Strength and Conditioning Knowledge Center

Muscle hypertrophy is a physiological process that results from a mechanical stimulus, during which the contractile elements enlarge and the extracellular matrix expands to support growth. It should not be confused with muscle hyperplasia, the process that results in an increase in the number of fibers within a muscle. Contractile hypertrophy can occur by adding …

The front squat is one of the most repeated exercises in gyms and boxing. CrossFit has made this type of exercise trendy and many people every day place the bar above the clavicle, bend their elbows and place their fingers under the bar.   What benefits can this exercise bring? Is it safe to do …

It is a reality that physical activity and sport are becoming more and more important in people’s daily lives. Something that was hardly important before, beyond regulated competitions and professionals in the sector, today and due to the rise of fitness, more and more people want to start training and are specifically interested in strength …

I’m sure that at some time your training partners and you have spoken or heard about core. It is on everyone’s minds, you have probably even even seen magazines that talk about it in their beauty section. But, are we really aware of what it is and of the potential benefits it can bring to …

The intestinal microbiota The intestinal microbiota is presented as a key variable in sports performance. We know that there is a direct relationship between the gut microbiota and the consumption of probiotics. Science supports that a balanced diet and meals increases athletic performance in athletes. This association reveals that the intestine has the ability to …

If you want to know 5 tips that you may have overlooked focused on improving your strength training, read on!  Strength training has been proven to be an important part of any sport’s physical and/or athletic preparation. But one thing you may not have thought about is, ok, I know that for my sport strength …

Fatigue can be understood as a reversible and temporary loss of voluntary force production capacity (1). Depending on its duration we can understand it as chronic or acute fatigue. While acute fatigue can be improved with some changes in rest and lifestyle habits. The same is not true for chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue can last …

“Velocity”, “Velocity Based Training”, and “VBT” are terms popping up more and more in the strength and conditioning field and are being put into practice by coaches and athletes across the globe. But what exactly is it? Where do you begin? Velocity Based Training. What’s That? Of course, an understanding to what Velocity Based Training …

Power development is not only a key aspect in most sports activities, but also athletes’ capacity to generate power output is a strong indicator of sports performance. That is why strength coaches and sports scientists are constantly searching for new training methods and techniques that allow athletes to manifest their maximum power. One such method …

1RM is one of the most important metrics – perhaps even the most important metric – that all strength athletes must monitor. Join me as I pull back the curtain and provide a sneak peek into several novel strategies addressing how to work up to a top single, predict 1RM, and progress 1RM using velocity …

Performance improvement in vertical jumping is largely related to performance in many sports. Throughout this article I will try to explain in a theoretical way what mechanical capabilities affect vertical jumping first hand and how to perform it in a practical way. So, let’s start.   What are the most important mechanical abilities when measuring …

Exercise can be seen as a type of stressor which, like any other stressor, is able to exert a biological response (or stress response). A common feature of all stressors is that there is an acute phase, during which homeostatic adjustments occur; a more chronic phase, during which the stressor can be accommodated by the …