Strength and Conditioning for Female Athletes

Women's sport in general has gained an increasingly higher profile and level of respect in recent years, and it is becoming widely acknowledged that a female athlete's training programmes will differ in several respects from that of their male counterparts. Despite this, there is a dearth of research evidence available to coaches and athletes to guide the planning and programming process, with limited comparisons of training adaptations between the genders and in particular, a lack of investigation into elite female performers. Strength and Conditioning for Female Athletes contains insights from various experts in this specialised area. This text outlines specifically what is and what isn't known regarding female athlete development, and exposes the gaps that currently exist in the academic literature, with practical examples of applied practice. Coaches, sports scientists and athletes themselves will find here a wealth of useful information, with topics including: needs analysis; programme design for the basic biomotor abilities; speed and agility; long-term athlete development; the menstrual cycle and gender-specific injuries.

Keith Barker MSc, ASCC is a senior strength and conditioning coach at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) as well as a tutor and assessor for the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA). Keith currently works closely with world-class female athletes in strategic planning, programme prescription and coaching. With extensive experience of working with female athletes, he has developed approaches underpinned by science that support optimal physical adaptations and sports performance. Before moving into professional sport, Keith was a senior lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University, developing and delivering strength and conditioning and physical education modules.