Structural Balance
When one part of the body is disproportionately strong or active, or becomes misaligned, we become prone to injury. By observing postural alignment and testing for correct activation and relative strength of muscles, a personally tailored training program can improve structural balance and functional fitness.
Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand
Our body responds to the demands we place on it. Training which takes us out of our comfort zone and causes the body to struggle stimulates physiological responses making us better able to meet the demands we place on it. Application of scientific principles and selection of specific types of exercise produces specific results to achieve specific goals.
Training Types
Weight loss requires a combination of diet and exercise. Diet is critical in limiting the input of energy and balancing hormones in the body. Permanent changes to diet, rather than dieting, is best. Exercise can increase the efficacy of a good diet. Cardio and strength training which use the anaerobic energy system give the best results.
Injury prevention relies on strengthening connective tissue and ensuring correct activation and relative strength of stabilisers. Pre-hab is better than than re-hab. Postural analysis and strength testing informs individual training program design to achieve structural balance.
Cardio training improves our ability to supply oxygen to muscles for aerobic activity. It develops and maintains the function of our heart and lungs and the ability of our arteries to open and close directing the circulation of blood to the muscles demanding the most oxygen. Cardio training establishes a base which all other training builds on.
Strength is a combination of the neural activation of muscle fibres, size of the muscles, and the supply of energy to the muscles. Many types of resistance training are available to selectively achieve the specific improvements required to meet your goals.
Progressive Overload
Training intensity is carefully managed relative to maximum limits to ensure efforts are challenging but achievable. Periodic increases in intensity are programmed to stimulate improvement and decreases to promote recovery, gradually working towards personal goals.
Aerobic Fitness
The ability of our heart, lungs and arteries to deliver oxygen to the muscles is critical to the level of physical activity we can sustain. When energy demand exceeds supply we rapidly deplete our reserves and performance plummets. Training for aerobic fitness increases our reserves, and increases our ability to supply oxygen where it is needed.
Neural Patterning
From the very first session the brain improves its ability to activate muscle motor units to more effectively and more efficiently perform a functional movement. This can provide significant performance gains in a short time. Most gains in the first 6 weeks of training are neurological. Programs must be changed periodically to continue stimulating adaption.
Contractile Tissue
Slow twitch muscle fibres respond to time under tension and usually begin to grow in size after 6-12 weeks of training. Fast twitch fibres are harder to stimulate and respond more to momentum training, yielding increases in power without growing bigger.
Connective Tissue
Most soft tissue injuries relate to connective tissue, which responds to tensile forces, especially where the muscle is lengthening while under load. It takes 9-12 months to strengthen connective tissue. Many injuries occur in the period between gaining strength from the neural and contractile tissue changes in the first 12 weeks of training and the slower gains of connective tissue strength after 9 to 12 months. It is critical to ensure loads are managed well to avoid injury.
Energy Systems
Aerobic - Using oxygen to burn carbohydrate, protein and fat as fuel, this system provides most of our energy, and lasts as long the supply of fuel and oxygen is sufficient. Used by slow twitch muscle fibres.
Anaerobic - Provides a boost to the aerobic system when energy demand exceeds oxygen supply. Burns carbohydrate without oxygen, 18 times less efficient than the aerobic system, and lasts for 60 to 90 seconds of intense activity.
Creatine Phosphate - Powers fast twitch muscle fibres for short bursts of high power output. Lasts from 8 to 15 seconds of maximum intensity, self regenerating 20 times slower than it is consumed.
