditioning complement osteopathy?
Osteopathy is a whole-body approach in allied health that assists clients with pain resolution, injury diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, injury prevention, musculoskeletal health maintenance, address movement discrepancies and improving performance for both the athletic population and general population via the use of manual therapy, rehabilitation and advice (see “Osteopathy” section). Strength & conditioning takes the next step for athletes to improve their performance, prevent injury and address movement discrepancies via tailored training and programming to assist athletes in reaching their goals.
Osteopathy and strength & conditioning can be implemented together to further an athlete’s development beyond rehabilitation and prevention from injury and towards improved performance in their sport.
At Ranges Osteopathy and Performance, our Performance Room is fitted with elite grade equipment to assess, implement and review strength & conditioning programs and sessions. We also have a range of products available to assist these goals.