Strength and Conditioning
The Strength and Conditioning Research Group aims to determine how best to assess and develop endurance, strength and power to improve performance in many different groups, ranging from youth to elite athletes.
We connect our postgraduate students with industry professionals looking to improve their performance or potential through the integration of theory into practice. Our staff and students work alongside those responsible for the design, development and delivery of strength and conditioning for sport performances at a local, regional, national and international level.
Our activities and students
Strength and conditioning has a large cohort of students involved in a wide variety of applied research. A substantial number of our students are involved in the four research themes below.
Research themes
- Human movement
- Speed and COD
- Wearable resistance training
- Strength and power profiling
Doctoral Candidates
- Christian Amdi
Topic: The impact of exercise specificity and individualized exercise selection on powerlifting performance
Supervisors: Mike McGuigan, Eric Helms, Alyssa-Joy Spence - Dogus Bakici
Topic: The acute and chronic effects of various volume flywheel exercise on athletic performance
Supervisors: Matt Brughelli, Matt Cross, Ivan Jukic - Shelley Diewald
Topic: Integrating technology to understand performance and inform training of freestyle board sports
Supervisors: Matt Cross, Jono Neville Cameron Ross, John Cronin - James Forster
Topic: Advancing the diagnostic value of the pro-agility shuttle and the acute and chronic effects of training with wearable resistance on pro-agility shuttle performance
Supervisors: Aaron Uthoff, Michael Rumpf, John Cronin - Trey Job
Topic: The effects of wearable resistance on the throwing velocity, shoulder strength and biomechanics of baseball players
Supervisors: Matt Cross, Ryan Crotin, John Cronin - Andrew King
Title: Acute carbohydrate strategies for resistance training performance
Supervisors: Eric Helms, Caryn Zinn - Kedric Kwan
Topic: Evaluating rapid weight cutting strategies for the powerlifter
Supervisors: Eric Helms, Adam Storey, Brandon Roberts - Hamish Kyne
Topic: The effects of wearable resistance on jump diagnostics and performance
Supervisors: John Cronin, Jono Neville - Sohee Lee
Topic: The effect of circuit training versus traditional strength training on physiological and psychological responses in women
Supervisors: Eric Helms, Matt Schubert - Courtney Mitchell
Topic: Exploring the influence of physical demands, technical demands, and menstrual cycle on elite academy female footballers
Supervisors: Aaron Uthoff, Matt Cross, Alice Sweeting - Mark Pryer
Topic: Characterizing pick-up acceleration capability
Supervisors: Matt Cross, John Cronin - Riccardo Michelini
Topic: Dynamic neck strength and concussion prevention in professional rugby union players
Supervisors: Aaron Uthoff, Nicholas Gill, Michael McGuiga - José Antonio Martínez-Rodríguez
Topic: The effect of improving base running efficiency on baseball players
Supervisors: John Cronin, Ryan Crotin - Chloe Ryan
Topic: Acute and longitudinal effects of wearable resistance on change of direction performance
Supervisor: Aaron Uthoff, Chloe McKenzie, John Cronin - Kimberly SantaBarbara
Topic: Effects of the menstrual cycle in resistance trained athletes
Supervisors: Eric Helms, Nigel Harris - Celine Schneider
Topic: A phase exploration of 180° change-of-direction performance in tennis players
Supervisors: Aaron Uthoff, Emily Carter, Chris Whatman - Anthony Sharp
Topic: Multiple hop testing – the information available and diagnostic value to athlete profiling
Supervisors: John Cronin, Jono Neville - Colby Sousa
Topic: Implementation of a low-volume power-type day to improve resistance training performance and recovery
Supervisors: Eric Helms, Adam Storey, Michael Zourdos - Tanuj Wadhi
Topic: Predicting athlete recovery and readiness-to-perform using machine learning with wearable sensors
Supervisors: Daniel Plews, Jonathan Neville, John Cronin - John Wilson
Topic: The effect of amplitude and frequency of oscillation-based training on ballistic performance
Supervisors: Matt Cross, Michael Schofield, John Cronin - Zhi Yuan
Topic: The use of rate of power development to monitor power production ability.
