What is high performance athlete training at MPC?
Movement Performance Centre offers one-on-one coaching, group fitness training and high performance athlete coaching. High performance athlete training programs are specialized and tailored to the athlete’s sport, as well as specifically to the individual athlete in order to achieve peak athletic success. Movement Performance Centre Training Programs take an integrated and progressive approach to athletic training to achieve optimal success and expose athletes to a system of quality training. So what makes up an athlete’s training program at MPC?
First athletes must complete an initial performance evaluation. The same performance evaluation is repeated every 3-4 months to monitor progress. The evaluation involves the athlete’s goals, body composition measures, a functional movement screen, and performance testing, such as explosive power measures and a VO2 max test to evaluate cardiovascular capacity. Once the evaluation is completed our fitness specialists take this data and create an individual program for the athlete.
Since most athletes compete and practice regularly a large focus in high performance athlete training is athlete durability. Athlete durability involves injury prevention education so the athlete can withstand the demands of that sport and additional training stresses. Avoiding injury from trauma or overuse keeps athletes on the court, field, etc. and able to play. Athlete durability has become increasingly more important due to young athletes specializing at younger ages.
The below headings are sub-sections of what would make up an athlete’s performance training program at MPC. They are neither mutually exclusive nor in this exact order. Additionally, depending on the athletes age, sport, and season demands (in season, off season, etc) some sections make up a higher percentage of that athletes training program.
Pre-Habilitation and Corrective Exercises
Pre-Habilitation is opposite to rehabilitation, as it is a preventative training approach. Pre-hab incorporates exercises that help to reduce injury risks before an injury occurs. Depending on the demands of the sport and the athletes themselves (i.e. prior injuries), individuals will often have different pre-hab routines. You can think of completing pre-hab exercises as a similar approach to flossing your teeth daily. It is a daily action in order to prevent injury (or in the case of flossing, disease). Pre-habilitation reduces the risk of injury, however, athletes will often have to go through rehabilitation at some point in their athletic career due to the demands of their sport.
Corrective exercises can fall under the pre-habilitation category. They are exercises used in order to correct movement pattern dysfunction. Movement pattern dysfunction can be thought of as ‘bad habits’ and compensations that our body makes in order to move. Sometimes corrective exercises are physically, as well as mentally challenging, for the athlete to complete. It is important to remember that corrective exercises are a specific exercise prescription and not ‘one size fits all’.
“Pillar Strength”
At MPC we refer to “Pillar Strength” as an athlete’s core stability strength. The “core” is a collection of muscles which stabilize and move the spine. Your shoulder, torso and hips all make up pillar strength. The core must be stable and strong to support every day, as well as sport specific movements. It is important to remember that our core has three-dimensional depth and moves in three planes of motion. Eventually, core stability can become more sport specific as fundamental strength is developed.
Movement Skills
Fundamental movement skills are taught to all athletes and importance is placed on the quality of the athlete’s movement. As the athlete progresses, the movement skills become more sport specific and focus on movement patterns, movement strength, and linear and/or multidirectional movement skills.
ESD (Energy System Development)
ESD is cardiovascular development within an athletes training program. ESD protocols enhance heart rate recovery and increase aerobic and/or anaerobic capacity. Sometimes athletes already achieve ESD training within their sport, so ESD training is dependent on the athlete. ESD can also relate to muscular endurance rather than cardiovascular endurance.
Strength and Conditioning
Strength and conditioning involves increasing strength and stability, improving mobility, and enhancing power. Power is a combination of speed and strength; therefore, strength alone does not lead to enhanced performance. At MPC an athlete’s program will include functional strength training, sport specific strength training, explosive power training and plyometric training. Strength and conditioning often takes a progressive approach. For example, a program would start with a high volume, low intensity regime and progress to low volume, high intensity regime.
Regeneration
Regeneration strategies for post-training and post-game are important for all athletes (i.e. foam rolling, stick rolling, Active Isolated Stretching (AIS)).
Putting It All Together
Performance training programs at MPC are designed to enhance an athlete’s durability as well as an individual’s athletic ability. The program will expose athletes to a system of quality training to achieve peak athletic success and reduce the risk of injuries. Results are achieved using Keiser state of the art strength and conditioning technology and equipment, within the exclusive environment at the Movement Performance Centre facility. Movement Performance Centre prides itself on having all the integrated services present to help guide athletes in achieving optimal success.
If you would like to inquire about our high-performance programs or have questions, email us at info@movementperformancecentre.com. We welcome high school, collegiate, amateur and professional athletes of any sport.
Author: Evelyn Graham
