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Programme Director for the BSc Strength and Conditioning Science programme (S&C) at St Mary’s University, Twickenham Richard Blagrove has published a book titled Strength and Conditioning for Endurance Running with The Crowood Press.
The book is aimed at middle and long-distance runners of all ages and abilities and explains how strength training and conditioning activities can enhance performance and reduce injury risk.
Many runners tend to neglect supplementary conditioning exercises until they reach an elite level of performance or suffer an injury. The opening section of the book explains how S&C activities can directly enhance physical qualities related to performance and positively impact upon running biomechanics in runners of all standards.
The middle two sections of the book contain eight chapters dedicated to describing the most appropriate exercises for developing strength and resilience to injury. Detailed instructions and over 300 pictures are provided to ensure runners develop appropriate and safe exercise technique. Typical errors in technique are also identified along with simple remedial strategies to correct and improve movement.
Each section contains scientific content sufficient for students studying at degree level and coaches interested in learning about the science underpinning S&C for running. The book also includes key information boxes after each sub-section and numerous illustrations to ensure young athletes and readers from non-academic backgrounds can understand the important messages.
Richard said, “The motivation for writing the book was to provide a resource for the many runners I hear from who are interested in incorporating strength and conditioning into their training routine, but lack the specialist knowledge and coaching support. The content is a mixture of well-established principles and my own ideas based upon my experience of coaching many of the international runners based at St Mary’s. After many long weekends and evenings of hard work, I am delighted with the final product and hope that runners of all ages and abilities will benefit from the information presented.”
The revenue Richard makes from this book will go to charity. The book is available on Amazon or through The Crowood Press website.
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