ATHLETE CONDITIONING

 At some point in our lives we have been or wanted to be at the fitness level of an athlete. Come on admit it ..... athletes in our mind, represent the epitome of fitness!

What if I told you could train like an athlete even if you have no plans to perform as an athlete? Everyone who is mobile and performs any kind of day to day activity that is part of daily function is at some level is considered and athlete.

If you are an active mom juggling your children in your arms, chasing them as they get into things they shouldn't, bending and reaching in your daily activities ... YOU are an athlete! 

If you are a senior and you get up from your chair, walk down the stairs and out the front door with confidence and no stumbling .... YES, you are an athlete.

Then there are those who perform seemingly effortless acts of activity on the playing field .... these represent what we envision as true athletes, which in fact they are.

Each of these scenarios are just varying levels of athleticism and regardless of what level we are at there is always room for improvement.

Positive Image Training and Fitness approaches all types of training with this philosophy in mind ... we are all athletes in the playing field of life.

So what sets Athletic Conditioning/Training apart from other types of fitness training?

1. it is an integration of multiple groups and joints during training. 
2. conditioning programs are designed first and foremost to improve performance versus improvement for strictly 'asthetic' means.   
3. training always integrates the core at some level. 
4. athlete conditioning progresses from primary fitness goals to secondary fitness goals 

Other important considerations when embarking on athlete conditioning are some important physiological and physical parameters as we grow from children to adults.  Having this knowledge allows the trainer to focus training the will best suit the developing athlete.

For example children between the age of 0 and about 3 years of age experience the biggest gains in neural development (ie. nervous system), skeletal growth between 0 and 4 years and again between 10 and 16 years of age (12-14 being the biggest)and muscle growth between 14 and 20 years of age.

Taking all of this into consideration allows the trainer to monopolize on the following in training modalities in the young client to optimize that phase of their athletic training.

AGE   0-2   2-4   4-6   6-8   8-10   10-12   12-14   14-16   16-18   18-20

Motor Skills                  ---  ---   ---   **  **   ****   -----    ------  *****   *****

Movement Skills            ---  ---   ---   **  **   ----   ***   ****   *****   ***** 

Strength Development    --- ---   ---    ---  -----   ----    ***  ***** *****  ***

Balance/Coordination     --- ---   **     **  **       ---      -----    ****  ****

   ---    = little change to gradual increase                                                                                                          *** = maximum change (key time for development)                                                                                    **** = large continuing change

As adults, each of these parameters is trainable and each component is integrated into a training program.  Your athletic background is one determinant on the ease (or difficulty) in acquiring these skills but even then there will be weaknesses depending on the athletes history.