BLUEFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Overall Strength Development
Bluefield State University Strength and Conditioning revolves around Triphasic Training. Triphasic Training utilizes 6 phases, all of which increase athletes’ strength, power output, and rate of force development.
The first phase, the General Preparation Phase (GPP), is utilized for one to two weeks to allow the body to physiologically adapt to a new stimulus and prepares the body for the upcoming phases that will be introduced.
The next three phases, which are regarded as the most important of the entire program, are broken up into two-week blocks and utilize a specific emphasis for each block. All athletic movements begin with an eccentric (muscle lengthening) contraction, followed by an isometric (muscle length and joint angles do not move), and end with a concentric (muscle shortening) contraction.
The first block, the Eccentric Phase, constitutes lowering heavy loads slowly and controlled over a 5 to 6 second time frame. This method is the most taxing of the three phases, but in turn promotes the increase of muscle “stress” and “damage”, which increases muscle strength and size over time.
The second block, the Isometric Phase, involves the athlete lowering heavy loads, pausing at the bottom of the exercise, and squeezing as hard as possible. Performing this type of isometric movement increases force production by increasing the number of muscle fibers that fire (motor unit recruitment) and the rate of firing of muscle fibers (rate coding).
The final block, the Concentric Phase, uses the stored elastic energy from the eccentric and isometric phases to increase force production (rate of force development). The concentric phase is the most important phase because it is utilized to evaluate all athletic performance. Examples include maximal strength testing, vertical jump height and broad jump distance, and running speed.
The next phase, High Force at High Velocity (Power Phase), uses “training zones” between 55 to 80 percent of the athlete’s one repetition max. Staying within these “training zones” allows the weight to be moved quickly maintaining high threshold motor units and prevents fatigue. Using the prescribed percentages are applied to help the athlete retain high power output and progress increased rate of force development.
The final phase, High Velocity Peaking (Below 55%), maximizes the transfer of speed, strength, and power output by incorporating specific exercises that relate to the athlete’s movement in competitions. This phase also utilizes specific time parameters for each sport that help an athlete produce high velocities and forces seen in competition. Progression through this phase is determined by how many repetitions an athlete performs over time and if those repetitions increase week to week.
Plyometrics Training
Plyometrics: Any type of jump or bound that is quick and powerful in nature and utilizes a countermovement (pre-stretch). Bluefield State uses various methods for plyometric training, including double or single leg, dumbbells and bands, or bodyweight. Specifically, during weight training, Bluefield State utilizes the French Contrast Method, which is heavy resistance training immediately followed by 3 low-intensity jumps. This type of training helps increase Post-Activation-Potentiation (PAP), which is thought to increase muscle temperature and nervous system activation and helps increase power output, rate of force development and velocity.
Speed & Agility Training
Speed & Agility: Speed refers to any skills or abilities that are needed to help accomplish high levels of movement velocities, while agility refers to skills or abilities needed to help with change of direction or velocity responding to any type of stimulus. Adopted from Bobby Smith, Bluefield State uses both linear and lateral speed and agility progression and regression exercises to enhance athletic performance. With agility training, utilizing closed and open drills, exercises include single leg snap downs, push to recover progressions, lateral sprinting, half-kneeling sprints, shuffle open sprints and reactive sprints back, hip turns to diagonal crossover etc. For speed training, athletes will start with mechanics such as wall marches, and isometric and stable knee raises. Once a foundation is established, athletes progress to technique hurdle variations targeting stride length, stable and acceleration hurdles. Finally, athletes will move to acceleration applications such as falling starts, half-kneel starts, resisted sprints etc.
Warm-Up & Recover
All athletes need a proper warm-up to be able to prepare for the weightlifting or conditioning sessions. Warm-ups help increase muscle and core temperature, increase neural functions, enhance blood flow to muscle and improve oxygen delivery. All warm-ups, weightlifting or conditioning, start with low intensity aerobic activity, then progress to specific exercises that target all major muscle groups that will be utilized for the specific training session. For recovery, athletes will utilize various static and mobility exercises as a post-practice, lift, and conditioning session or as a separate session altogether. Static stretching after practice can improve range of motion, lower heart rate and decrease muscle soreness. Static stretching and mobility exercises used as separate can help improve joint flexibility around the hips, ankles, knees, and trunk.
Daily Mobility
Mobility Drills
