The One Ingredient!

To be the best athlete we need to ‘Train to Win’. Even more so it is about training smartly that will allow for better performance. To be the best we need to train and prepare like the best. I like to always compare the training and preparation of an athlete to baking a cake. This however does not mean that I am a master chef.

To bake the perfect cake we need to include a whole bunch of ingredients. These ingredients are used in varying amounts and at different times through the baking process. Each and everyone of these ingredients are important to the overall taste and success of the cake. At the end of the day, after all the ingredients have been included and baked in the oven, we place that beautiful red cherry on the top.

Athlete preparation, both elite and developmental athletes, need a variety of components to prepare them for the competition and ultimately the success that we all look to enjoy (Gold Medal, improved performance or Competing internationally can all be seen as that Cherry on the top). This preparation I see the same as baking a cake. We need to include a variety of ingredients such as proper nutrition, psychology, rest, physiotherapy, sports medical services and many others in creating and becoming the best athlete. One very important ingredient is the aspect of Strength and Conditioning.

The athlete is our cake! We use a variety of services or ingredients, putting them in at certain times in the process, leaving the body to react (sitting in the oven) and then optimal performance is the end result. Each and every one of these ingredients are important in the process. Each one of the ingredients (disciplines) has a specific amount that needs to be added during the baking or preparation process. If the ingredients are added in the wrong amounts or at the wrong times the cake can flop!

As a strength and conditioning specialist, we are responsible to the athletes and coaches for developing and monitoring strength programs, instructing proper lifting techniques, cardiovascular, speed and power development and finally evaluating physical performance. These aspects of strength and conditioning are very important in the development of a young athlete, making sure they move through the correct developmental pathways and in so doing optimize there potential performance at an elite level.

Strength and Conditioning specialists have been recognized internationally for many years as professionals able to provide assistance in developing young athletes and optimizing performance of elite level athletes. In South Africa, the awareness of strength and conditioning has grown over the last 5 years with the numbers of individuals obtaining the CSCS (Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist) qualification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association in the USA, increasing. This is an exciting trend in the South African sporting performance market and hopefully as the numbers of Coaches, Athletes, Clubs and Sporting Codes realize the value of the CSCS, the performance of South African athletes will increase exponentially.


Strength and conditioning is a very important ingredient in the athlete baking process and neglecting to make use of the CSCS expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm can only lead to a potential flop.

So as part of the sport science, medical and strength and conditioning fraternity we live by what they say on the Tele…

For work we cook and for fun we Bake!


Steven Ball
BA(HMS)(Hons)Biokinetics; CSCS