While sport participation contributes to a healthy, active lifestyle, many coaches believe that you should not engage in athletic activity as a means of getting into shape. Instead, specific exercise programs should be performed as a means of getting in shape for a sport. This philosophy has led to a faction of the fitness industry known as sport-specific conditioning.
History
Sport conditioning is an ancient yet evolving science. It may be traced back to the ancient Greek wrestler Milo of Croton, who trained for his sport by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it was fully grown. The Sport Science website chronicles the history of sport conditioning research. It cites early-twentieth-century studies by Wesleyan professors Wilbur Olin Atwater and Francis Gano Benedict, who conducted over 500 experiments about rest, exercise and diet. When the American College of Sports Medicine was founded in 1954, it served as the premier research body for sport conditioning information. The college used the foundations of exercise science established by the research pioneers and expanded on the information.
Theories/Speculation
Coaches once believed that strengthening and stretching isolated muscle groups was the ideal method of training for sports. While this method may still be used for treatment of muscular-skeletal injuries, most coaches subscribe to the dynamic pattern theory of motor learning. This theory suggests that the brain is more efficient at recognizing movement patterns than it is at remembering isolated muscular contractions. As such, sophisticated conditioning programs involve movement patterns that simulate the specific sport.
Benefits
Simulation of athletic movements can help coaches analyze faulty movement patterns. Some coaches use the concept of the kinetic chain, which indicates where the movement begins and ends. For example, a skier initiates her movements in the feet. Golfers require rotary movements of the hips and torso. If these muscles are weak or tight, other muscles may initiate the movement, thereby affecting the entire chain. Practicing sport-specific movement patterns can identify the muscle weakness or tightness, which helps the coach prescribe exercises to correct the problem.
Types
Many sport conditioning programs involve balance training tools. These may include balance boards, stability balls or the Bosu, which is half a stability ball. Programs for rotary sports such as golf or tennis often use resistance bands and cable machines. This type of equipment allows for greater freedom of movement than a traditional weight-training machine. As such, it enables the lateral and rotary movements used in many sports. The medicine ball is a widely used tool for improving athletic agility. It can be tossed to a partner while balancing on a balance board or tossed into the air and caught during a jump.
Expert Insight
In his book titled "Functional Training for Sport," fitness expert Mike Doyle suggests that analyzing the demands of your sport is the best way to create a physical conditioning program. For example, some sports require quick bursts of physical energy, whereas others require muscular and aerobic endurance. Your workout should be designed accordingly. Boyle also suggests that you analyze the strength requirements of your sport. Training for more strength than is required can distort the movement. This philosophy was also explored by the 1948 dance movement analyst Rudolf Laban, who spoke of a concept called effort/shape. Laban believed that the effort used for a movement should correlate with the shape of the movement, the space surrounding it, the time frame of the action and the weight (if any) of the object used.
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