Tel: 01 283 4303
We now have our Strength & Conditioning studio successfully up and running at the clinic.
I have been working with a diverse range of clients, a variety of ages and fitness levels here in the studio. My main goal for my clients is to reduce the risk of injury or reinjury when returning to sports and everyday activity. My clients’ goals thus far have included increasing core stability, weight loss, improving postural control, enhancing lower body strength, increasing balance, along with many others.
Sessions generally begin with a warm up on the bike, followed by a combination of aerobic, strength and flexibility exercises and finally a cool down of stretches. The combination of exercises depends on the goal of the client.
Progress
Sometimes I will prescribe a few simple exercises for clients to do at home. This helps keep progress on track in between sessions. They are also great for when you’re travelling for business or on holidays!
I have found that slow and steady progress is what works best – this decreases risk of injury and increases the likelihood of long-term benefits. As the weeks progress, so does the difficulty of the exercises I perform with my clients in the gym – this is called progressive overload. It is important to load the body with a level of stress greater than what it is used to in order to see improvements.
For example, to increase your muscle endurance, the muscles need to be worked for a longer period of time than they are used to. Often you won’t even notice that the exercises are becoming more difficult as you are getting stronger and stronger.
One of the most common areas that need strengthening are the gluteal muscles in the buttocks - gluteus medius, gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus. The ‘glutes’ play a vital role in everyday function, such as standing, walking and running. Gluteus medius is especially important during walking as it helps to keep the pelvis stable. For example, when you lift your left leg to take a step, your right gluteus medius will contract to keep the body level. Weak glutes are associated with foot dysfunction, knee injuries, hip, back and many other unsuspecting issues. One of my favourite exercises to do with my clients to train the glutes is the x-band walk, using a resistance band to make the muscles work hard. I progress this exercise by increasing the strength of the resistance band.
Contact
If you would like to discuss if strength & conditioning is right for you, or to book a personal strength & conditioning session, please do not hesitate to contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call on 01 283 4303.
I look forward to seeing you in the gym.
Aoife
