The Strength & Conditioning Coach: A Personal Trainer with Superpowers
What is the difference between a Personal Trainer and a Strength & Conditioning Coach?
You might have asked yourself this question many times, and you might have found the use of the word “conditioning” a bit confusing. Indeed, in the fitness industry, “conditioning” is often used to refer to the process of losing fat to reveal your athletic shape, or “condition”. However, in the sports jargon, “conditioning” refers to the act of achieving the best possible physical, mental and emotional condition to excel in your season.
Whether you have a clear, long-term goal in mind, or you just want to get into the best shape of your life, hiring a fitness professional is definitely the best choice you can make. And whether you are an athlete or not, hiring an S&C coach will benefit you massively. To understand why, it is important to look at the difference between a regular PT and an S&C coach:
Personal Trainer (PT)
- has basic nutrition, anatomy, and physiology knowledge;
- prescribes short to medium term programmes (4-12 weeks) to help you:
- lose fat;
- build muscle;
- build strength;
- Improve posture;
- make healthy choices on a daily basis.
Strength & Conditioning Coach (S&C Coach)
- is a Personal Trainer with an extra qualification in Strength and Conditioning (here is where I got mine). Such an extra qualification enables the coach to prescribe an appropriate programme that will improve an athlete’s sport performance
- has advanced nutrition, anatomy, and physiology knowledge;
- prescribes long-term programmes (12-52 weeks) to take your performance to the next level, and help you succeed in your sport of choice.
- Whereas a regular PT will most often prescribe programmes based on linear periodisation, relying upon the most basic versions of the progressive overload principle, an S&C coach will know when to use different periodisation models, to prevent an athlete from plateauing. Ultimately, whilst a regular PT will prescribe 4-12 week programmes, an S&C coach will work with the athlete closely for the entire season (1 year), and will assist the athlete in every phase of the season, from the general preparation to the competition phase, when the athlete’s performance will peak.
Can I Work with an S&C Coach if I Am not a Professional Athlete?
Absolutely! Whether your goal is to improve your sport performance, or just lift heavier in the gym and sprint faster, an S&C coach is the right person to hire for that purpose. An S&C coach will assist you in:
- increasing max strength;
- increasing power output;
- increasing max speed;
- increasing endurance;
- improving acceleration and agility;
- improving elastic strength and plyometrics;
- improving balance, coordination, stability, and mobility
- preventing injury and stalling.
Why Working with Me?
I might be the right coach for you, if you are considering setting for yourself at least one of the following goals:
- becoming stronger (e.g. improving your squat, deadlift, bench press, etc…);
- becoming more powerful;
- becoming faster and more agile;
- correcting your posture and preventing pain from sedentary life;
- improving your metabolic conditioning, and become more efficient at producing energy;
- improving your body composition and nutrition.
As with my health coaching practice, I always offer a FREE 30-minute consultation. For enquiries, don’t hesitate to get in touch.