Strength and Conditioning Guidelines
Strength and Conditioning deals with the physical preparation of athletes for peak
performance. More specifically the programme aims to:






achieve optimum strength, power and control to facilitate effective delivery out of the
hack
improve general fitness to allow players to cope with playing several matches in a short
space of time – this will delay the negative effects of fatigue on performance
prevent injury
promote specific strength gains in the upper body to maximise sweeping performance
achieve optimum endurance to allow players to perform repeated bouts of high intensity
sweeping with limited recovery
increase length of concentration
On selection to the performance programme you will have a strength and conditioning
programme developed to address your physical limitations and individual fitness
requirements. There is however nothing stopping you from starting to work on your fitness
now. The strength aspect of your training will require you to work with resistance to increase
the strength of your muscles where as the conditioning aspect is aimed at developing
cardiovascular, aerobic fitness. Below are some simple guidelines that you could follow that
will start you on the road to optimum fitness for curling.
Cardiovascular Fitness
Simply put, CV fitness will develop your aerobic system. The ability of your heart and lungs
to supply oxygen efficiently to the working muscles and remove waste products,
We have all felt that uncomfortable burning feeling at the end of a hard sweeping effort; your
CV fitness will aid you in recovering quickly from repeated sweep efforts and assist you in
concentrating for the duration of your game and competition.
Frequency
Intensity
Time:
Type:
The number of times you carry out the activity per week
 Strength: 2 to 3 X per week
 CV: 3-5 X per week
How hard is the activity you are participating in?
 Strength: to improve strength you need the resistance you work with to
feel heavy but not very heavy.
 CV: To improve aerobic fitness you should feel like you could carry out
a conversation with the person next to you but that it would not be easy.
If 6 is very very easy and 20 is very very hard, then you should be 1315 or somehat hard.
The duration of time spent doing the activity:
 Strength: Anything between 30 minutes to an hour per session
 CV: A minimum of 20 minutes up to an hour will develop aerobic
capacity.
Is the type of exercise completed or the mode of activity:
 Strength: Resistance Training (see guideline)
 CV: Aerobic training – running, cycling, swimming, playing team
sports or racket sports, fitness classes
Strength Training
Resistance: Is any external resistance to the muscle. Examples are your body weight,
dumbbells, barbells, resistance machines, bands or fluid.
Exercise: Is the different exercises that you do to strengthen your muscles. In each
workout that you complete you should aim to do 6-8 different exercises.
Reps The number of times that you repeat the exercise before resting. For a novice
trainer you should aim for 8 to 12 reps per set you perform.
Sets Is the number of times that you repeat your repetitions. You should aim to
perform 1 to 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Recovery: Between each set you should take periods of rest. Depending on how many
reps you lift and how heavy the weight is you are moving, you rest periods will
change. Aim for a rest period of 45seconds to 1min 30seconds.
Load: The load that you select will determine how many times you can lift it/ Choose
a weight that you can manage for 8-12 reps. It should not feel easy and by the
end of the set you should feel you muscles working.
Overload: For your muscular strength and endurance to improve you need to increase the
reps or the weight. Select a weight that you find challenging for 8 reps and
attempt to increase it to 12. Once you have managed this increase the weight
and repeat the cycle.
Volume: The volume (V) of your workout is V = ( sets X reps X exercises). As you
build up your strength ability you can increase sets, reps or the number of
exercises that you do.
Progression: Simply monitor how you are progressing through recording your exercises, sets,
reps and weights.
Lower body: Your legs are very important for curling for (1) the slide (2) weight control (3)
stability and balance and (4) involvement in sweeping. You should try to work
both legs individually and together.
 Bodyweight (or with DB’s): Lunges, split squats, step ups or squats.
 Resistance machines: Leg press, leg curls or leg extensions
Chest: Your chest muscles play an important part in sweeping performance .
 Body weight: Press ups or chair dips or dips
 DB or BBs: Bench press, DB Bench Press, DB Flies,
 Resistance Machines: Pec Deck, Cable Press, Chest press, Assisted
Dips
Back: Your back muscles need to be strong to (1) limit the chance of injury that could
occur from heavy sweeping and (2) assist in developing down force on the
brush.
 Bodyweight: Chin Ups or Pull Ups
 DB’s or BB’s: DB single arm row or BB row
 Resistance Machines: Seated Row or Lat Pull Downs
 Theraband: Rows or shoulder blade squeezes.
Shoulders The shoulder is an area that is at risk of injury from repeated sweeping efforts
and needs to be strong to assist in the sweeping action.
 DBs or BBs: DB raises (front, side or rear (bent over)), DB external
rotations; DB or BB shoulder press.
 Resistance Machines: Seated shoulder press, cable raises (as above)
Core: To maintain a strong slide position, assist in transferring force from your feet
through to the brush head in sweeping and assist in stability and balance – the
core plays an essential job in curling performance:
 Posture endurance: Planks, Side Planks, Glut Bridges with body weight
or on swiss ball.
 Muscular endurance: Ab Curls, back extensions, Ab Twists, Superman
& planks with arm and leg movements.
 Resistance: Medicine ball situps and twists