Performance Assessment in Strength and Conditioning

It is an essential skill for any strength and conditioning coach to be able to reliably assess the physical performance of their athletes and communicate the results and their implications to performers and coaches, alike. Performance Assessment in Strength and Conditioning is the first textbook to clearly and coherently suggest the most appropriate and reliable methods for assessing and monitoring athletes' performance, as well as including detailed sections on testing considerations and the interpretation and application of results. The book explores the full range of considerations required to reliably assess performance, including questions of ethics and safety, reliability and validity, and standardised testing, before going on to recommend (through a comparison of field- and laboratory-based techniques) the optimal methods for testing all aspects of physical performance, including: - injury risk - jump performance - sprint performance - change of direction and agility - strength - power - aerobic performance - body composition Closing with a section on interpreting, presenting and applying results to practice, and illustrated with real-life case study data throughout, Performance Assessment in Strength and Conditioning offers the most useful guide to monitoring athlete performance available. It is an essential text for upper-level strength and conditioning students and practitioners alike.

Paul Comfort, PhD, CSCS*D, ASCC, is a Reader in Strength and Conditioning and Programme Leader for the MSc Strength and Conditioning at the University of Salford, UK. Paul A. Jones, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), CSCS*D, BASES Accred. CSci., is a Lecturer in Sports Biomechanics and Strength and Conditioning at the University of Salford, UK. John J. McMahon, PhD, CSCS, ASCC, is a Lecturer in Sports Biomechanics and Strength and Conditioning (S&C) at the University of Salford, UK.

Introduction: The Role of Assessing and Monitoring Performance Part 1: Testing Considerations 1. Ethical and Health and Safety Issues 2. Psychological Issues during Assessment of Performance 3. Reliability, Validity and Measurement Error 4. Standardisation of Testing 5. Structured Testing vs. Continual Monitoring Part 2: Assessment Methods 6. Assessment of Factors Associated with Injury Risk 7. Vertical Jump Testing 8. Sprint Testing 9. Change of Direction and Agility 10. Strength - Isometric and Dynamic Testing 11. Assessment of Power 12. Aerobic Performance Assessment 13. Body Composition Assessment 14. Combined Assessment Methods Part 3: Interpretation and Application 15. Interpretation of Results 16. Presentation and Communication of Results 17. Application to Training