Functional Range
Conditioning for the Athlete
appropriate flexibility training for success in your sport
Riley Dudar, Athletic Director
Athletes and trainers have long worked hard in gaining flexibility,
and are more recently trying to add things like flexibility
programs to their preparation routine. Although there are benefits
to flexibility training, one must now when and how to incorporate
this into your training. Research shows that flexibility training used
inappropriatley and/or at the wrong time will be detrimental to the
success of the athlete. In fact it could lead you being vulnerable to injury.
A joint is safe as long as it has been trained to withstand tension and stress
through it’s usable ranges of motion. Sports are dynamic and unpredictable;
we place our bodies in situations that demand a rapid response and the ability
to withstand variable forces. Using Functional Range Conditioning
(FRC), we can enhance the mobility and load bearing capacity of our
joints, making our bodies better prepared to respond and react to the
dynamic environments of sports, reducing the risk of injury.
If the goal is to increase your performance or durability for sports,
incorporate FRC to acquire and maintain:
• Functional mobility
• Joint strength and resilience
• Body control
• Articular health and longevity
Is your training program
really individual:
How well do you understand your athlete?
A truly individualized program is created by understanding an athletes capabilities over time on
how they respond to stress. Without the use of proper measuring tools such as the Omegawave,
Self-Questionnaires, Daily Power Monitoring, etc. the only thing individual about a program is the
arrangement of exercises, or periodized methods chosen for you. We know everyone will have differing responses to a
training program and we now have the ability to begin to track these differences to objectively appreciate your individual
adaptive abilities. Failure to use these monitoring tools to measure the physiological effect stressors place on your body, the
focus is placed on the training program, rather than on YOU.
There is many factors that determine and lead to your success in sports beyond “working out” that includes; Sport specific
skill, technical / tactical knowledge in your sport, mental preparation and a genuine love for developing your craft. Putting
all your eggs in the “personal training” basket is likely not a wise decision given the above considerations. Working with a
team that is able to deliver better results, in less time, with the least amount of physiological cost to your body as possible,
will keep you fresh and energized when it is time to compete or practice your sport specific skills.
• Elite Development • Sport Academies • Learn to Train • FUNdamentals • Team Sessions
United Therapies Strive
Unit 2-1140 Waverley Street • Winnipeg • 204-474-1320
www.strivetraining.ca
@striveatunited
United Therapies Strive
@striveunited
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