So, Why S&C?

You might already have access to professional Strength & Conditioning support, you might be reading this wondering if you need a S&C coach, or you might not even know what one is. The role of the Strength & Conditioning coach has become a highly sought after profession in recent years, and has led to an incredibly saturated market. One thing is for sure though, a S&C coach has the potential to be a significant cog in an athlete’s machinery.

Strength & Conditioning Coaching places you as a role within the supporting cast. Although some coaches may have you believe otherwise - we are a piece of the puzzle. That said however, appropriate support can help athletes take their game to the next level. The emphasis still and will always remain on mastery of the sport, but sharpening the tools that underpin the physical requirements of the performance task can undoubtedly have a significant impact.

What does an S&C coach do? Although the exact specifics and nature of the role will vary from job to job and athlete to athlete, the fundamental underpinnings remain the same. Conduct an appropriate analysis of the sporting demands, the individual athletes capabilities against those demands, and the logistical feasibility of impact (e.g. an olympic sport athlete training full time with 3-6hrs per week attributed to S&C and two primary competitions per year, poses a different picture to a semi-professional footballer training twice per week, playing every Saturday, and fitting in one S&C session around their 9-5 job). Then it’s all about the appropriate programme design and delivery. Many loads lead to Rome, irrespective of the targeted physical qualities, but personally, I have felt a constant necessity in my practice, to programme with the desired physiological adaptation at the constant forefront of my mind, as opposed to thinking in exercises and what’s going to look good on the gram. It’s easy to get swept up in funky drills and exercises you’ve seen on social media - but many athletes suffer from a over-craving for specificity. Just because it might look vaguely like you do on a match day, doesn’t mean it’s the best way to maximise your potential for adaptation and thus perform better. Hence why “the basics” have remained the basics for so long in S&C, because they work, and because they give you a sound physical underpinning to explore other training modalities.

That’s what the job description will tell you… but there is a massive personal side to the role of S&C coach. Ultimately, although we are changing physiology, we are changing behaviour and that requires personality traits that are much more difficult to pull from a textbook. The coach needs to invest in the person, and the athlete. They must grasp an understanding of their key drivers and motivators. They need to understand that there are times to push forward, and times to pull back. Getting the most out of an athlete is certainly not a one-size-fits-all approach, and the better rapport existent between a coach and an athlete, the more buy-in to the programme you’re going to have, and ultimately, the better response. The road to success and progress is not a straight one, hence the importance of always planning ahead, but writing in pencil.

What’s the difference from Personal Training? Trying to explain to those not involved in sport, what I do for a living, almost always leads to the same response: “oh, so you’re a personal trainer?”. Now, there are some excellent Strength & Conditioning Coaches that either moonlight as, or transition to Personal Training, and there are outstanding Personal Trainers that do the opposite. And although there are clear commonalities (particularly those outlined in the paragraph previous), there is a primary difference that sets the two apart. Personal Training is primarily (normally) associated with aesthetic improvements and changes in body composition for those that don’t play competitive sport. S&C however, always has performance as the end goal, and although that may mean making body comp adjustments, the end goal is always improving performance capacity, and trying to translate that into the sporting domain (my former Mentor and first employer Joel Brannigan, often refers to S&C as “Adult PE”). Both industries have outstanding practitioners in their field, and unfortunately both industries have cowboys at the opposing end of the spectrum. Whether working with an S&C Coach or a PT, do your due diligence: Are they appropriately qualified? Do they have the relevant and appropriate experience? Are their expertise aligned to my goals? Am I prepared to spend a large amount of time in their company?

Governance and Quality Control There are multiple different governing bodies and organisations that regulate, monitor and award the standard of Strength & Conditioning. Although this may soon becoming under one roof thanks to the UK Strength & Conditioning Association (UKSCA), there are still alternative qualifications available. Private organisations offer weekend courses, practitioners offer their own workshops that grant you a certificate plus completion, along with various levels of REPS qualifications. The most recognised award in this country is accredited S&C status from the UKSCA, which currently comprises of a 4 part-assessment including an exam, case study evidencing practice, and a two part practical exam. Successfully completing the process gains ASCC status and currently, this acts as the gold-standard amongst the majority of employers. There are now a multitude of Universities offering Post Graduate (MSc) study in Strength & Conditioning - again, increasing the depth of specialisation, now quite common amongst the field.

That being said I’ve also come across, and worked with coaches that have had no interest in investing the time and financial investment to gain ASCC status. There are some excellent practitioners in this country who have educated themselves through more informal methods, and have gained a wealth of experience through internships, shadowing, and personal practice/experience. As mentioned previously, asking yourself the appropriate questions when deciding whether or not to work with a coach is crucial. Speak to other clients and colleagues of theirs, or previous employers if applicable and don’t rush to place your trust in someone that can have just as much a damaging an effect on your performance, as a positive one if put yourself in the wrong hands.

Hopefully, you’ve gained a little clarity in terms of the general roles of an S&C coach, and upon reading, this article has provoked you to assess your need for an S&C coach (it is fine if you don’t need one to achieve your goals!). PRPerformance offers professional, engaged support, from a well qualified, diversely experienced coach. You can head over to the testimonial page if you want to hear from some of the athletes and colleagues I’ve had the pleasure of working for - and if it fits for your circumstance and you want to take your game to the next level, then start the conversation.

Make sure to follow on @_PRPerformance (Twitter & Instagram) to stay in the loop about blog posts and updates in the future - as well as some exciting opportunities to get involved with in the near future.

Thanks for reading,

Paul