Strength Training and Conditioning by Leslie "BJ" Cordova Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Notre Dame Volume 1, Issue 1 February 27, 2003 Strength and Conditioning? It can make or break you in your career as a professional football player. It can be the most confusing and frustrating thing in the world if you don't learn the basics. It is important to educate yourself on the basic components of fitness and then practice these areas in your lifestyle. Knowing where to go for the right information is vital for success. This bi-weekly column should help you to learn the most efficient, effective, and safe way to train for your goals. I would like to state the fact that there are many professionals and philosophies in the strength and conditioning field. This column is not to sell any specific training method. The goal is to provide information and generate your own thought on the field of strength training. The information provided will be basic and simple so that you can easily apply it to your lifestyle. The two main reasons to strength train for football are to increase athletic potential and decrease the risk of injury. The strength training goals should be to increase overall muscular strength, to increase muscular endurance, and to improve efficiency of both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. The fitness formula for a well-conditioned football player, be it a man or woman, is rather simple. The key is commitment, balance, and a lot of hard work. You also do not have a lot of time to dedicate to strength and conditioning. The goal is to spend as little time as possible in each area of fitness and receive the most results. There are eight areas in the fitness formula for your sport. To reach your full potential, you must work on each of these areas separately. The eight areas that we will address in the column are: Muscular fitness Conditioning Speed development Specificity of conditioning Skill acquisition Flexibility Nutrition Rest It is extremely important not to ignore any of these components if you want to be successful in your career. The next column will solely be dedicated to MUSCULAR FITNESS. Each column after that will address the other components individually. I will provide the information; you must provide the dedication and hard work. Education can be the key to motivation. Your team will benefit from your commitment to success. Till then, some suggested reading: ---Brzycki, M. "A Practical Approach to Strength Training", Masters Press. ---Riley, D. "Strength Training by the Experts", Human Kinetics ---Darden, E. "The Nautilus Book", Contemporary Books Good Luck this Season!! Back