STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING - 2025/6

Module Overview

In this module, students will consider a range of issues in designing and monitoring strength and conditioning (S&C) programmes for the enhancement of sports performance. In addition, students will explore principles of skill acquisition during the coaching process. They will be placed in coaching situations where they are required to intervene and adapt on the spot, and given the opportunity to convey their understanding of safe and effective speed, strength, and power training in real-world situations. These are desirable skills for future employment in sport and exercise.

This module advances the principles and techniques that were introduced to all students in BMS1044 Exercise, Fitness & Health and BMS2063 Performance Training and Assessment. Additionally, students will also need to draw upon learnings from other topics (e.g. biomechanics, psychology) to fully grasp the highly diverse skillset of an S&C practitioner.

Module provider

School of Biosciences

Module Leader

CIZMIC Harri (Biosciences)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

BMS1044 Principles of Exercise, Fitness & Health BMS2066 Performance Training and Assessment

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Long-term athletic development


• Programme and athlete monitoring


• Presenting training and assessment data


• Advanced programming methods for the development of strength and power


• Physio-mechanical factors in exercise selection


• Technical analysis, practical demonstration and coaching proficiency of commonly used strength & conditioning training modes including:
  
  
  
  • Traditional and non-traditional resistance training methods
  
  
  • Ballistic training methods
  
  
  • Plyometrics
  
  
  • Speed and agility training
  
  
  • Aerobic and anaerobic conditioning
  
  
  
  


• Analysis of application of periodisation in various sports (seasonal team and individual and continuous individual sports)

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate

• Their practical skills in delivering a strength and conditioning programme


• Their ability to analyse and interpret data


• Their critical evaluation of training principles and rationalisation of programme design and monitoring strategies

 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Practical Coaching Assessment (35%)

A 30 minute practical coaching assessment of an advanced strength / power training session or a speed / agility / plyometric based training session

AND

Case study (65%)

Students will be given a fictional case study of an athlete which includes information regarding their background and sporting ability, some initial testing data and a 6 month periodised plan overview. Students will be expected to produce the below:

• An analysis of the athlete and interpretation of initial testing data (500 words)


• 1 strength / power programme and 1 conditioning (speed / agility or endurance) programme taken from a week within the periodised plan overview provided


• A justification for the programming choices detailed in one of the programmes above (750 words)


• An outline and justification of a monitoring strategy for the athlete across the 6 month period (750 words)

 

Formative assessment and feedback

Students will submit a draft version of their case study for formative feedback, prior to their final submission date. They will also partake in several small assignments during practical sessions that inform the final practical assessment.

During lectures, students will receive formative assessment and feedback on their performance in the form of verbal feedback during lectures (in question and answer format), and small interactive quizzes.

Module aims

• Enable students to apply the theory of training practically within a performance sport context
• Develop the student's ability to understand and critically evaluate current theoretical principles and practices within strength and conditioning
• Provide an understanding of the principle issues in designing and monitoring strength and conditioning programmes for the enhancement of sports performance across multiple sports
• Develop the student's ability to apply skill acquisiton principles to strength and conditioning coaching practice
• Provide a grounding for students wanting to undertake the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) accreditation process

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to:

• Provide students with the knowledge to enable them to design safe and effective strength and conditioning programmes for athletes


• Give students the practical skills necessary to demonstrate and coach principle training techniques commonly used by strength and conditioning coaches


• Provide students with the skills to critically evaluate the theoretical training principles in sports science and the empirical evidence that tests them


• Give students an awareness of and the ability to rationalise programming and monitoring choices


• Encourage students to articulate their own opinions and develop reasoning skills and resourcefulness. All interactive sessions will also support students to develop as engaged and independent learners

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Formal and interactive lectures (2 hour duration for 9 weeks)


• Practical workshops and seminars (2 hour duration for 9 weeks)


• Supplementary on-demand material (1 hour duration for 5 weeks)

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: BMS3086

Other information

Resourcefulness & resilience: Students will be placed in coaching situations where they are required to intervene and adapt on the spot. They will be assessed on this, which acts as a proxy for understanding their resilience and resourcefulness

Global & cultural capabilities: Students are encouraged to explore a diverse range of underpinning research from around the world, including non-English-speaking countries.

Sustainability: Students will cover the relative age effect and how to minimise these effects. There is a case that this feeds into an unlevel playing field in youth sport (a form of inequality - see UN SDG 10)

Digital capabilities: Students are encouraged to seek out alternative forms of digital learning, in the form of social media, podcasts, and blogs.

Employability: Role progression of S&C coach is theme of first lecture, in addition to global professional skill development. The knowledge and skills developed on this module will be crucial for future employment where athlete interventions must be scrutinised and delivered effectively.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.