Supervisors: Mike McGuigan, Matt Brughelli
Masters Candidates
- John Black
Topic: Brawn and Brains: An exploration into the links between personality and exercise selection
Supervisor: Aaron Uthoff - James Farr
Topic: The 11+ Part 2: Can it be improved to further enhance physical performance in recreational female football players?
Supervisors: Michael McGuigan, Chris Whatman - Kai Homer
Topic: The effect of carbohydrate loading on subjective bodybuilding scoring, muscle size and mood states
Supervisors: Eric Helms, Matthew Cross - Morgan Hutchings
Topic: The Impact of COVID-19 Isolation on Strength and Power Profiles in Professional Rugby Union Players
Supervisor: Adam Storey, Casey Watkins - Emily Cavell
Topic: The influence of menstrual cycle phase on the kinetic outputs and subjective experience of cluster sets during high-volume bench press.
Supervisors: Adam Storey, Casey Watkins - Jason Clarke
Topic: Understanding the influence of mode and frequency of online powerlifting coaching on lifter satisfaction, change in powerlifting total, and length of the lifter-coach relationship
Supervisors: Alyssa-Joy Spence, Eric Helms - Kenny Tan
Topic: The influence of the dynamic strength index on deceleration and change of direction ability in semi-professional and professional rugby union players.
Supervisors: Adam Storey - Hannah Tiedt
Topic: The use of wearable and local vibration training for rehabilitation purposes and performance outcomes using Myovolt technology in isometric and eccentric exercises
Supervisors: Aaron Uthoff, Dianne Jones, John Cronin
The group also has a number of international and national partners that are involved in these research areas, some of which are providing PhD scholarships. For specific details of the research activity please visit the Strength and Conditioning staff and postgraduate student profiles.
TruStrength Tech
TruStrength Tech has been developed in-house and in conjunction with Texas-headquartered Athlete Training and Health. The device gathers real-time movement analysis and a more robust sense of the forces applied than traditional force-measuring devices.
- Bailey's research looked at using the TruStrength Tech Max to quantify elastic-based resistance training for shoulder rehabilitation.
Find out more on YouTube - Jess' research investigated using the TruStrength Tech Max to assess and monitor strength and force output during knee osteoarthritis rehabilitation.
Find out more on YouTube
LILA
LILA specialises in wearable resistance that can be applied around the whole body. Using micro-loads, resistance can be applied to the arms, trunk, and legs, to overload sports-specific movements.
- Chloe's research looked into using LILA wearable resistance with netball players and change of direction parameters.
Find out more on YouTube - James' research investigated LILA wearable resistance for sprint performance and change of direction in athletes.
Find out more on YouTube
Myovolt
Myovolt provides wearable vibration therapy, designed to promote localised blood flow and stimulate neuromuscular function. Their unique technology can be applied to exercise recovery for muscular fatigue, right through to rehab treatment for overuse injuries.
- Hannah's research investigated the acute effects of localised vibration therapy on lower body neruomuscular performance.
Find out more on YouTube
Enode
Enode offers a small strength training device with large results. Enode Pro can easily sit on a barbell or slot into any of their attachments, and will provide data on velocity, 3D bar path, and more to maximise performance without overtraining.
- Ivan's research investigated and validated Enode's metrics for barbell-based velocity training and impacts of fatigue.
Find out more on YouTube
Renaissance Periodization
Renaissance Periodization provides scientifically-sound and evidence-based diet and training consultation, offered through their RP Diet App, diet and training templates, coaching, and various successful e-books.
- Kai's research was funded by Renaissance Periodization, looking into the nutritional strategies employed by strength physique athletes the week before competition and which best improve performance.
Find out more on YouTube
Exerfly
Exerfly is a New Zealand-based company providing flywheel training solutions for sport-specific movements and an alternative to traditional resistance training. Their unique technology offers a safe way to eccentrically overload movement to maximise performance.
- Matt's research investigated and validated Exerfly's metrics with gold standard linear position transducers and force plates for a squat movement.
Research group leader
Members
Research bytes
Watch our short videos of exciting current research by SPRINZ staff and postgraduate students.