May 1, 2019 | Ryan Heickert, MS, ATC at Function & Strength
Function and Strength (FXS) develops and implements training programs with a specific intent and stimulus for each athlete. The programs are based on purposeful movement, not the "coolness" of the exercises or because a professional athlete was training that way. Our training programs are designed with an evidence based approach through research and years of practical application.
FXS designs every training program based on these 4 Pillars of Training:
Do no harm - At FXS we want our athletes to excel at their sport. They are here not to become weight lifters, power lifts or Olympic lifters. We always calculate risk vs reward when it comes to exercices and chose the best stimulus to get the desired result with safety in mind.
Injury Prevention - At FXS we handle injury prevention by always working on correcting an athletes from in all areas, speed and agility, plyometric training, core training, strength training and conditioning. We work on producing and accepting force. Minimizing the risk with each exercise is also a form of injury prevention.
Increase Performance - An improvement in athletic performance will come through consistency of the application of the above pillars and principles.
Minimum Effective Doses - When it comes to increasing performance we give our athletes the amount of work they need to get the desired result, not as much as they can possibly do. Load management is an important aspect of player safety and long term health.
Furthermore, when an athlete trains year round, it is important to break down periods for training and recovery according to their main sports seasons to optimize results and keep them healthy. The 4 seasons of training include:
Off Season - This is the main season where an athletes main focus should be on strength and conditioning, working on becoming a better overall athlete. During their In Season, their effort should be focused on playing the sport to the best of their abilities. General Physical Preparation, Strength, Power, Speed, Change of Direction and Conditioning will be the emphasis of this Off Season phase.
Pre Season - This is a continuation of Off Season. There is some change in the program to prepare the body for their sport. Speed, Power and Conditioning become the emphasis of this phase.
In Season - All of the work from the Off Season and Pre Season are displayed. The focus shifts to allowing the athlete to use these new skills to play their sport. The emphasis shifts to Maintaining Strength and Power, Injury Prevention, Game/Practice Readiness (Priming), and Recovery.
Transitional - This phase consist of time off from the end of In Season and transitional to Off Season. This time should be used to recover. Athletes can still train but it should not be strenuous and should consist of playing other sports. This is for fun and encouraged during this season to help develop new skills.