Strength, Conditioning and Performance

This module provides you with the knowledge and skills of the key principles and practical techniques required to enhance athletic performance. You will develop the ability to critically evaluate training practices and deliver evidence based coaching interventions for a variety of sports and performance contexts. The module places significant focus on the development of coaching skills, enabling you to confidently deliver interventions to enhance performance. Through practical workshops and theoretical sessions, with an emphasis on exercise technical models, you will learn effective coaching methods and techniques to assess, motivate, and improve athlete outcomes. The module will be primarily practical, based in the Human Performance Centre in Moss House allowing you to work on your coaching skills with a variety of participants and gain competence across a range of equipment used in both laboratory and field-based settings. This then prepares you well for further accreditation such as NSCA and UKSCA.

This module explores the underpinning mechanisms which are responsible for human movement and performance. Each concept is explored with practical application in mind and the extensive use of the Human Performance Centre. Students You will gain practical competence across a range of equipment which will contextualise the underpinning theory of performance. The following topics will be explored in the context of strength and conditioning: • Bioenergetics and metabolism • Neuromuscular structure and function • Strength and power • Cardio-pulmonary function • Endurance performance • Fatigue and recovery • Exercise in different environments • Intermittent sport athletes • Physiological responses to training methods and modalities (e.g., variable resistance training, blood flow restriction training)

The dissertation provides you with the opportunity to consolidate your learning and undertake a supervised research project, in a specialised area of interest to you. The project may be based out of the state-of-the-art Human Performance Centre, Lab or in the field, and could build upon workplace learning experiences from the Strength and Conditioning Practitioner module. You are encouraged to aim for impactful outcomes, such as presenting your findings at academic conferences or publication in journals. The module also emphasises the development of communication skills, with you presenting research findings orally and translating key project insights into clear, digestable formats for athletes and coaches.

This module will develop your understanding of the research process, and prepares you for undertaking your research project. The module will cover a range of research related concepts and prepares you for ethical applications to the Schools’ Research Ethics Committee. • Research philosophy • Secondary research and reviewing literature • Study design (including hypothesis testing, sampling, reliability and validity) • Research ethics • Descriptive statistics • Inferential statistics (relationships and differences between groups) • Reporting findings

In the field of strength and conditioning, excelling as a coach requires more than a strong grasp of performance science. Spanning over two semesters, this module focuses on equipping you with the essential interpersonal and professional skills needed to thrive in real-world practice. You will develop key competencies such as effective communication, empathy, conflict resolution, and management - soft skills critical to building strong relationships and fostering success in the field. The module also exposes you to industry-relevant experiences based on self-evaluation, allowing you to address your unique development needs. Additionally, you will be introduced to reflective practice, a foundation for professional growth and a vital skill for applied strength and conditioning practitioners.

This module equips you with the knowledge and skills to effectively collaborate within a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to optimise athlete support. Key topics include injury screening and rehabilitation, performance testing, load and fatigue monitoring using advanced technologies (e.g., GPS), data analysis and visualisation, periodisation and programming, and the athletic diet. These approaches enable you to collect and manage data to inform decision-making, integrate insights from other MDT professionals, and develop tailored training interventions. You will effectively take a case study through the process of screening and testing, to goal setting and designing a training programme and implementing methods for load monitoring.