The Psychology of Strength and Conditioning

An effective strength and conditioning program underpins the training regime of every successful athlete or sportsperson and it is now widely recognized that psychology plays a significant role in the application of strength and conditioning principles. This is the first book to examine the importance of psychological factors in strength and conditioning and to offer a comprehensive overview of current research, theory and best practice.
Written by a team of leading international researchers and practitioners, the book looks at how psychology influences training and performance and how training can influence an individual’s psychological well-being. It explores a range of key topics in contemporary sport psychology and athletic training, including:


mental skills training
behaviour change
psychology in professional practice
psychological problems, including exercise dependence, eating disorders and steroid use.
Throughout, the book combines evidence-based research with discussion of the practical issues facing athletes, coaches and sport science professionals. By firstly developing our understanding of the latest psychological skills and techniques used by athletes and coaches to maximize strength and conditioning training and performance, and then the ways other psychological factors influence, and are influenced by, strength and conditioning training, this book represents invaluable reading for all advanced students, researchers, trainers and sport scientists with an interest in strength and conditioning or sport psychology.

David Tod is a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Aberystwyth University, UK, and has developed courses on the psychology of strength and conditioning for several other universities. He also sits on the British Association for Sport and Exercise Science Strength and Conditioning Special Interest Group Committee as the psychology expert.
David Lavallee is Professor and Head of the School of Sport at the University of Stirling, UK. He is an Associate Fellow and Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society. Professor Lavallee has published over 100 scholarly publications, including four edited books and two authored books, and is an associate editor and on the editorial board for several journals in the field of Sport and Psychology.

Introduction Chapter 1. Mental Skills Training and Strength and Conditioning - Stephen D. Mellalieu and David Shearer Chapter 2. Social Psychological Theories and Models - Sarah McLachlan, Derwin Chan, Dave Keatley, and Martin Hagger Chapter 3. Perceptual Monitoring in Strength and Power - Michael McGuigan Chapter 4. Exercise, Self-Esteem, and Self-Perceptions - Magnus Lindwall Chapter 5. Resistance Training and Mental Health - Shawn M. Arent and Devon L. Golem Chapter 6. Exercise Dependence - Dave Smith and Bruce D. Hale Chapter 7. Drive For Muscularity - Christian Edwards, David Tod, Todd Morrison and Gyozo Molnar Chapter 8. Eating Disorders in Sport - Justine J. Reel and Nick Galli Chapter 9. The (Ab) Use of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids - Susan H. Backhouse Chapter 10. Professional Development in Strength and Conditioning Coaches - David Tod and David Lavallee